EXCLUSIVE | 'Dear Christmas' star Nicky Whelan 'misses the old life' after shooting during the pandemic
Lifetime’s latest holiday movie ‘Dear Christmas’ follows ‘Holiday Love’ host Natalie Morgan who has never experienced true romance despite inspiring her listeners with some of the most impactful love stories. However, her visit to her hometown leads to her crossing paths with local firefighter Chris, who she soon grows close to.
Natalie is backed by her sister, whose role is played by Nicky Whelan. MEAWW caught up with the actress ahead of the premiere of 'Dear Christmas' on November 27 and here is what she had to say about the film, its message about love, relationship, and what it feels like to live through the pandemic.
What sets ‘Dear Christmas’ apart from the other holiday movies?
Well, it’s one of the first Christmas movies to come straight after Covid-19 and it was a success. I also love the storyline in this. It’s really relevant to how relationships are now. Nothing is a typical fairytale anymore.
Could you tell us more about your role in the movie and one aspect you liked the most about playing it?
I play the sister of Melissa Joan Hart’s character. She was nine months pregnant, full of life and a little bit cheeky which was fun. I haven’t played a character like this for a while. I love comedy and there was a little bit of room for that here.
What takeaway does ‘Dear Christmas’ have for the audience?
I think it’s a beautiful story about falling in love but also letting people know that it’s not something that happens in your 20s and rolls out perfectly. People fall in love at different ages of their life. There are no rules when it comes to love.
What’s your take on the ongoing pandemic, the political climate in the US and its impact on the entertainment industry?
I think the pandemic has had a massive effect on every aspect of the world. The death rate has been shocking. And we’re dealing with something that we really don’t know 100% about yet. I think we’re overstimulated in our lives on so many levels and maybe one of the only benefits to come out of this was the fact that we were asked to stop and slow down. But that in itself requires a lot of care and attention.
The suicide rate has been shocking. It was scary to come back to work. But I don’t see this going away so finding new ways to get back to what the new normal is has been challenging. Movie sets are drastically different and two-week isolation has been awful for a lot of people. Things definitely run a lot faster and there is a lot less socializing. Life, in general, is shockingly different and even though humans have an incredible resilience to adapt to change, I miss my old life.
Since you’ve extensively worked in both television and films, where do your preferences lie?
I love both. But there sure is something great about shooting a TV show in Los Angeles where I live. The great thing about TV is you become a character and it becomes part of your life and you can grow and adapt to that — the work gets better as you go along. Creatively I enjoy that feeling.
What genre appeals the most to you? And what would you like to explore in the future?
I love comedy. I used to do a lot of it when I first moved here. The comedy world has slowed down a little bit. I would love to venture into more of that. I love being on a sitcom also — live audiences which is not a thing anymore used to be so much fun.
Could you tell us about your upcoming projects?
I just finished another movie thriller that I shot in Kentucky. I’m looking forward to that coming out. And I made a beautiful movie called 'Last Night in Rozzie' which I shot in Boston a year ago. It’s making its way through the festival circuit.
'Dear Christmas' premieres on November 27 on Lifetime at 8 pm ET.