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 With
so many holiday movies on TV this time of year, part of
the fun is seeing which familiar faces you'll spot spreading
the holiday cheer or turning into reformed-Scrooges. In
ABC Family's newest Original Movie, 12 Dates
of Christmas, you are sure to recognize two faces from
the big and small screens: Amy Smart (Just Friends,
The Butterfly Effect) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar
(Saved by the Bell, Franklin & Bash).
In the film, Smart plays a young woman who re-lives the
same first date on Christmas Eve over and over again until
she learns to open up her world to new things and stop living
in the past. So will Gosselaar's character be able to help
her move into a new era of her life... or will she be doomed
to live the past forever? You'll have to tune in to the
premiere of 12 Dates of Christmas on Sunday, December
11th, at 8 PM on ABC Family.
PCM had the chance to sit in on a conference call with
Amy Smart to discuss the movie, the holidays and Mark-Paul
Gosselaar. But you may be surprised to hear who wanted to
hear about Gosselaar! It was none other than "Miles
Meyer," Gosselaar's own alter-ego who surprised
both Smart and everyone on the call by posing as a man with
some questions... about working with himself!
If you're wondering whether the two leads had chemistry
together for the film, you don't have to look any further
than right here to read the interaction between Smart and
Gosselaar as they caught up with and even interviewed one
another for a few questions. That alone will make you want
watch this movie!
Be sure to read below to learn everything they had to share
with us!
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What was it about the character of Kate that kind of
endeared you to the project?
Amy Smart: I really liked Kate because first of
all, she has such a three-dimensional character. She's still
hopelessly in love with her ex-boyfriend and wants him back
so badly. She's stubborn. She's work-driven and stubborn.
She just wants what she wants. She kind of has that tunnel
vision and doesn't see past that.
What I liked about this project is that I liked that Kate
has to go through this transformational journey where she
is pushed to her limits and has to keep reliving Christmas
Eve over and over and over again until she can start to
expand her horizons and see that maybe what she thinks she
needs is not really what she's going after. She's given
this chance to explore other possibilities that are better
for her and her life that open her up and humble her.
Which of the Christmas Eves was your favorite to film?
Amy: I had such a great time working with Mark-Paul.
He's a wonderful actor and we had fun ice skating and being
freezing at night walking down the street, and decorating
Christmas trees, and picking them out. It's hard to say
because I really liked so many different scenes.
I thought it was also fun when my character kept running
into her ex-boyfriend and trying to fix-in order to fix
her relationship with him so she can win him over and get
him in the next night.
 Could
you describe the movie in your own words?
Amy: It's about this journey of Kate Stanton who
is really set in her ways and trying to make her life right
and get her ex-boyfriend back. She journeys and figures
out that the way her Type A personality is not actually
helping her get what she truly needs in her life. T
through the journey she takes, it allows her to see other
people's perspective and a window into how other people
really are. It's incredibly humbling and enlightening and
fun, and a journey everyone takes where you think you know
what you want and then something in your life makes you
fall on your ... and you can see clearer about what life
is really about and what really matters.
What's one of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Amy: I love baking little Mexican wedding ball cookies.
I love cooking during Christmas, all smells like the hot
apple cider, the hot spiced wine.
In the movie, your character relives Christmas Eve until
she gets it right. If you could do over any one day in your
life, which day would you choose?
Amy: Wow. That's a good question. It's funny, because
in hindsight, we have so much fear and anxiety about our
future, the next day, or what's happening in our lives.
When you have that 20/20 hindsight that everything was going
to be fine, you're going to be okay, I don't know of one
specific day, but just trusting more in life and your journey.
I know that sounds airy-fairy, but really just knowing
if I could go back and know everything was going to be okay
in certain circumstances; not to stress out about it. I
think if anything, the best gift we can have is living in
the present moment and really enjoying it for what it is;
and, not being in our heads and getting sidetracked.
There are a lot of scenes that are very similar but
just slightly different. How did you all keep track of all
of that?
Amy: We broke it down into 12 different sections.
Where is she at this point, this point, this point? It was
definitely like a puzzle because each incarnation she changes
sort of like Groundhog's Day where she's back at square
one with all this new information and these new purposes
and drives. So, it was confusing, but we just broke it down
into 12 dates … get through that.
Did it get complicated filming it?
Amy: Yes, it definitely got complicated because
at some points, more for continuity-wise, like figuring
out okay she didn't go there first, and then she went here.
So, maybe she's not wearing her scarf here. But, as far
as trying to gauge where this character was at each point
got confusing at times, but we're able to navigate it. That
was challenging, though, for sure.
It was the first film that I've ever done where I was
in every single scene. I really poured my heart and soul
into this film. Honestly, I loved the script. I thought
all the characters were so three dimensional and they all
have their own voice.
 I
like any story that starts one place and really takes a
huge journey to a whole new place; that people in their
life want to take that journey. They want to be able to
find things in their life that aren't working and work through
them to a new place of change.
How much of your own personality is reflected in your
character of Kate?
Amy: I think as an actor, you naturally bring a
lot of yourself, as much of yourself as you can in different
circumstances. So, I focus more on what the differences
are because I'll inherently bring what I can relate to more
so. I feel like there are definitely parts of Kate that
I completely relate to, but not necessarily the parts where
she has lost her mom and she's grieving the loss of that
and trying to find someone in her life so she won't feel
alone.
But, there were definitely parallels in my life during
this film because I'd gotten out of a long-term relationship
and fell in love with a new man who I married. So, I could
relate to her on that place of spending so much time trying
to make something work that wasn't meant to work.
As an actress, is there a particular comic inspiration
for your work? Or, is there a particular actor that you
draw influences from; especially in regards to taping this
new Christmas classic, 12 Dates of Christmas?
Amy: Honestly, there are so many wonderful female
comediennes that I love. But, I'm not necessarily trying
to copy any one. I feel like it really has to be an authentic
experience yourself as an actor. So, I really find a lot
of humor all over life. I love more than anything watching
people be scared or trip and fall. I don't know why, maybe
it's a bad thing. So, for me, it's not necessarily that
I'm trying to imitate or copy other amazing actors. But,
I just try to have the experience myself.
Is there a particular actor/actress that really makes
you laugh out loud?
Amy: Lucille Ball, who is so incredible and so over
the top, but who could just hold that stage in all these
funny, ridiculous scenarios. I think she was such a great
woman to really bring comedy to females to start it off.
There are tons of others. I thought Bridesmaids was such
a funny, female driven comedy where all the women that you
truly believe; they are such good actors because you really
believe that they were living this hilarious journey.
If you had to tell viewers one thing to get them to
watch the film, what would it be?
Amy: I think what's endearing about this film is
two people keep missing each other, who are meant to fall
in love, but things keep going awry. It's like this funny
tale about two people wanting to connect and they always
keep missing each other.
Have you ever been on a date that you wish you could
relive?
Amy: That's funny-not really. There's dates that
I would have liked to pass on.
Did you have any issues with mixing up what you say
in different scenes because they are so similar?
 Amy:
Again, that got really technical because it was the
director, myself and the script supervisors really making
sure that we, yes it was hard because there were just so
many, it was written really well. So in the story and in
the dialog, it's all mapped out. But, as far as the attitudes
and where she was at emotionally at that point, it was definitely
challenging, too, to switch gears so many times.
This is your first married Christmas. So, I was wondering
maybe what you're looking forward to that going to be different
from previous years.
Amy: I really feel like this year, we had a gorgeous,
beautiful wedding. I'm really looking forward to just enjoying
the Christmas spirit, not about being materialistic, just
about the celebration of friends and family and cooking
and singing and enjoying each other; just using this time
to really enjoy our new marriage. That's pretty much what
I'm looking forward to.
How did you get involved with the movie?
Amy: I actually got offered this role. I read the
script and I really, really loved it and wanted to do it.
Then, I was so happy that Mark-Paul signed on to do it afterwards
because I think he's so talented. Everyone's a huge Zack
Morris fan. So, that's kind of how I got involved.
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