Actor Ross Jirgl chatted about his new original holiday movie “Love at the Christmas Contest,” which will premiere on Sunday, November 6, on Great American Family.
Jirgl stars in this film opposite Samantha Cope. The synopsis is as follows: For as long as she can remember, Angie’s favorite part of Christmas has been the Christmas Eve tree lighting in the town square. “This movie was a great experience. It was the first Christmas movie I had ever done,” he said. “We filmed it in Tulsa during an ice storm, it was kind of crazy, but it was really enjoyable. We had a wonderful cast and crew.”
“I am glad that Great American Family was a part of this film,” he added. “Great American Family puts together such warm stories, and Great American Christmas is the perfect title for it. Hopefully, the fans can feel the warmth that we are bringing in this film.”
The synopsis is as follows: This Christmas, her first without her mom, Angie (Samantha Cope) doesn’t feel much like celebrating… until she learns her mom had always dreamed of winning the annual tree decorating contest and seeing her tree lit up in the town square. “Samantha was wonderful to work with. I had a great time with her,” he said.
Angie realizes winning the contest and decorating the town’s tree is the perfect way to honor her mom. What Angie isn’t expecting is for her high school sweetheart David (Ross Jirgl) and his adorable daughter Gabby to enter the contest, too.
“David was a very interesting character to play,” he admitted. “What I love most about him is that he has some depth to him and he is very relatable. He came from a place of loss and heartbreak. I liked that about him and I like being able to bring that to life.”
“I think that love can be found in a place where you least expect it,” he said. “Sometimes, it is right in front of your face and you just got to see the signs. Keep your mind and your heart open. If you are somebody looking for love, do those things and you will find it.”
On being an actor in the digital age, Jirgl said, “Content is everywhere. What I like about it is that it allows smaller films to reach a wider audience. We are not in the business for ourselves, we are in the business for the audience, so we are trying to bring the truth to the audience and a warm story. The digital age can reach so many people and such a wide audience, I like where we are at right now with streaming and content in so many different platforms.”
For young and aspiring actors, Jirgl said, “Just do it for the love of the arts and telling a story that you want to tell. Get in front or behind the camera, find the right teachers and focus on becoming the best artist that you can be.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Jirgl said, “Jump.”
Regarding his definition of the word success, Jirl remarked, “Success is inner peace, and it comes with finding something and someone that you love, and pursuing both of those things with all of your heart.”
To learn more about actor Ross Jirgl, follow him on Instagram.
