Actor Brant Daugherty chatted about starring in the new original Hallmark film “A Royal Runaway Romance.”
He plays opposite Philippa Northeast (“Home and Away”), and their characters take a cross-country road trip. “A Royal Runaway Romance” is a new original movie that premieres tomorrow on Saturday, April 9 on the Hallmark Channel, as part of the network’s “Spring into Love” programming event. “I really believe in this movie and I thought it was so cool,” he said.
On being a part of the Hallmark family, he exclaimed, “It’s amazing. I understand how important that is, especially with Hallmark, since I believe in their messaging and what they are doing and what they are putting out in the world. I am a very lucky man.”
“The entire shoot was such a treat,” he admitted. “It was such a positive experience overall. My favorite part was getting to work with Philippa Northeast, this is her first project for an American audience. She was a real treat to work with, she is such a talented actress and she is so sweet. I can’t wait for everyone to be introduced to her in this film.”
“We got along amazingly well, and Philippa made it such an amazing experience from start to finish,” he added.
Background on ‘A Royal Runaway Romance’
The synopsis of the film is as follows: Just as Princess Amelia (Philippa Northeast) is preparing to take over as Queen once her mother Ava (Sarah Jane Redmond) steps down in a year, she finds herself falling for Wes (Andre Anthony) the American artist commissioned to paint her royal portrait.
The Queen makes it clear that she doesn’t think Wes is the right match for Amelia, so when the artist returns home to Chicago, Amelia devises another reason to travel to the states – her Uncle Andreas’ (Vincent Gale) upcoming birthday. It’s the perfect plan…except that Andreas’ Beverly Hills home is nowhere near Chicago, and Wes isn’t able to meet her there.
Complicating matters further, her mother insists on traveling with her and confiscates her passport, making a quick flight to Chicago impossible. And perhaps the biggest hurdle is when Amelia learns that Grady Beck (Brant Daughtery), Andreas’ trusted bodyguard, is now assigned to stay with her at all times. Not easily deterred from her plans to see Wes, Amelia decides to “borrow” Grady’s car to drive to Chicago.
When the handsome bodyguard catches onto her plan and tells her uncle, Andreas agrees to help Amelia on one condition – Grady must go with her. Heading out with Grady in Andreas’ classic convertible, America-obsessed Amelia gets the cross-country trip she’d always dreamed of – and perhaps her last chance to be free before assuming the responsibilities of being Queen.
Along the way, Amelia and Grady open up to each other and find that they have more in common and more fun together than either expected. With every state line they cross, each will learn that in road trips and romance, the destination is less important than the journey and the person you share it with.
Portraying Grady in ‘A Royal Runaway Romance’
“Playing Grady was a treat, he is such a proactive and strong character,” he said. “I love the strong and silent type because they are so fun to play. Grady is a man of a few words and I gravitate towards that. Getting into Grady’s head was really fun. I love the way their relationship develops, and I love his emotional core.”
“Grady has a strong and silent exterior but he has a really deep well of unresolved emotion with his father and he is not really sure how to get past that. Grady is such a rich character and there is so much to dive into. I enjoyed playing him so thoroughly,” he added.
“A Royal Runaway Romance” is from Crown Media Productions, LLC. David Weaver directed the film from a screenplay by Jake Helgren. “Jake is a good dude, I worked with him four times before and he always does a phenomenal job,” he said.
Motivations
Regarding his daily motivations as a content creator, Daugherty said, “I have loved telling stories ever since I can remember, and anyway I can be a part of that is amazing to me. The fact that my acting career has taken me as far as it has is just humbling. I want to make stories that are meaningful and impactful.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Daugherty remarked, “It’s amazing. There is a wealth of opportunities out there, it’s the greatest thing. To have all of these outlets as a writer, director, and actor is so cool.”
Advice for hopefuls
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Learn your craft through and through from as many angles as you can and not just acting. Study writing, study directing, study editing, theatre, and playwrights. Get a wide grasp of it as much as you can. Ultimately, that’s how I found my way into the craft of acting.”
‘Pretty Little Liars’
On his experience on “Pretty Little Liars,” he said, “It was great, they spoiled us so thoroughly. To have a show that has been so impactful was like being a part of another family. It was hard when it ended. As an actor, it was a treat to be a part of something like that, and I was very fortunate to have such great experiences in my career.”
‘Days of Our Lives’
Daughterty recalled his time on the NBC daytime drama “Days of Our Lives, where he played Brian, and he opened up about how he handled being dialogue-heavy (where he had to learn many pages of scripts). “One day, they sent me 37 pages of dialogue, and it was a challenge but we got through it,” he said with a laugh. “As a result, I was able to handle anything that was thrown at me after that.”
‘Fifty Shades Freed’
On being a part of “Fifty Shades Freed,” he said, “It was one of my craziest experiences, and I mean that in a positive way. I was able to shoot slowly and thoughtfully. We really took our time, and it was an absolute treat. The cast and the crew were phenomenal people.”
Career-defining moments
A defining moment for him was when he did “Dancing with the Stars” and did a dance from a memorable year. Daugherty chose to do a dance from the year that his father passed away.
“That was the year that my entire life changed and I did a dance where I paid tribute to my father. That was a turning point in my career since I learned how to take a new medium like dance and I was able to put my acting techniques into it. I felt so proud of that moment,” he elaborated.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “Expansion.” “I am moving into all facets of entertainment. I have my hands in a little bit of everything right now, it’s a nice place to be” he said.
If he were to have any superpower, Daugherty revealed that it would be “flying.” “That would be so freeing,” he admitted.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Daugherty said, “As I get older, success becomes more about my relationships. It’s about being able to take care of the people that I love and doing what I love. It’s not necessarily the big house on the hill and the fancy cars, it’s about feeling good about what I am doing and being able to provide for my family doing it.”
Daughtery concluded about “A Royal Runaway Romance,” “This movie is so much fun. There is so much beauty, humor, emotion, and humanity. I really can’t wait for everyone to see it. This is my favorite Hallmark movie thus far, and I hope that the fans all agree.”
To learn more about actor Brant Daugherty, follow him on Instagram and check out his IMDb page.
