Actor Colton Little (“Days of Our Lives”) chatted about starring in the new holiday film “Christmas Sweethearts.”
The synopsis is as follows: When a woman returns home to find her ex in a relationship, she enlists her best friend to act as her fake boyfriend.
Little opened up about his experience filming “Christmas Sweethearts,” which was directed by Jake Helgren. He stars opposite Breanne Hill (as his elegant leading lady), Beth Broderick, and Tanner Novlan. “Filming ‘Christmas Sweethearts’ was an incredible experience from start to finish! I had filmed my first feature, ‘A Wedding For Christmas’ the year prior and was excited to jump into another heartfelt holiday story,” he said.
“It’s rare to find a project where everyone from the actors to the crew gets along so well, but this film really had that special formula. We had the opportunity to film on location in Idyllwild, California which, in itself, is like a magical little Christmas town during the snowy season,” he elaborated.
“The cast stayed in these beautiful mountain cabins, so we were all able to really connect after the long days of filming with card games, wine, and many dance parties,” he exclaimed.
In “Christmas Sweethearts,” Little stars as Liam Marsh. “Playing Liam was the first time, as an actor, where I really started to bring pieces of myself into my work,” he said.
“There’s a hard balance to strike when filming movies like this, where you need to ground the character’s experience within the confines of a heightened situation. Liam had to juggle melancholy with supportive happiness, as he watched his best friend Ashley search for love in all the wrong places. So, I tried to bring a tinge of that apprehension into every scene,” he elaborated.
“Deep down, Liam just wanted his friend to be happy and find love, with or without him, and I think that’s such an admirable quality,” he added.
Little had great remarks about working with Tanner Novlan and Beth Broderick. “Tanner was such a kind and generous actor to work with. I was supposed to resent him in the script, but he made it really hard because we got along so well off-screen,” he said.
Little continued, “We were even roommates in Idyllwild and I have a particularly fond memory of both of us struggling to light the fireplace. I remember joking, ‘You’re from Canada! You’re supposed to know these things.’ Now, it’s incredible that he has ended up on ‘The Bold and The Beautiful’ and I’ve found a home at ‘Days of Our Lives’,” he said.
“I was very nervous to meet Beth Broderick for the first time since I grew up watching ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch,’ but she has such a calming energy about her. In between scenes, she would tell us these beautiful stories about her humanitarian work during the AIDS crisis, and her passion for animal welfare — a truly incredible woman,” he remarked.
Little had positive words about working with the director and co-writer Jake Helgren. “Jake was familiar with my work before I auditioned for the role of Liam, but since I wasn’t a well-known actor at that point, he had to jump through hoops to get me cast. He brings so much passion to his work, and he truly loves the stories he chooses to tell,” Little said.
“The amount of energy and focus he brought to set every day astounded me because a director’s job is nearly impossible. In addition, I enjoyed working with his producing partner, Autumn Federici who helped him steer the ship and took great care of us,” he added.
This movie will premiere on Sunday, November 13 on Great American Family. “We’re in good company on Great American Family, because their holiday lineup is stacked,” he exclaimed.
“The holiday movie fandom is extremely loyal, so I’m grateful that Christmas Sweethearts is getting some new life this holiday season on Great American Family. The film has been released for a few seasons now, but it’s being presented to a whole new audience this year, which brought a smile to my face,” Little said.
“Holiday movies are about finding hope and connection during a very special, and sometimes challenging time. So I’m grateful our movie can help people connect despite all of our differences,” he expressed.
Little remarked about “Christmas Sweethearts,” “The message that I took away after watching ‘Christmas Sweethearts’ for the first time, was that in the end, every single person in this world, despite our experiences and backgrounds, is looking for connection.”
“Our movie does an amazing job of showing audiences that we are all human and that sometimes love or connection is right under your nose if we just know how to get out of our own way. We can all be stubborn, or close-minded at times, but the real magic happens when we allow our hearts to remain open to possibility,” he explained.
To learn more about Colton Little, follow him on Instagram.
