Kimberley Sustad Talks Game of Love, Writing Smash Hallmark Hits with Paul Campbell, and More!

Loveuary could also be over, however Hallmark reminds you that it is all the time time for love with Game of Love.

Kimberley Sustad and Brooks Darnell star on this cute Hallmark authentic a few recreation designer named Audrey and a mission supervisor named Matthew who need to get previous their variations to ship a brand new recreation in report time.

We touched base with Kimberley to get the news on the film, step again in time to debate slightly Christmas magic, and discuss her love of writing and performing.

Please benefit from the interview, which has been edited for content material and readability.

So earlier than we discuss Game of Love, we’ve got to revisit Christmas to speak about Three Wise Men and a Baby. I had no thought that you simply and Paul Campbell have been writing companions.

Yeah, we’re. That was quite a bit of enjoyable. They’re like The Beatles now, these three boys.

Right. I imply, you have to be over the moon about that film’s success.

Yeah, it had quite a bit of issues going for it, and I knew that it will hit Hallmark audiences the best way it did. I wasn’t anticipating it to type of break the glass ceiling and go right into a wider viewers house the best way that it did.

It’s greater than you’ll be able to hope for if you’re writing these items or making these motion pictures in order that much more individuals can see them, get pleasure from them, and rejoice the vacations over them. So that was actually nice.

How did you get fascinated with script writing within the first place?

Paul and I did a film, our very first film collectively, which was Godwink Christmas, and it was extra of a sentimental film. And Paul and I are each humorous, as I found once we have been doing this film.

The film was actually sentimental, and we stored saying, oh, I want we had the prospect to do a romcom or one thing like that to essentially take a look at this vitality that we had. Because when the cameras began rolling, it was joke after joke, and we have been laughing hysterically, regardless that that was not the film we have been filming.

And I feel sooner or later he was like, “Have you ever thought about writing one?” And I used to be like, “Oh, no, no, no, no. But I do have this idea.” And I smooth pitched him Christmas by Starlight, and he stated, “Oh, that’s a great idea. Let’s write it.” I used to be like, “Are you insane?”

And Paul’s one of these guys that, when he says one thing, he follows by way of. I feel it was 5 months after we completed wrapping that film, came to visit with cue playing cards, and he was like, “Let’s do this thing.”

We type of bumped our means alongside, and we wrote this script on spec, and we walked into Hallmark once we had another occasion to go to. We requested, “Hey, can we come in for a quick meeting before the TCAs?” And we handed them the script and pitched them the film.

Well, we pitched them the film, and then we handed them the script, and they have been like, “What? You wrote it?” And we have been like, “Yeah, yeah. So have a read.” And they did and beloved it. And that is variety of how we started.

It was extra all people’s shock. I feel quite a bit of individuals in all probability say, “Oh, I’m writing this thing, or I’m working on this thing.” We variety of simply did it quietly.

I feel it took us in all probability 9 months or one thing like that, a very very long time — I suppose not for lots of motion pictures. I feel it was a 12 months later we have been taking pictures it, and that was Christmas by Starlight, and we have variety of simply stored going ever since then.

Wow. That’s good to have any individual you get pleasure from performing with who also can join with you on the writing stage.

Yeah, we’ve got very totally different abilities that work surprisingly properly collectively when making a film, which I did not know on the time. I actually did not know a ton about writing, however I did know a ton about story. And then, once we began placing these items collectively, it simply type of was the proper match.

Okay. I’ve to imagine you have obtained much more on the again burner now.

Yes, we do.

I am unable to wait. I am unable to wait to see what you come up with subsequent. I feel your expertise in making these motion pictures goes an extended option to making the content material exactly what works for the viewers.

That’s proper. And what you discover is quite a bit of the issues that I do as an actor when I’m in a job or prepping one or filming one has quite a bit of parts wanted to make a script as properly.

Because you may see gaps or by way of strains, or I used to get in there, and simply variety of negotiate my means round with the director and the producers and come out with a product that I felt was slightly clearer, slightly extra streamlined, or slightly funnier or no matter it’s that the script could also be needing.

I had no thought I might switch some of that to writing. I’ve discovered quite a bit over the past couple of years doing it. Starlight was variety of like a quick Masterclass as a result of what occurred was I do not suppose anybody anticipated to make that film as quick as they did. Because as soon as COVID hit, I feel materials and all these motion pictures obtained sidelined.

And right here we had our little Starlight. Randy Pope at Hallmark was nonetheless creatively operating that finish of issues, and he stated, “We’re going to do Starlight.” And we’re like, “What?”

Three months away from even having the second draft. And Randy is like, “We’re going to make it happen. So what do we got to do?” And we simply wrote madly. Even whereas we have been there filming it, ending issues in order that there was the present of COVID that gave us an opportunity and the beautiful individuals at Hallmark that gave us an opportunity.

And then Paul and I lastly obtained to do a humorous film collectively as a result of we wrote it. And then it was all these three issues aligned very well. And I feel audiences actually preferred that one quite a bit.

And who is aware of your strengths higher than the 2 of you? So you would write what you knew would match the invoice.

Well, I’m an encyclopedia of ’90s romcoms, second to second. I like them a lot. I grew up watching these over and over once more. Those are extra my Disney than Disney was. So I can pull again each element, each scene of all of them. I’m an enormous fan, and so I feel you are profitable on the issues that you are a fan of.

I used to be watching a grasp class on-line. I feel it’d’ve even been Spielberg. He was saying, and I’m not placing myself on his stage in anyway, however I assumed that is a very good level. He stated, “When you go in to write something, starting somewhere that you know nothing about isn’t usually the place. I write things that I’m a fan of.”

And ever since he was eight years outdated, he was a fan of conflict. He simply had all these little plastic toy troopers. He would arrange these epic landscapes full of them and dramatize the entire thing ceaselessly for 20 years doing one thing to the extent of that.

And I used to be like, “Yeah, that’s so true.” Because I’ve been watching these motion pictures for therefore lengthy and am such a fan of them, with the ability to write them and deliver them to life now could be so enjoyable and pleasurable and quite a bit simpler as a result of I’m a fan of it.

And is not that why you watch a Masterclass? Because you wish to get these nuggets of knowledge that sort of bolster your ideas.

Yes. How do you do it? How does it work for different individuals? And you discover like, wow, no marvel you are a fan. With the flicks he comes up with, I feel he is greater than only a fan of one thing.

Well, by now, sure. But it needed to begin someplace.

Yeah, you are going to begin someplace. And that, I suppose, is the place I began and how I began.

You’re additionally a prolific actress. You’re nonetheless performing in different individuals’s work. How do you see writing and performing working collectively as your profession continues?

I actually do not discover it bizarre to jot down the issues that I’m in. I feel Paul and I are taking a look at a film for us to be a pair on display screen collectively. That’s quite a bit of enjoyable being concerned with that. And creatively and behind the scenes, it is actually satisfying.

I haven’t got an issue handing it off and letting different individuals do their jobs with it. I like the collaborative course of, and in order that’s the way it actually works when I’m engaged on issues that I’ve written. I additionally love watching different individuals deliver these characters to life, as properly.

That is very satisfying and a lot enjoyable, particularly if quite a bit of the time you may have these voices in your head, and then an actor will do it, and you may go, “Wow, that’s way better than it was in my head. That’s amazing.”

I suppose when I’m not writing them, I attempt to do the identical justice to these scripts or individuals’s exhausting work in phrases of writing and dig into greater than what’s on the web page and make a totally rounded character or a totally rounded particular person, actually not a personality. And that is variety of how I’m going at it as properly.

So I wish to dump this on you since you’re a fan of 90s Romcoms. I hope that as Hallmark has been altering up their content material fairly a bit, you variety of go into the straight Romcom and not simply do vacation themes or seasonally-themed motion pictures.

So I feel that you simply and Paul ought to write one. It’s like a standard rom-com for Hallmark in order that we will get that ball rolling. I place confidence in you.

Don’t you are concerned. Don’t you are concerned. I feel so too.

Good. I like speaking to individuals who can get issues completed. [laughs]

Three Wise Men rode a nice line. They did a ton of Christmasy issues, however it did not need to do with Christmas. The story itself.

I agree.

It occurred at Christmas. And so we’re step by step getting there. And there was quite a bit of dialog and a bit of fear on the chief facet as a result of the departure from that may be a scary one, particularly if you’re dealing with their Christmas, which is their huge time of 12 months.

I’ll have at hand it to them like, “Okay, Christmas isn’t ruling this thing, but the story is, and we’re fine with it. We’re going to let it go.” And I feel they noticed the facility of that.

Right. And now that different networks like Netflix are pulling out these varieties of motion pictures, theirs are far much less Christmas pushed, but in addition round Christmas. I feel Hallmark can transfer in that course and get again some of that viewers.

Yeah, a couple of of them. When you do a story-driven script, it is obtained to be absolutely rounded. It’s not simply the sentimentality of Christmas anymore.

It’s no matter’s taking place in these individuals’s lives and that story that is entrance and middle. And so it takes slightly bit longer and digging into quite a bit of, “what is this movie about? And what is the story we’re trying to tell?” Tricky.

At first, Game of Love looks as if a Valentine’s kind film, however I do not suppose that it is nearly love any greater than Three Wise Men and a Baby was about Christmas.

That’s proper.

What about that function appealed to you?

What I beloved about Audrey was that she’s extremely aggressive to a fault. But we come to search out on the market’s simply this must show her value. And I feel it is one thing that we will all relate to.

I feel we get slightly misplaced in issues, generally attempting to determine or be recognized by one thing that may give us worth, and discovering that you simply is likely to be sufficient simply as you might be, is just not solely scary but in addition relieving.

And so I feel individuals will bumble alongside with her, battle for that, and see it immediately, but in addition utterly relate when that each one involves a head. So she’s a really relatable character for all of us.

Well, you already know what I associated to? Her carrying a hoodie. I used to be like, I’ve by no means seen anyone in a Hallmark film put on my garments. I’m all the time in a t-shirt and a hoodie.

Yeah. Converse. I do not actually look nice within the hoodie as a result of I’m tall. And after I noticed that, I used to be like, oh. [laughs]

You seemed so cute.

The petite ladies get away with the hoodies. But then I used to be like, nah, tall ladies can put on them too. So right here we go.

Yeah. I’m tall. That’s my staple if I’m not doing one thing, simply one thing snug I can dart round in and have a pocket.

When I initially learn this, they’d her variety of amp up her wardrobe towards the top. The stylist ended up serving to her. And I did not need to battle that arduous, however I stated, “Hey guys, it’s 2023. Can we not change the girl to look better so she can get the guy?” Thank you.

Thank you for that as a result of I observed.

And they’d it in there. And I used to be like, “Guys, that’s not the story.” That’s not her journey for her to undergo this entire factor and then present up having modified the factor she fought for.

Right. Like Sandy from Grease.

She’s okay, simply as she is. And perhaps the extra she will be able to settle for that, the extra she will be able to let go. Right?

Right. And she did. She wore one thing apart from a hoodie, which was nonetheless snug and properly inside her type vary. It made sense. So you would change on the within.

Exactly. They have been like, “Well, we can’t have a hoodie all the way through.” I used to be like, “We’ll find it. We’ll find it.”

Right. And you’ll be able to change on the within. She grew and accepted a unique facet of herself, and that is much more vital than altering her garments.

I had a enjoyable interview with Brooks this vacation season. What was it like working with him?

Oh, he is beautiful. When I first met him, I used to be like, oh, that is going to work as a result of he is so cool, and I’m not. Immediately, he simply has this actually chill, cool demeanor in life too.

I’m one hundred percent extra like Audrey. I’ve no cool issue. So I assumed, oh, that might be an fascinating vitality on display screen. And we’ll see how that works. I feel it really works fairly properly.

It does. It works out very well.

Great. He did not need to play cool. He is cool.

I feel it is his voice.

He simply obtained this actually robust, grounded presence, and he does not need to suppose too lengthy about his phrases, or he does not strive too exhausting. He’s not attempting to win individuals on a regular basis. He’s very current and grounded. And that may be unnerving generally if you’re like, “Like me, like me!” More of my vitality.

I feel you are past that now. I feel individuals know you sufficient to love you simply by your motion pictures.

I do not know if that ever modifications, although. That’s the bizarre factor. I might like to be extra, “yeah, I’m so confident.” But it is one of the explanations I’ve by no means even gone out to do one of these Christmas conferences as a result of I’m terrified.

Oh my gosh. Of all individuals.

I do know. Isn’t that loopy?

They are the very best individuals, Hallmark followers. They would embrace you so warmly. I have not been to 1, however I’m like in a Tyler Hines Facebook group, and oh my gosh, they’re simply over the moon with him and his work. Just so many variety phrases to say and such caring individuals. And all of them care about one another.

It’s not simply motion pictures. It is obtained a bit of a motion in the direction of neighborhood that individuals are discovering. I feel that’s actually particular. I’m actually for that — individuals from everywhere in the world.

It’s like avid gamers. They join with individuals in every single place and get collectively on the web to play these video games. And then they get to know one another, take journeys collectively as a bunch, and all have this one factor.

Or you go to Comic-Con. And these individuals have been constructing costumes of their favourite recreation characters for a 12 months. Then they get collectively. They have this unbelievable time in San Diego and have the very best time of their lives. They’re half of one thing, half of a neighborhood.

I feel that Hallmark hat is providing that. And that is changing into extra, and extra of what’s transpiring are these individuals. The followers are connecting and discovering a neighborhood. And I feel that’s so lovely.

What else do you may have in your plate in the meanwhile?

Paul and I are writing a script referred to as My Week in Wyoming, which goes to be a tremendous story. It’s virtually like a City Slickers. And it is not Christmas, however it’s actually humorous.

We’re additionally engaged on a Christmas film that we’re writing, and I’m not allowed to say something about that one, however it’s additionally going to, I hope, blow the doorways off as properly. So we’re having quite a bit of enjoyable doing that concurrently, truly.