Actor Shannon Kook (“Degrassi” and “The Conjuring” fame) chatted about his upcoming Hallmark movie “A Big Fat Family Christmas.”
He stars opposite Shannon Chan-Kent, and their characters collaborate to write a heartfelt Christmas editorial. This new original family film premieres on Friday, December 2nd, as part of the network’s annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming event. Veteran actors Tia Carrere and Jack Wagner also star. “I am very excited for this movie to be shared with the rest of the world,” he said.
In “A Big Fat Family Christmas,” Liv Chang (Shannon Chan-Kent), a photographer at the San Francisco Chronicle, lives a low-key life. She has curated what she believes to be the perfect life for herself, a little less Chinese and a little more American.
As a social media influencer, she even goes by the name Liv Rose. Her family, on the other hand, represents something a bit more loud, proud and Chinese. They are the infamous Chang family, responsible for throwing the biggest, annual holiday block party in the neighborhood. “Shannon plays Liv, who is a social influencer and a photographer. She is at odds with both of those identities,” he said.
“I think this film addresses identities and heritage at the same time while celebrating Christmas. It’s a beautifully balanced story,” he added.
He had great words about working with the female lead, Shannon Chan-Kent. “It was lovely to work with her,” he said. “It was a wonderful process to share this with her. We are both Shannons,” he added with a sweet laugh.
Their party is a celebration of Chinese American culture, which Liv finds to be
over the top. She has managed to keep her family a secret until she is forced to partner with Henry (Shannon Kook), a new coworker, to cover her family’s annual celebration. “It was really wonderful to play Henry,” he said. “This is my first leading man in a film and that doesn’t come often for Asian men, it is happening more these days.”
“Henry is a fun, loving guy, who is curious about the world around him. He is also an immigrant like myself. I am from South Africa, and I am very happy to see that Hallmark is expanding its content with this kind of storyline,” he said.
“Like myself, Henry is coming from overseas, and he is from South Africa. He developed a healthy curiosity for the world outside of his own. He is very excited to now be in America while also having a strong bond with his roots and his family. It is interesting when you talk about heritage and this community, and this film touches on both while celebrating Christmas,” he said.
Liv and Henry work closely together to capture the story behind The Changtastic Party and, in a moment of fun, almost ruin it by losing all the donations from the community. Liv’s resolve to make things right for her family and the community forces her to overcome her resistance to her heritage and open up to her followers for help; ultimately helping her find herself and true love in the process.
On being an actor in the digital age, Kook said, “It’s interesting. These days, it seems like people have more access to you. In the past, people would have to find photos of you in a magazine. There is more coverage and there are pros and cons. I am certainly thankful to be able to connect with my followers more and to have a voice.”
“With social media, I can interact with my followers that have an interest in what I am doing, and that’s important. I appreciate it but you need to balance social media and the real world,” he added.
“A Big Fat Family Christmas” is A Sepia Films Production in association with Ray of Light Entertainment.
Jennifer Liao directed the movie from a script written by Justine Wetzell-Chang and co-written by Blaine Chiappetta. “It is important to have more Asian voices. The co-writer and the director of this film are both Asian females and that is exciting to see coming to the forefront,” he said.
To learn more about Shannon Kook, follow him on Instagram.
