Actor Robert Buckley (“One Tree Hill” and “Lipstick Jungle”) chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about starring as Mike Mitchell in the new original holiday film “The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls” on the Hallmark Channel, which premieres on December 18.
R.C. Newey directed the holiday film from a script that was written by Erin Rodman, which is based on the characters created by Buckley and Rodman.
The late U.S. Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” Robert Buckley is an actor and filmmaker that epitomizes this wise quotation.
On being a part of this film, Buckley said, “It was a blast. The first movie was so much fun and I couldn’t really wrap my head around the fact that we are making a movie about my family’s holiday traditions so the fact that we made a sequel blew my mind. It’s a great cast with a bunch of talented, nice people. It was an easy and fun set.”
Buckley is drawn to his character Mike for many reasons. “I liked Mike’s sense of humor,” he said. “Mike is very sarcastic, quick, and I can relate to that a lot. I like that it’s a big component of Mike’s toolkit as well.”
“This movie is largely based on my family traditions and Mike Mithell is loosely based on myself,” he added. “The film is largely based off of my life.”
Synopsis of ‘The Christmas House 2’
For the last two years, Mike (Robert Buckley) and Andi (Ana Ayora) have been settling into their home. Phylis (Sharon Lawrence) and Bill (Treat Williams) have eased into retirement and rediscovered the joy in their marriage. “Sharon Lawrence is the best,” he exclaimed. “Sharon is so easy to like and to be around. She is also so talented as an actor and scenes with her are fun because they end up being something different than what’s on the page and what is expected. She brings lots of surprises with her. She has a wicked sense of humor and she’s awesome.”
Mike’s brother Brandon (Jonathan Bennett) and his husband Jake (Brad Harder) are being parents to two young children. The entire Mitchell family agrees to meet again for Christmas in the quaint town of Rhinebeck, New York. “It was great to work with Jonathan and Brad,” he said. “Jonathan and I hit it off right away. For us to play brothers was not challenging at all. We naturally have good banter and a good back and forth so that fun dynamic was effortless.”
All is going according to plan for a relaxing holiday until Mike is asked to participate in a celebrity home decorating reality TV show. After some convincing from everyone else, Mike is excited to share the famed Christmas House with the world. When Mike’s opponent in the competition drops out at the last minute, Brandon (Jonathan Bennett) is tasked with rivaling to make for an epic, brother versus brother Christmas decorating showdown.
Will this competition bring lots of love and joy for the Mitchell family or will it only bring mayhem?
Buckley shared the story where he teased Bennett with chocolate croissants. “When we got to set, he was getting ready to do a movie in Hawaii where he would have been shirtless a bunch so he told me he was working on his beach body. Of course, what do I do, I find the best bakery in town and I grabbed a couple of chocolate croissants and I left them on his chair for him with his name on them. He was like ‘what are these?’ I told him that it’s so weird. It’s like somebody knows you have to be shirtless and they are trying to sabotage you. That’s crazy… and Jonathan was like ‘you monster’,” he said with a laugh.
“That’s how Jonathan and I play though. We love to eat and we love to give each other grief,” he added.
“Brad was great too. He was the sweet, thoughtful counterbalance to the energy I bring out in Jonathan, which is usually chaos and juvenile,” Buckley added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Buckley said, “It’s great. There are more opportunities out there and there is more content being made so there is more storytelling to be a part of. I am all for it.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Only do it if it’s because you like the way acting makes you feel. This industry is full of rejection and there is no guarantee that it’s going to work out. If you love acting, then go for it.”
‘Lipstick Jungle’ and ‘One Tree Hill’
He opened up about his experiences in “Lipstick Jungle” and “One Tree Hill.” “They were great. ‘Lipstick Jungle’ was my first big, big show so it allowed me to work with a lot of icons and some professionals, so I learned from some greats. That was such a blast and a crash course. ‘One Tree Hill’ was a great time and it was a big show that still many people are fans of. I was lucky to be a part of both of them,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Buckley responded, “New Beginnings.”
Buckley listed Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell and Tim Robinson of “Detroiters” as his dream acting partners.
If Buckley were to have any superpower, he revealed that it would be “flying.” “That was the last superpower I had in a dream, and it was so much fun,” he said. “Flying would be the ticket. Plus, no more coach. I can take myself up to Vancouver. What a treat that would be.”
When asked what track and field event he would do, he picked “the javelin.” “I would like to see myself throw a javelin,” he said. “I would also do the high jump since that feels like a manageable amount of height for me,” he added.
Success
Buckley defined the word success as contentment in life. “The first word that comes to mind is happiness,” he said. “Success means that my family and I are taken care of and provided for and I am happy with what I have.”
He concluded about “The Christmas House 2,” “It’s a lot of fun and it’s funny. It’s all about love and coming together so huddle up with your family and loved ones, and just have a good time.”
For more information on “The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls,” visit the official Hallmark website.
To learn more about Robert Buckley, follow him on Instagram.
