In Santa Tell Me, Erin Krakow steps into a festive whirlwind, surrounded by some of Hallmark’s favorite leading men, and brings her hallmark warmth and charm to this holiday romance.
I had the pleasure of catching up with Erin to chat about her upcoming Hallmark movie and her beloved series, When Calls the Heart.
Here’s an inside look at our conversation, packed with Erin’s thoughts on everything from skating adventures to heartfelt friendships.
This is either the first or one of the first movies to feature multiple Hallmark hunks vying for one woman’s hand. How lucky is Erin to be at the center of it?
“How lucky are they?” Erin laughed.
“No, no. I mean, I absolutely know what you mean. I considered myself very lucky to be working with all of them. They were all not only wonderful actors but wonderful human beings, and the whole project was a lot of fun.”
Erin seems to have a knack for playing characters who find themselves the center of romantic attention, so I had to ask if she had a secret.
“It’s a tough job; somebody’s got to do it,” she joked. “I don’t know that I have a secret to it. Maybe I just look like an indecisive person, but what a pleasure it continues to be.”
The vibe on set was lighthearted fun, especially with the playful dynamic between the actors. “There weren’t a ton of scenes where we had all the Nicks together. It was really more isolated than that, but I know those boys had a lot of fun.
“Toward the end of the film, when they were all meeting for the first time and fighting each other off, they really had a blast,” she explained. “And I had a great time working with each of them individually as well.”
One of the film’s highlights is Erin’s reunion with When Calls the Heart costar Daniel Lissing. For longtime fans, seeing these two together again has an undeniable magic.
“It was such a delight to reunite with Dan,” Erin said warmly.
“I think there’s a natural chemistry between us on screen. We didn’t have a specific plan of attack; we just approached these characters the way we normally would on any project, and luckily, some of that electricity still translated.”
Did it feel like coming home, I wondered? “I don’t know that it felt like going home,” she reflected.
“It felt like a really fun high school reunion, I guess. It was all the good parts of a reunion without the stress. There was this ease about it — just knowing how to work together.”
For Erin, the real magic of Santa Tell Me lies in its whimsical and comedic elements. “My favorite thing about this project was the comedy,” she shared.
“There’s some great physical comedy, some really fun gags. All of that was just so much fun to play. And then the magical elements were really exciting to see brought to life in the final cut.”
Curious about the magic of the season, I asked what her own letter from Santa might reveal if it addressed a childhood wish.
“When I was seven, I really thought I wanted to be Kristi Yamaguchi and be an Olympic ice skater,” Erin laughed.
“For that reason, it was really fun to get to spend so much time on the ice in Santa Tell Me. We were ice skating all night long at the Robson skating rink in downtown Vancouver.”
“So, are you a good skater?” I had to ask.
“Am I a good skater?” she considered thoughtfully. “Well, I don’t fall. I don’t need one of those carts or handles that you have to push to stay upright, so that’s something. You’re not going to find me doing triple axels anytime soon, but I can hold my own.”
In Santa Tell Me, Erin’s character, Olivia, also tackles a home renovation project. This is an area Erin has firsthand experience with — though it might not be her fondest memory.
“I had a not-so-great experience renovating a home in my real life,” she admitted. “It’s probably a bit triggering for me to watch some of these renovation shows.”
While renovation shows aren’t her go-to, Erin made an exception for her friend Luke Macfarlane’s upcoming Hallmark project, Home is Where the Heart Is.
“He’s such a great woodworker and so talented. That’s one I’m really excited to see,” she said, clearly supporting her friend’s work.
Switching gears, we dove into When Calls the Heart. Erin was excited to talk about the show’s upcoming twelfth season, which had been filled with memorable moments.
“We’re in our final week of production, and it has been such an exciting season. My character alone had so much to do this season between romance and comedy and maybe even some… I hesitate to say tragedy, but there are some real emotional, dramatic scenes this season as well.”
For fans who were left in suspense about Hargraves’ arrival at the end of When Calls the Heart Season 11 Episode 12, Erin shared a bit of reassurance.
“One thing I’ll say that will hopefully put minds at ease is we get a resolution to that early on in the season. We’re not going to leave viewers hanging on that front for too long.”
And as for a future collaboration with her current When Calls the Heart costar Chris McNally as a little salve on the still-fresh wounds of LucaBeth fans?
“Oh, I’d love to work with Chris on anything,” Erin gushed. “He knows that. He’s pretty brilliant as an actor and a great friend, and we have a wonderful time together.”
As we wrapped up, Erin shared what continues to draw her to Hallmark and what excites her about the network’s future.
“They are a network that has always prioritized love and telling meaningful love stories… not just romantic love, but all kinds of love stories that feature real connection.
“My relationship to the network has largely been through When Calls the Heart, which is such a love for me, but I’m excited to be a part of any branch they’re growing off this tree.”
Erin gave a heartfelt shout-out to Santa Tell Me director Ryan Landles. “He was such a delight to get to know, and I would be thrilled and honored to work with him on any other project.”
With the warmth, humor, and undeniable magic she brings to her roles, Erin Krakow is sure to make this holiday season a little brighter for all Hallmark fans.
Santa Tell Me premieres on Saturday, November 9 at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel.
Watch When Calls the Heart Online
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