Actor Kristoffer Polaha chatted about his new Hallmark movie “A Winning Team,” which will premiere on March 18.
Polaha was recently seen this past summer in “Jurassic World Dominion” for Universal Studios, and he played the Handsome Man in “Wonder Woman 1984” for Warner Bros.
He is perhaps best-known for starring in The CW’s critically acclaimed series “Life Unexpected.”
Polaha recurred on the cable series “Get Shorty” with Ray Romano and
Chris O’Dowd, the limited series “Condor” opposite William Hurt and Max Irons, and last year’s “Buried in Barstow” opposite Angie Harmon.
‘A Winning Team’
The synopsis is: When professional soccer player Emily (Nadia Hatta) finds herself no longer in the game, she teams up with Ian (Kristoffer Polaha), a laid-back small town coach, to lead her niece’s team to the playoffs.
“This movie was nothing but fun,” he admitted. “I got to go and hang out and play soccer for three weeks with Nadia, and a bunch of kids. It was just a really bright and carefree movie. I’m glad it turned out as well as it did. People seem to really like it, and I thought it was an important story to tell.”
“Nadia was great, this was her first time doing a Hallmark movie so she was beyond enthusiastic and she loved it, and that was a nice element,” he said.
“I hope the fans watch this film on March 18th, and I hope they tweet about it and post on their Instagram stories about it. I hope the audience has their own ‘Winning Team’ party watch with all of their friends together like in a Super Bowl fashion,” he added.
Polaha: a Hallmark veteran
Polaha is also well-known for his many starring roles in original movies for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and most recently starred in “We
Wish You a Married Christmas” for Hallmark Channel and this year will star in “A Biltmore Christmas” for the network. “I love being a part of the Hallmark family,” he underscored.
“I hope to continue telling stories for Hallmark for the unforeseeable future,” he added.
He had great words about being a part of Andrew Walker and Benjamin Ayres’ women’s shelter initiative in Los Angeles. “That is pretty cool that Andrew and Benjamin are doing that,” Polaha exclaimed. “They are crushing it and the ‘Romance University’ shirt sold like wildfire. It is really cool, and Benjamin and I are doing something for the Down Syndrome Network in northern Nevada.”
‘A Work of Art’ short film
Polaha wrote, directed, and starred in the short film, “A Work of Art,” which premiered at The Cannes Film Festival. “This was a project that I was really proud of. I have some really exciting new about ‘A Work of Art’,” he foreshadowed. “It is a work of art in progress.”
“Suicide is one of the biggest killers of teenagers in our country, and it is almost an epidemic, and that film spoke to that, and the film spoke to this idea of fighting for life and seeing another day and never giving up. It’s a message that is really important,” he said.
“The theme of the film is that you are a work of art, and it would be amazing if we treat each other as masterpieces,” he added.
Christmas Con
He shared that he enjoyed being a part of Christmas Con in New Jersey back in the winter of 2021. “It was fun,” he said. “I dig meeting people, I love meeting the people. I love shaking hands and taking pictures. Christmas Con was very much that experience on steroids. It has people who really want to go the extra mile to meet you and they want to let you know that you’ve made an impact on their lives with your art.”
“I have nothing but gratitude, and I am in total awe of the fans. I am amazed when I have a line of people that want to meet me. It is just a blessing,” he said.
‘Run The Race’
Polaha also recalled doing the movie “Run The Race,” where he starred opposite Frances Fisher, Tanner Stine, and Evan Hofer. “Frances Fisher was amazing to work with, and Tanner and Evan were good guys,” Polaha said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Polaha said, “Road Tripping.”
If he were to have any superpower, it would be “flight” because he would love to get from point A to point B “through the air.”
Regarding his definition of success, Polaha concluded, “When his wife and sons can look at him with pride, love, and respect. Also, doing the thing that I love to do for a living, which is act and tell stories. If I can keep those things in balance, that’s a success.”
To learn more about Kristoffer Polaha, check out his IMDb page and follow him on Instagram.
