Actors Jill Hennessy, Roan Curtis, and Lachlan Quarmby chatted about starring in the new Hallmark series “Hope Valley: 1874.”
The synopsis is: In 1874, Rebecca Clarke travels with her 11 year-old daughter to the Canadian frontier in search of a new life.
When she realizes the boardinghouse she purchased is not as advertised, she has no choice but to accept help from local rancher Tom Moore.
The show premieres on Saturday, March 21, exclusively on Hallmark+, with a new episode premiering every Thursday beginning on March 26.
Being a part of ‘Hope Valley: 1874’
On starring in “Hope Valley: 1874,” Hennessy said, “It was great, thanks to all these guys. It was kind of a joy going to work, because it was not an easy schedule. We had rain, we had hail, we had snow. It was an intense shoot, but man, it was with an incredible group of people.”
“Yeah, the people made it well worth it,” Curtis said.
Playing their characters
On playing his character Quarmby said, “I loved getting to ride on a horse… that was kind of cool. You know, having a hat to tip at people, you don’t get that in modern day.”
“I liked being chased after by the two most eligible men in Hope Valley. It was really good for the ego,” Curtis said about her character Olivia. “No, it was fun. I had never been the apex of a love triangle before, so it was really fun to get to play that out. That was one of my favorite parts,” Curtis clarified.
Hennessy on playing Hattie
“I liked the comedy of my character, too, in a really difficult environment. You know, it’s 1874, and she lost her husband,” Hennessy said.
“Hattie is running a trading post with her daughter, and there was such a genuine enjoyment in Hattie whenever she would see somebody walking into the trading post,” she noted.
“I think you find the joy in the moments because sometimes survival is so challenging that you take the beautiful moments where you can. So, it was fun to play that,” Hennessy added.
Lessons learned from the screenplay
On the lessons learned from the screenplay, Hennessy said, “Well, I think for me, I loved seeing how she coped or was trying not to confront her feelings about losing her daughter in the future, her daughter moving off, and pursuing her dreams, which is what she wants.”
“Hattie wants to have a self-sufficient, beautiful daughter,” Hennessy said. “She was just coming to grips with the fact that she might be alone.”
“Learning to reach out to other people, to Bethany Joy Lenz’s character, Rebecca, to form a relationship there and find a beautiful human being who would actually empathize and she could really relate to and respect,” Hennessy elaborated.
“Also, the joy in helping her create her boarding house, pursue her dream, and helping her with her daughter. That was a joy for me to just experience that as a woman, as a human, as a mother,” she explained.
Quarmby and Curtis on working with Jill Hennessy
On working with Jill Hennessy, Curtis said, “Oh, my gosh, it’s a dream. Are you kidding? Also, the fact that anybody thinks that I could possibly be her daughter is like the biggest compliment in the entire world. So beautiful.”
“I wish I had a daughter like that,” Hennessy admitted. “Oh, my gosh. Send me the adoption papers, we’ll get them signed up,” Curtis responded.
“It was amazing. Jill is a dream. She makes it easy,” Curtis expanded.
“I think a lot of people will agree that Jill’s character, Hattie, is their favorite,” Quarmby added.
Working with Hallmark on this project
On working with Hallmark on this project, Curtis said, “It was great! Everyone at Hallmark is so wonderful! It has been such a joy! I’m brand new to the network.”
“To be entrusted with something so precious to so many people is like a real honor,” Curtis noted.
“I’ve been with them for a second now, and they’ve invited me back, which is really nice,” Quarmby admitted.
“It was nice to come back and be a part of this project. Not only a project that was really exciting to do, but also means a lot to them and to their network,” Quarmby explained.
“It was an honor just to enter this universe for me too. In general, it was a nice environment to work in with really good and positive people,” Hennessy added.
Hennessy on her ‘City Vineyard’ shows in New York
On her City Vineyard concerts in New York, Hennessy said, “The music shows are great! I have my last one coming up on March 28th, so they have been wonderful. We’ve been sold-out for the last few shows, so that was great.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Hope Valley: 1874’
For their fans and supporters, Quarmby said, “I hope they get a sense that it’s never too late to follow your dream or to continue to pursue it. Even if you are in a tough spot, if you’re down in the ditches, and you’re really trying to get there.”
“The journey and the pursuit of something that you dream about is worthwhile enough that maybe you shouldn’t give up,” Quarmby said.
“I hope people take away a sense of hope and escape from it too,” Curtis said. “I mean, it’s such a beautiful world to escape into. Things are hard right now and people are struggling. So, I hope that it provides a nice moment of warmth and escape for people,” Curtis explained.
“I feel like it’ll provide the escape and the comfort that I found just in playing this character (Hattie) with everybody on this set. The plot lines, the work on set, the cast and crew were all tremendous on this,” Hennessy said.
“I hope that the audience is going to feel that too and come away with that sense of warmth and escape from whatever we’re all going through in their own personal lives. It’s just nice to have a place like this to go to,” Hennessy concluded.
To learn more about Jill Hennessy, follow her on Instagram.
