Jonathan Bennett Teases The Holiday Sitter, Taking “Comedy to the Next Level” at Hallmark

This Sunday, you may watch The Holiday Sitter, starring Jonathan Bennett and George Krissa, primarily based on an unique story by Bennett.

It’s a genuinely humorous film about Sam (Bennett), a confirmed bachelor with little interest in youngsters, who winds up watching his niece and nephew over the Christmas vacation. Everything adjustments when he meets their neighbor, Jason (Krissa).

We jumped on the telephone with Bennett to discuss it.

Hi, Jonathan. How are you?

I’m fantastic. How are you?

I’m good, thanks. You know, you are considerably of a legend at Hallmark.

Oh my God. Stop it. Tell me extra.

Every time I ask any person who they’d like to work with, you are nearly all the time at the prime of their checklist.

You’re mendacity to me. Now you are simply flattering me. And let me let you know, flattery will get you all over the place with me, okay?

Yeah, folks simply actually admire your work. I feel that is incredible.

Oh, that is very candy. Thank you very a lot.

So, how would you describe your Hallmark journey to date?

Wow. My Hallmark journey has been such a rollercoaster as a result of I feel I’ve performed so many several types of characters on the community, and I’ve been with the community for a very long time.

And to watch the community utterly simply develop to the subsequent stage in so some ways has been such a enjoyable experience to go on collectively.

And in fact, now you are a creator for the community, which opens up a number of storytelling concepts for you, provides you a number of freedom. What was the genesis of The Holiday Sitter?

Okay, so I grew up watching all the eighties comedies, and I cherished motion pictures like Uncle Buck, and I believed it was so humorous that an uncle would come dwelling and have to maintain his niece and nephew and never know something about youngsters.

And as a homosexual man myself, I’m an uncle to so a lot of my mates’ youngsters in actual life. So I believed, what a enjoyable thought for a narrative.

So I mentioned, what if the homosexual uncle comes dwelling for the holidays and has to placed on Christmas for his niece and nephew that he is by no means actually met?

And that is the place the thought was born, and I introduced it up to the Hallmark Channel, they usually had been over the moon excited and supportive from the very get-go of making this world for this character to play in.

So, that is how The Holiday Sitter was born.

I actually loved the quantity of comedy that you just used. You had a very good mixture of comedy, romance, and even some drama in there. How did you handle to get the complete gamut?

Well, I feel what’s vital in storytelling is simply to do what’s actual. Because if you do what’s actual, folks determine with it, whether or not it is emotional or humorous.

And what we set out to do with The Holiday Sitter is simply inform an actual story of what a homosexual man in 2022, a member of the queer group goes via. And all the things from courting to questioning if he can have a household of his personal, to taking good care of youngsters that he is by no means been round.

So, I feel if you simply lean into the reality of each second, that is the place you get the coronary heart and the comedy.

And you will have the honor of bringing a full story centered on same-sex romance to Hallmark. What does it really feel like to plow that path and be the first one to do it, and I’ve to say, the first one to get it actually proper?

Wow, which means loads. Thank you a lot.

I’m simply so proud to be a part of the Hallmark Channel and telling this story as a result of I do know so many individuals are going to see it and really feel represented, and so many individuals are going to see it and are going to be reminded that, hey, you will have a spot at the vacation desk for Hallmark as nicely.

I feel that is so vital. But on prime of that, as a filmmaker really feel, I simply really feel so blessed to have Hallmark Channel as a result of what Hallmark Channel has finished is that they have given queer filmmakers a protected place to inform tales. And as an artist, there is not any higher present on earth.

That’s a beautiful approach to put it.

They have been so supportive from day considered one of like, “We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do it right.”

I feel it turned out nice. I feel it is a actually fantastic film. And I’ve to let you know, there is a scene the place I laughed out loud, and it nonetheless makes me giggle simply to give it some thought. [Scene talk edacted to save the fun for viewers]

It’s hilarious!

It actually is. It actually made me giggle out loud. And the approach it was mentioned and the look in your face, it was simply good.

Thank you. I feel the comedy actually performs on this film, and it is just about… I do not know. What do you suppose? It’s considered one of the extra broad comedy motion pictures you’ve got seen at Hallmark?

Yeah, it truly is.

I feel The Holiday Sitter actually takes comedy to the subsequent stage at the community. I feel the approach we had been in a position to do that’s by discovering the good Jason as a result of George is so good and so sluggish, and I’m such a loopy particular person on digital camera half the time.

So, it was combine to have somebody like George Krissa taking part in Jason taking part in reverse all the wacky stuff I’m going to do.

And I feel we discovered this nice stability of when Jonathan’s doing one thing that is completely insane, simply do nothing, and we’ll have the ability to discuss again to you doing nothing, and we’ll get amusing.

Exactly. And it additionally works nicely from the romantic facet too, as a result of Sam is simply floundering, and Jason has all these feelings, and it actually performs nicely to lead into the finish of the film.

Oh, I do know. What was so nice is that we actually informed this story authentically as a result of it was vital for us to have a queer workforce main this creatively.

So we had queer writers, administrators, producers, and actors telling this story. So, we had all of those totally different private tales to pull from, and that is what Hallmark does such a terrific job of, ensuring we informed this story appropriately. And we had been in a position to do this reason for the artistic workforce that was concerned.

Well, you picked a terrific workforce.

Yeah, I’m so pleased with it. There’s slightly Mean Girls nod to it in the comedy, I feel — a number of the telephone calls. Ali Liebert, our director, did a terrific job of getting these telephone calls that slide round and transfer in out of body.

I feel it was slightly nod to the three approach calling assaults in the film Mean Girls, which we needed to pay slightly homage to. It’s received a brand new power to it that’s totally different from a number of the different Hallmark motion pictures.

I might agree. I feel it turned out very well.

And the chemistry between me and George might be the finest chemistry I’ve ever had with somebody on digital camera.

That says loads.

Yeah, and particularly as a result of once we lastly get to the finish, that large second at the finish, I feel the viewers is ready for it to occur, and it lastly occurs, and that was our purpose.

Absolutely. How a lot of your actual life do you draw on to play a personality like this, which is admittedly your first time of breaking out of the, what we’ll name conventional Hallmark roles that you have had? How releasing is it to have the ability to make this film and play the function?

To get to set daily with a script that’s completely written by Tracy and Greg, with a director that’s prime notch, and a producer that has your again, places you as an actor in an extremely protected area to strive issues and to be free.

And if you’re free and you’ve got the freedom to simply go for the joke each time, you are in a position to take a look at these golden nuggets as a result of I can let you know, 9 occasions out of ten, the jokes did not work. But you do not really feel silly when it occurs. You really feel supported.

When you are feeling supported, you are in a position to go for the jokes as a result of 9 occasions out of 10, are usually not going to work, and you’ve got to be okay with them not working. But if you hit that tenth one, and it’s a slam dunk, you get the gold, and that is what makes it into the lower.

And how quickly earlier than we get one other Jonathan Bennett unique?

We’re in the center of writing issues proper now, and I undoubtedly need to proceed to carry the Jonathan Bennett power and the Jonathan Bennett life to digital camera in your motion pictures. So, whether or not I play a straight character or a queer character, what’s not going to change is the Jonathan Bennett power on the display.

I’m glad you mentioned that as a result of I admire that you’re keen to play either side, straight characters and homosexual characters. Because that is what an actor does.

Yeah. And I simply, I do all of it. I identical to taking part in characters that I like, whether or not it is straight or homosexual.

Absolutely.

If I like the character, and I feel that the script is humorous, I need to do it. Like, Wedding of a Lifetime, I performed with Brooke D’Orsay, she and I had a few of the different finest chemistry I’ve ever had on digital camera with anybody. I do not know in case you noticed it.

I did, sure.

Yeah, and there was a number of comedy in that when I’m operating round the streets and once we’re sneaking out of the lodge disguised. There’s a number of comedy in that film, and there are lot of humorous moments.

And I feel what issues at the finish of the day is that you just simply play characters that you just actually be ok with, and that actually ring true to you, after which all the comedy and all the chemistry comes.

Yeah, I might agree. And you talked about Mean Girls, and Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Seyfried have been chatting about Mean Girls 2. Would you be up for that if it occurred?

I really feel like a Mean Girls sequel wants to occur, and I’m right here for it each step of the approach. I’ll do something that Tina Fay and Lorne Michaels ask me to do as a result of I owe my total profession to them, and there is not any higher forged than the Mean Girls forged.

Good reply. That’s the reply we wish to hear. And in case you do not thoughts my asking, how are you and Jaymes going to be spending your first married Christmas collectively?

Our first married Christmas, I’ll be in New York City spending Christmas at the Hotel Edison, my favourite lodge in New York, and we’ll be spending Christmas there as a result of the day after Christmas, I begin rehearsals to host the Time Square New Year’s Eve ball drop I do yearly.

So we’ll have Christmas in New York.

Brilliant. What a beautiful place to spend Christmas.

Yep.

And my last query, watching Hallmark motion pictures can change into ritualistic, how would you recommend followers put together to watch The Holiday Sitter?

Wow. Get cozy, get comfy, and be sure to’re shut to the toilet since you’re going to giggle loads.

The Holiday Sitter premieres on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, December 11 at 8/7c

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