Speaker 1: Wine down with Janet Kramer and I heard radio podcast.
Speaker 1: So I'm throwing my kid's birthday party today and I
Speaker 1: just got the Christmas tree too, So I'm in the
Speaker 1: middle of decorating Christmas tree and then also putting up
Speaker 1: decorations for um Jason's party today. I should love to
Speaker 1: get ready because clearly hello, but I'm so excited, And
Speaker 1: so Riley calls me. She's like, um, are you getting on?
Speaker 1: And I was like, on what? Thank god I got
Speaker 1: the message to my publs is like, hey, just a
Speaker 1: friendly reminder. I go, thank god you told me. I
Speaker 1: haven't looked at my calendar like I would have missed it.
Speaker 1: What's so funny to me is that, like my publicist
Speaker 1: told me about this, and I was like, that's so
Speaker 1: weird that Jane didn't like text me or someone because
Speaker 1: she usually reminds me she's the one who's on top
Speaker 1: of it all. That is actually very true. I'm like,
Speaker 1: when we had a press which we were we're gonna
Speaker 1: talk all about this in the movie. But when we
Speaker 1: had press um for our movie, I had to text
Speaker 1: Ryan and be like, Ryan, our next zoom starts in
Speaker 1: fifteen minutes, and here's the zoom link to every one
Speaker 1: the minute. Every I I don't read the whole email.
Speaker 1: Usually I just log into the first link. And You're
Speaker 1: so lucky you're a guy, because if me and Jana
Speaker 1: did that, we would be Diva's nightmares. You're like, it's cute, Well,
Speaker 1: what's funny about eating? And I'm curious because Maria, I
Speaker 1: don't I don't really remember if we talked about it
Speaker 1: on set or not, but like Ryan would always offer
Speaker 1: me something, but I don't want the thing that he offered,
Speaker 1: Like I want what the dinner is gonna be or
Speaker 1: the lunch is gonna be here, Like I'm not just
Speaker 1: gonna eat Like I'm a big snacker, but I want
Speaker 1: to snack what I want to snack on. But if
Speaker 1: when it comes to dinner and lunches and breakfast, like
Speaker 1: I'm not going to just eat something that's not what
Speaker 1: I want that makes sense, like throughout the day, like
Speaker 1: I'll have Like it was like very specific because it
Speaker 1: was like you know, your food wasn't gonna be there
Speaker 1: for an hour and You're like, I'm not gonna snack now,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna wait for my food. I'm like, yeah, but
Speaker 1: you're crashing and you're not going to get through this scene.
Speaker 1: And I could see the crash just like taking a
Speaker 1: hard nosed dive because I started to stay am reasting
Speaker 1: bitch space. I just stare you, Yeah, you know, my
Speaker 1: pizza delivery just pulled up. I was like, who's that.
Speaker 1: Thanks for reminding me have to order pizza for the party. Um,
Speaker 1: But what's funny is I this happened to me on Thanksgiving,
Speaker 1: so I was going to a friends because I didn't
Speaker 1: have the kids for Thanksgiving, which, by the way, Maria,
Speaker 1: I want to talk to you too, because I resonated
Speaker 1: so much with your post as well, because I feel like,
Speaker 1: whether it's in Ryan, you too. I had no idea
Speaker 1: that you weren't home. So we all missed family this year,
Speaker 1: and you know, mine was obviously the first being you know,
Speaker 1: without my kids on a major holiday, and that I'm mean,
Speaker 1: I pretty much cried, cried the entire day. But then
Speaker 1: I also realized you were missing your mom. Ryan was
Speaker 1: missing his family. I'm like, man, like we it's people
Speaker 1: are there's whether it's grief, loss like it's or you know, separation,
Speaker 1: like we're all missing something and I'm curious, like how
Speaker 1: you guys were able to kind of turn that around
Speaker 1: and and find gratefulness and gratitude even being apart from
Speaker 1: from your loved ones. Yeah. I mean I think for me,
Speaker 1: I am with my family, so I did get to
Speaker 1: be with my dad. I think not being with my
Speaker 1: dad this year would have been like totally tragic and
Speaker 1: horrible and hard. Um. And I was with my cousins
Speaker 1: who we just lost my uncle, their dad forty days ago,
Speaker 1: so we all got to be together. But it was
Speaker 1: wild because you know, like we're so used to looking
Speaker 1: forward to the holiday and and I was looking forward
Speaker 1: to it, and then all of a sudden it hit me.
Speaker 1: I'm like, wait, I'm gonna be at my cousin's house
Speaker 1: and two massive people in our lives we're not going
Speaker 1: to be there, my mom, their dad. And I was like,
Speaker 1: this might be really really hard. So I was getting
Speaker 1: dressed and you saw the post. I literally, Ryan, I
Speaker 1: go into my closet. I put this turtle neck on.
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna wear black like leggings to be comfy.
Speaker 1: You want to be able to have expansiveness on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1: I was like, okay, put my black turtle. My god,
Speaker 1: I put it on. And I was like, this thing
Speaker 1: is gonna be choking me all day. I don't want
Speaker 1: to be doing this the whole day. So what if
Speaker 1: we were that? And I was like huh. So I
Speaker 1: put on a tank top. I put this like, you know,
Speaker 1: just open um like card to guinea kind of sweater
Speaker 1: on and I was like, oh, this is good, but
Speaker 1: it's not something I would normally wear. And I was like, wait,
Speaker 1: this isn't mine. And I realized it was my mom's.
Speaker 1: And I realized I had put it in my closet
Speaker 1: here so that I wouldn't lose it and that I
Speaker 1: could wear it and remember her. And so I thought,
Speaker 1: how amazing that this happened, because now she's wrapping me
Speaker 1: and keeping me warm. And then we were driving and
Speaker 1: I was like, I saw the beautiful scenery and that
Speaker 1: was just another message. So I took a picture. But
Speaker 1: I got to my cousin's house and and it was interesting,
Speaker 1: like my cousins were holding it together. I saw my
Speaker 1: aunt and that's when I lost it. She goes, you know,
Speaker 1: I lost my husband, you lost your mom. What are
Speaker 1: we gonna do? And I'm heath crying now And now
Speaker 1: I'm like completely losing my everyone else is staying calm
Speaker 1: and and we went through the holiday and it was
Speaker 1: it was fine after that, and everyone was kind of
Speaker 1: just dealing. But it was different and weird and still
Speaker 1: beautiful and great, but just different because there were two massive,
Speaker 1: like kind of holes and we just kind of, you know,
Speaker 1: we did it. You know. Um, I think a lot
Speaker 1: of people are in work situations. Like I said to myself,
Speaker 1: last Thanksgiving was the most brutal time of my life.
Speaker 1: Had two parents in hospitals, separate hospitals with COVID, both
Speaker 1: of me and compromised. And so I was like, I know,
Speaker 1: obviously we've lost my mom and that's horrible, but it's
Speaker 1: worse for people who are like fighting for their lives
Speaker 1: right now and suffering and little kids. And so I
Speaker 1: tried to keep it in perspective. But it doesn't mean
Speaker 1: that it wasn't it wasn't challenging. Ryan. How was it
Speaker 1: for you, Well, I'm actually sitting here. I was just
Speaker 1: totally engrossed with your story. I'm actually sitting in the room.
Speaker 1: I'm back in Vancouver, which, by the way, I just
Speaker 1: realized why you had to work on Thanksgiving, because I'm like, oh,
Speaker 1: it's an American holiday. Yeah, yeah, because I was like,
Speaker 1: why would you have to work on Thanksgiving? No? And
Speaker 1: I actually and they didn't even do turkey service Arcaderine.
Speaker 1: I was like, are you kidding me? Like there was
Speaker 1: there was no acknowledgment of it because they already had
Speaker 1: there's in October. I mean, that's true. Do we do
Speaker 1: we acknowledge there is when we're on set the Canadians
Speaker 1: that Well, they didn't really, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: It's funny but yeah, well you're saying that we're bigger
Speaker 1: and better. What are you trying to say here? But
Speaker 1: they're not the executive producer, So I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
Speaker 1: I gave him a lot of help for it, but um,
Speaker 1: but I was just saying, Maria, I'm sitting in the room,
Speaker 1: um that I actually reached out to because I had
Speaker 1: all that time in quarantine in this same room when um,
Speaker 1: we reconnected through that video that I watched of yours
Speaker 1: that you know, when you when you went through the
Speaker 1: whole thing with your parents and COVID and everything else,
Speaker 1: And it was just like that touched me so much
Speaker 1: and I was missing my family for the fourth of
Speaker 1: July when I was up here, and that was maybe
Speaker 1: the first and my birthday and Memorial Day in Labor
Speaker 1: Day and all these other holidays this year. And I
Speaker 1: have to say that, you know, one of my co
Speaker 1: stars right now, even Tomorgo, who I worked with on
Speaker 1: Passions a long time ago, she has lost three of
Speaker 1: her brothers and her mother this past year and she's
Speaker 1: also a grief counselor. So I've actually just sat and
Speaker 1: taken in a lot of um, you know, just a
Speaker 1: lot of listening, a lot of learning, and a lot
Speaker 1: of gratitude, um for uh being present where I'm at
Speaker 1: right now. And I think that Nick Saban told one
Speaker 1: of his football players and then you know, this is
Speaker 1: um something I'm gonna take with me. Uh. This kid
Speaker 1: was not getting a chance to play for four years,
Speaker 1: and his fifth year there he finally got the opportunity.
Speaker 1: But every year up until then, Nick Saban's advice was
Speaker 1: be where your feet are. And I'm going to take
Speaker 1: that with me all the time. It's like, I have
Speaker 1: to be present and as happy and grateful as possible
Speaker 1: with wherever I'm at, wherever I am, with whomever I'm with.
Speaker 1: And that's what I took with me that day. Now
Speaker 1: leading up to that, when I was being passed around
Speaker 1: on FaceTime to my family around Thanksgiving, that was hard
Speaker 1: and I had to just put a brave face on.
Speaker 1: I had a lump in my throat. And then my parents,
Speaker 1: you know, and and and everybody in Chicago. But it's, um,
Speaker 1: it's something I go would just get through today, you know,
Speaker 1: suck it up, do my work, and I'll I'll be
Speaker 1: there for Christmas, you know, and I have something to
Speaker 1: look forward to for sure. So yeah, but be where
Speaker 1: your feet are? That that was my That was my
Speaker 1: takeaway and I heard that that day. Actually, I like that,
Speaker 1: be where your feet are? You know? What was it
Speaker 1: like for you? Wow? Girl was so tough. I mean
Speaker 1: it was like I get like, it's just people. It's
Speaker 1: like it's just the day and you know, make traditions,
Speaker 1: make Thanksgiving on a different day, which I get and
Speaker 1: I and I'll do when they get a little bit older. Um,
Speaker 1: but uh yeah, for me, it was it was it
Speaker 1: was really tough, and it was, um, I think just
Speaker 1: the first are are really hard, but I've been told
Speaker 1: that it's uh, it gets easier every year. So and
Speaker 1: next year, I have them, so that'll be good. But
Speaker 1: to to finish out the Thanksgiving chat, I I got
Speaker 1: stuck in in the food. I got stuck in mud,
Speaker 1: so I thought I went to it was like a
Speaker 1: friend's giving. So I went to a friend's house and
Speaker 1: there was like a construction site. So I was like, oh,
Speaker 1: my car can totally get through that. Like I'll just
Speaker 1: like go up on whatever, so I'll go up in
Speaker 1: the mud. Well I didn't. It was raining, so the
Speaker 1: mud was like a little bit soft. So I get
Speaker 1: to like and it's like, you know, I put the whatever.
Speaker 1: I don't have four wheel drive, but I've got the
Speaker 1: thing where you can like change it to you know,
Speaker 1: off roading or whatever. So I put it to put
Speaker 1: it to that. But then I realized when I get
Speaker 1: to like almost the road, there's a curb and I'm like, crap,
Speaker 1: I can't go over the curb like it would have
Speaker 1: like totally it was like higher than my car. And
Speaker 1: I was like, how did I not see that? Well
Speaker 1: because it was writing in dark. So I go to reverse.
Speaker 1: I get stuck in the mud, like literally stuck in
Speaker 1: the mud. The dinner was at five o'clock. It was
Speaker 1: four It was it was four and I'm just like,
Speaker 1: this is not happening. I have to pee and I'm starving.
Speaker 1: I'm like so then like I kind of start crying.
Speaker 1: What well, So I called my friend's house that we're
Speaker 1: going to, and I'm like, um, and I couldn't get
Speaker 1: it out because I was laughing so hard. I was
Speaker 1: like stuck in and they're like you're what And it's
Speaker 1: like loud because there it's like a party. I was like,
Speaker 1: I'm stuck in the mind, like I can't get my
Speaker 1: car out when I keep reversing, and I've reversed it
Speaker 1: so much that I've made like, you know, this like whatever,
Speaker 1: a big, big enough like ditch hole. So I like
Speaker 1: feel terrible because I don't know half the people at
Speaker 1: this party, Like I only know like two people, three people.
Speaker 1: So they're like, we'll be right there, and I'm like,
Speaker 1: oh my god, I'm so embarrassed, and I can't get
Speaker 1: out because it's like I mean literally like it would
Speaker 1: be up to like my like half of my leg
Speaker 1: in like mud, and and then it just starts pouring
Speaker 1: like pouring down rain. It's pitch dark. I'm starving, And
Speaker 1: when I had my friends come and it was like
Speaker 1: the dad. So they were like a lot of them too,
Speaker 1: were like old military guys, so like they were like
Speaker 1: back in like action man like. They were like I
Speaker 1: was like, guys, I am so sorry, and they're like no, no, no,
Speaker 1: like thank you. This is like so much fun for us.
Speaker 1: And so I was like, but I'm so like, I'm like,
Speaker 1: did you guys bring turkey? And they're like, oh, there's
Speaker 1: a there's a bar on your seat and I was like,
Speaker 1: oh no, And Ryan, I thought of you. I was like,
Speaker 1: I'm not going to eat that. I'm waiting for the turkey.
Speaker 1: I'm waiting for the sweet potatoes, Bethew. Ryan. But it's
Speaker 1: so funny because it's like just memories from sounds like
Speaker 1: just like I thought of you in that moment because
Speaker 1: I was just like Ryan was here. He would have
Speaker 1: laughed at that. Yeah. But anyways, by the way, I
Speaker 1: got my snacking under control because I'm like, maybe there's
Speaker 1: something to that. How did did they have to use
Speaker 1: like plywood under the tire? Yes? So they got they
Speaker 1: got this. I mean you should have. It looked like
Speaker 1: five I mean these five grown men, like I mean
Speaker 1: they're like fifties. They had like these like orange jump
Speaker 1: suits on. It looked like they just got a jail. Again.
Speaker 1: I don't know these people, so I'm like, who are
Speaker 1: these guys? So they come and they they climb out
Speaker 1: of this like truck, all like five of them, and
Speaker 1: they put this plywood underneath and then they um. So
Speaker 1: we tried that, and then I still was stuck, and
Speaker 1: then they had to take um They had to pull
Speaker 1: my car as I reverse. But I was like freaking out.
Speaker 1: And then I got that's like the doomsday preppers, you know,
Speaker 1: they're ready to go there in action. They got all
Speaker 1: the supply. Like I profusely apologized, like even like scent flowers.
Speaker 1: I'm so sorry, and they're like, no, seriously, like that
Speaker 1: was the greatest day of our lives. Can I ask
Speaker 1: you a question? Did you have an amazing time after?
Speaker 1: I had so much fun afterwards. Yeah, So can we
Speaker 1: just talk about this for a second. So sorry to
Speaker 1: bere deep on this, but the metaphor for where you
Speaker 1: were at you were stuck in the blood and and
Speaker 1: you've probably felt a little imprisoned in a way because
Speaker 1: you don't have a lot of control in these situations.
Speaker 1: So here are these guys in their jail suits coming
Speaker 1: to save you, to tell you you're not that you
Speaker 1: have more control than you than you think, and also
Speaker 1: take you out of that place, like you were sent
Speaker 1: rescuers to pull you out of that mud. But like
Speaker 1: metaphorically too, when you said stuck in the mud, I
Speaker 1: thought you were using a metaphor to begin with your
Speaker 1: like I was stuck in the mud, and I was like,
Speaker 1: what is Like, that's be good, that's that's the title
Speaker 1: of your podcast. But no, I mean, no, jeez, Maria,
Speaker 1: I didn't even think of that, Like, but that's so true,
Speaker 1: Like it's all messages to me. That's all messages right
Speaker 1: there for you. I'm gonna cry, Mario, always bring the waterworks,
Speaker 1: you know. But no, I mean, that's that is beyond true.
Speaker 1: And I got I got out of the mud, and
Speaker 1: then I enjoyed the rest of the day. So I'm
Speaker 1: glad that we all were able to render I guess
Speaker 1: is that the right word, the rest of our But
Speaker 1: there's something too that my pastor said today in church.
Speaker 1: He's like, there's so much um things to be grateful for,
Speaker 1: But he goes he's like, for example, is like when
Speaker 1: you go to the store and I don't worry, guys,
Speaker 1: We're gonna get to the Christmas movie. But he's like,
Speaker 1: when when when you go to the store, he's like,
Speaker 1: you're not grateful for the things you purchased because you're
Speaker 1: owed that. So he's like there's so many times when
Speaker 1: like he's like, we we miss moments of gratefulness and gratitude.
Speaker 1: And he gave us a challenge, which I'm gonna do.
Speaker 1: But he's like every day he's like, for you know,
Speaker 1: until Christmas, write down you know three things are grateful
Speaker 1: for and then text someone or call someone once a
Speaker 1: day and just say thank you, just you know, randomly
Speaker 1: out of the blue, whether it's you know, not a
Speaker 1: call to some nice of some things like. So that way,
Speaker 1: you're walking into the holiday season full of gratitude because
Speaker 1: I started to be like, God, I gotta get rid
Speaker 1: of my kids on noon on Christmas Day. Well it's like,
Speaker 1: well no, if I change my thought process, like I
Speaker 1: get to have my kids, yeah, like and but then
Speaker 1: but then also if you do those things I say,
Speaker 1: like if you and I've never like I always think
Speaker 1: it's a cool idea, but then I never follow through
Speaker 1: with that. I'm curious where you guys are at with that,
Speaker 1: like do you do you follow through on things like
Speaker 1: that or you just kind of like do you just
Speaker 1: live your life grateful? No, it's intentional. Like Marie and
Speaker 1: I have both done a lot of um, you know,
Speaker 1: we we've seen each other at the seminars, whether it's
Speaker 1: Tony Robbins or whatever might be. And it's like to me,
Speaker 1: I think that when I start my day with gratitude
Speaker 1: and a little bit of meditation and think of the things,
Speaker 1: it makes all the difference. And uh, you know, I
Speaker 1: was telling my kids it's okay to be sad, it's
Speaker 1: okay to allow yourself that the tears to come. But
Speaker 1: I'm like, it's not okay to stay sad. So you've
Speaker 1: got to figure out tools to get out of out
Speaker 1: of the mud. You know, A grateful list at night, Okay,
Speaker 1: every night, every night when I pray, I go through
Speaker 1: my whole list of what I was grateful for that day.
Speaker 1: And that reminds me of so many things that I
Speaker 1: was taking for granted in a sense because I wasn't
Speaker 1: remembering them. I was forgetting like huge moments because you
Speaker 1: focus on the negative a lot and the stressors rather
Speaker 1: than you know, the great things that happened. So it
Speaker 1: is a perspective shift. But it's funny you say that
Speaker 1: because today, coming home from church, Kevin was saying, actually
Speaker 1: going to church, Kevin said, my new thing that I'm
Speaker 1: doing is random X of appreciation. And I said, really,
Speaker 1: he goes, I'm randomly texting people. He's like, I texted
Speaker 1: my mom the other day and thanked her for this
Speaker 1: moment back back in the day, just a one moment
Speaker 1: kind of thing. And I said, oh, I like that,
Speaker 1: that's really cool. Oh I'm standing by Yeah. I was like,
Speaker 1: Covin was grateful for being next the snowman. He's like,
Speaker 1: did you see how good I was in the background shot?
Speaker 1: That was so embarrassing. Let's talk about that. John was good.
Speaker 1: Let's shift. Let's shift to our movie, The Holiday Fix
Speaker 1: Up starring Maria and Ryan and I is coming out
Speaker 1: December eleventh on Lifetime, and her husband, Maria's husband Kevin,
Speaker 1: makes a cameo. So Maria, how did that come about?
Speaker 1: And let's talk about Kevin's cameo? So that came about
Speaker 1: as a joke because once Brian and I were talking
Speaker 1: and I was coming, I was like, we've got to
Speaker 1: get Kevin in on something. He's like, no, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: get Kevin a great goal, and he was like, so
Speaker 1: working on this. I mean, while Kevin's laughing. I have
Speaker 1: a video of us in our kitchen crying laughing because
Speaker 1: I go, You're going to ruin the movie. Kevin and
Speaker 1: I are crying laughing because I kept telling him he
Speaker 1: was going to ruin the movie, that Ryan was going
Speaker 1: to actually probably make this joke happen, and then he's
Speaker 1: going to ruin it. And he's not the pressure too
Speaker 1: when because I said to him, I continued your joke
Speaker 1: and said, I'm like, dude, God, I'm watching you on
Speaker 1: the monitors, I'd really like you to give a little more,
Speaker 1: like you're gonna ruin the movie. And he's like, he's like, dude,
Speaker 1: don't don't say that. Don't say that. It's not funny
Speaker 1: dying guys. It's been so much like Kevin and I
Speaker 1: like live to laugh. So, you know, there were certain
Speaker 1: moments when he was in the background of like the
Speaker 1: end of the movie, and I would just look at
Speaker 1: him and just cry, laughing, do you want it to die?
Speaker 1: How about like when he was, you know, doing the
Speaker 1: lantern with the little kids and the kids, and the
Speaker 1: kids kept wanting talking the scene and they weren't supposed to.
Speaker 1: It's only supposed to be his line. He's like, get along,
Speaker 1: go ahead, leave now. He was he was, but he
Speaker 1: was great. So he's Nick the Snowman. So when you
Speaker 1: guys are watching the movie, he's the one that UM
Speaker 1: puts on the uh snowdown snowball throw down. God, I
Speaker 1: could never say that even on that snowball throw down. UM,
Speaker 1: And yeah, I just I love what you just said
Speaker 1: that you guys live to laugh, like what a great like,
Speaker 1: and that's that's what I see when I look at
Speaker 1: your stories too. I think you just post something the
Speaker 1: other day, just up close photos of you guys just
Speaker 1: like laughing, and I was just like, oh, I want
Speaker 1: that kind of love because you guys are just like
Speaker 1: I long been married for uh married three together it'll
Speaker 1: be yes, I just like, yeah, that's so crazy. And
Speaker 1: then Ryan, how long you've been married for? But listen,
Speaker 1: we fight too. It's not it's not perfect, nothing's going
Speaker 1: to be perfect, but we do live to laugh and
Speaker 1: it's usually making fun of each other. So yeah, no,
Speaker 1: it's it's Um. Yeah, we've been together twenty three years
Speaker 1: and married nineteen So yeah, half my life now, wow,
Speaker 1: just give away my age. Um, but yeah, it's and
Speaker 1: by the way, that's what on this project. On every project,
Speaker 1: I just I always say, it's not worth it if
Speaker 1: we're not laughing, right, if we're not having a good
Speaker 1: time doing it, because these are hard hours. So people
Speaker 1: don't realize these Christmas movies are early mornings and you know,
Speaker 1: the heat. We can go on about the sweating and
Speaker 1: the sweaters, but but like, it's not easy to make
Speaker 1: a movie in fourteen or fifteen days and um make
Speaker 1: it look as fun and romantic and Christmas e as
Speaker 1: we do. So if we're not laughing, I would just
Speaker 1: be miserable. I would never do that. So I loved
Speaker 1: working with both of you, and you guys both brought
Speaker 1: so much joy to the project and to my life
Speaker 1: during that time. And when we're away from our families
Speaker 1: like we are, you know, it has to be that,
Speaker 1: it has to be mm hmm. Yeah, No, I mean
Speaker 1: I agree with you. I don't think people realize the
Speaker 1: hours too. No, you guys had a lot of heavy lifting.
Speaker 1: I had it easy. You guys had it so hard. Um,
Speaker 1: and you guys did it so well. You were such
Speaker 1: great examples. Um, but I gotta say, like we got
Speaker 1: to watch the film together, Ryan, I know you were filming.
Speaker 1: You guys are so great in this, like so great,
Speaker 1: and it's like all the actings great, but everything I
Speaker 1: got weak. This is so good. By the way, I
Speaker 1: was flying here for Thanksgiving and I was watching Lifetime.
Speaker 1: I was watching Christmas movies getting in the spirit, and
Speaker 1: every commercial break they promoted, um, Kelly Rowland's movie, which
Speaker 1: is you know, probably now happened already, and ours, and
Speaker 1: a commercial break was every commercial break at least one
Speaker 1: ad for our movie and our movie isn't out for
Speaker 1: a minute. And I was like, wow, okay, I think
Speaker 1: it's stand out. I really do. And Maria you're a
Speaker 1: big part of that. But everybody, everybody was talking about
Speaker 1: how much you know joy and how you popped on screen,
Speaker 1: you know, like you just yeah, you lighted, you light
Speaker 1: it up for sure. I mean, like you bring the
Speaker 1: energy that like sometimes I feel like I don't know,
Speaker 1: like I like I'm envious of like your light and
Speaker 1: energy when on the screen because you're just like it's
Speaker 1: like your presence is there and like you're known, and
Speaker 1: I just like I love, I love, I loved having
Speaker 1: you in it, and I cannot wait to do like
Speaker 1: a million more together. But what you brought to it
Speaker 1: to though, this is like a nice circle round table.
Speaker 1: But what I haven't experienced before is as grounded as
Speaker 1: a performance as you had, Jenna. And I don't know
Speaker 1: if you give yourself enough credit for that that it
Speaker 1: felt so real and it felt so grounded, and you know,
Speaker 1: it's no matter what you're going through in your own life,
Speaker 1: you were able to play this character and tap into
Speaker 1: this character and there's just an amazing performance that all
Speaker 1: of us can have fun around that. But without that
Speaker 1: that grounded force that we had, um, I don't think
Speaker 1: it would have come off as unique as it did
Speaker 1: and as different than what we've seen of people just
Speaker 1: playing and meeting and you know, falling in love and
Speaker 1: being predictable. There was a lot of real emotions that
Speaker 1: UM come through this one that I don't think, you know, uh,
Speaker 1: these Christmas movies had in the past. So hopefully it
Speaker 1: opens are the direction for more of this. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: think that's such a great way to put it, Like
Speaker 1: it was so grounded, like you were so confident in
Speaker 1: who you were, who you were playing that like, and
Speaker 1: it was so natural and real and like you have
Speaker 1: such a sparkle and for anybody who's listening, you were
Speaker 1: going through hell at the time and unaffected on camera
Speaker 1: and by the way off camera, like you he'll get together.
Speaker 1: You were so I remember telling you a couple of times.
Speaker 1: It's like I'm so impressed, like really, and how you
Speaker 1: handled yourself through a really tough time. And so, I mean,
Speaker 1: mine is the day that the divorce was finalized. I
Speaker 1: don't think I came to set that lovely, but you
Speaker 1: guys were there to lift one did I made the
Speaker 1: terrible comment? Oh yeah, Oh my god, I cannot believe
Speaker 1: you said that. Go ahead say it was it wasn't
Speaker 1: like what did it? And I just said to you,
Speaker 1: I just remember going too soon? Oh she comes to
Speaker 1: set and it was like, what did you say? I
Speaker 1: remember what I said? But what did you say first?
Speaker 1: Do you remember? I? I can't remember. I just remember
Speaker 1: one to hit you. Yeah, you said something about you
Speaker 1: know you're singing a song like alone. Oh yeah, oh
Speaker 1: no no, no, Albama don't want to be Oh, and
Speaker 1: I go, it's only been a day and I was
Speaker 1: like too soon, sorry, and you died laughing. And that's
Speaker 1: what I think. I love the humor in it, which
Speaker 1: is why I was singing it. I was like at
Speaker 1: this point, like I'm divorced. Oh my god, I'm in
Speaker 1: the sing a song. It was so great because I
Speaker 1: felt like that was the laughter you needed. And I
Speaker 1: was like, oh, Jesus could go terribly wrong, but but
Speaker 1: thank God, thank God no, and that's the thing. And
Speaker 1: you guys were like I could not have asked for
Speaker 1: a better friendships and people to work with too. You know.
Speaker 1: I I felt so supported, and you know, Maria, I
Speaker 1: hope you did too, and with everything that you were
Speaker 1: going through and you know, um, so I think it's
Speaker 1: it's something to be said about having such an amazing
Speaker 1: working family and friendship because it not only portrays on screen,
Speaker 1: but also you know, the off screen stuff is just
Speaker 1: you know, I'm very thankful for both of you guys
Speaker 1: for that experience and everything that we went through in
Speaker 1: personal lives too. So there's no better that the tears
Speaker 1: are laughter through tears, right, So I felt like, you know,
Speaker 1: that's that was the best part of working with both
Speaker 1: of you, because there's there's a lot to cry about,
Speaker 1: and actually you can feel sad and happy and joyful
Speaker 1: all at the same time. And back to what you're
Speaker 1: going through, Janna. I was amazed at how well you're
Speaker 1: able to compartmentalize being an amazing mom for your kids
Speaker 1: and then shift into this character and you know, do
Speaker 1: the performance that you did, and then um and be
Speaker 1: a producer as well, and handle all the producing responsibilities
Speaker 1: and and deal with like getting the official divorce during
Speaker 1: the movie and still just boom, you were on it
Speaker 1: and thank god, we had a lot of laughter through
Speaker 1: the tears. And there's always more than anybody knows too,
Speaker 1: oh for sure, no one, Yeah, no one knows that
Speaker 1: people are actually going through, which is why I always say, like,
Speaker 1: you know, don't judge a book by its cover. You
Speaker 1: never know the layers. You don't know what's going on
Speaker 1: behind closed doors. But it also, I mean, it's a testament.
Speaker 1: Like I said to you, Maria, and then you know,
Speaker 1: to you, Ryan, I mean you were my you were
Speaker 1: like you were my co pilot, you were my rock,
Speaker 1: like you know, I mean you were like I couldn't
Speaker 1: kind of done it without you. I mean literally, because
Speaker 1: this movie came from you. This was your idea. You're
Speaker 1: the one that brought me in on it, and you know,
Speaker 1: I just I you. You know, your your coupe. I
Speaker 1: didn't know. I who's going to happen? When when you
Speaker 1: called and said, hey, this is what I'm going through,
Speaker 1: I was like, hey, listen, you you come first. Your
Speaker 1: personal life comes first, your your well being comes first.
Speaker 1: And if you want to put this off, we can
Speaker 1: and everyone would have understood, but you you want forward.
Speaker 1: And I'm so grateful that we all got to spend
Speaker 1: this time together. What was your favorite memory on set?
Speaker 1: You go first, Maria. I think the snow goll throw
Speaker 1: it down. That was so much fun and it was
Speaker 1: just yeah, it was fun and I think that was
Speaker 1: my favorite. Yeah, I know that was that was fun.
Speaker 1: That was amazing. Yeah, that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1: The hottest seat so much. I was sweating so much.
Speaker 1: And somehow you guys didn't like not a drip. I
Speaker 1: mean like I was like, what we listen, Ryan, we listen. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you just had a nice glow. I would have to
Speaker 1: say the end of the movie, Yeah, the Harbor, the
Speaker 1: Harbor Fest, because that I'll say this to the listeners.
Speaker 1: The ending of the movie was not how it was
Speaker 1: in the very beginning. So when we got there and
Speaker 1: we started filming, it was when we started filming, right Ryan, Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: we already started filming, were like, we think we need
Speaker 1: to change the ending. We completely changed the ending of
Speaker 1: the movie and you'll see why. Obviously, we don't want
Speaker 1: to spoil it for you, guys, but it was such
Speaker 1: a it was the payoff that we all needed and
Speaker 1: it was probably just my absolute favorite part. Now. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard to
Speaker 1: top this going forward, guys, I think we're gonna have
Speaker 1: to come up with new ways to just continue this
Speaker 1: holiday picked up. We need a prequel in the post
Speaker 1: school what do you call the sequel? We needed peel
Speaker 1: in a sequel Holiday in Greece? Are we going to
Speaker 1: do that? And then Italy and Paris. I mean, I've
Speaker 1: done Christmas and Tennessee, Christmas in Louisiana, Christmas like I mean,
Speaker 1: like I gotta get in Mississippi. By the way, you guys,
Speaker 1: I still can't get over the fact that I'm filming
Speaker 1: in the scene and then the Christmas tree goes down Ryan, Ryan, Literally, guys,
Speaker 1: we have this massive tree in the scene. I have
Speaker 1: to film him in this moment. We won't give away why.
Speaker 1: And all of a sudden, down goes between behind like
Speaker 1: the big Harperfess tree, my Bob Costa. This moment is
Speaker 1: like holy Holy. Ran just looks over his shoulder and
Speaker 1: just we were in such a time at three am
Speaker 1: also in the morning. Yeah, I was like, how could
Speaker 1: this happen? And I just and everybody's like, why didn't
Speaker 1: you try to help? I'm like I couldn't. It was
Speaker 1: already down. I was just say he's still. But Ryan's
Speaker 1: also still mad at me because the scene that montage,
Speaker 1: what we're putting the tree up. He was so mad
Speaker 1: at me because he wanted to work gloves and like,
Speaker 1: let's not work loves. We don't need to wear gloves.
Speaker 1: And then he got sap and like pine needles like
Speaker 1: all in his fingers, very sensitive, very allergic. Stop bitching.
Speaker 1: Like I was like, we don't need gloves, like you know,
Speaker 1: and he got so that's you know, the tree was
Speaker 1: just doomed. It was it was cursed for you. So
Speaker 1: it was like, it's so funny. Visit my Instagram feet
Speaker 1: if you want to go back to July we'll have
Speaker 1: to post it because that was that was hilarious. What
Speaker 1: are you guys looking forward to the most um this
Speaker 1: Christmas season? I'm very much looking forward to this movie.
Speaker 1: We're gonna throw a huge party. I'm now trying to
Speaker 1: figure out some last minute details, but that's gonna be
Speaker 1: a lot of fun. And that's why I loved this.
Speaker 1: And I'm so grateful Ryan yet again, UM for having
Speaker 1: to be part of this, because obviously it's a tough
Speaker 1: holiday season for us, and this is something that helped
Speaker 1: me through a really tough moment in July. But also
Speaker 1: it's how helping me through the holidays. I have something
Speaker 1: to kind of look forward to, UM that I know
Speaker 1: my mom would have loved. She would have loved like
Speaker 1: being part of every second of it all, So right,
Speaker 1: she will be a part of it, like a seat
Speaker 1: at the party. Oh hell yeah, that's what we'll do.
Speaker 1: And I'll tell you, Maria, get used to being busy
Speaker 1: every Christmas and having a party like this every Christmas,
Speaker 1: because I think you're gonna need a lot of these.
Speaker 1: But the problem is, guys, I only want to do
Speaker 1: it with you. So that's where it's gonna get really
Speaker 1: tricky because I'm like anybody else, I don't know you guys,
Speaker 1: I'm totally in everyone's like, oh yeah, you'll do with
Speaker 1: the lead problem. I no, I don't want to be
Speaker 1: the lead. I want to do exactly what we just did,
Speaker 1: Like this is perfect for me. I just want to
Speaker 1: have fun with my people and my friends. Like Jan
Speaker 1: and I. We are a good producing team. So if
Speaker 1: you are the lead, we will we will make sure
Speaker 1: we produce it for you. Okay, we got you, Ryan,
Speaker 1: What what about for you? But I think said Jenna
Speaker 1: as the best is like all of us like had
Speaker 1: such a great great time together off screen too, and
Speaker 1: that was what was most important. Sorry to cut you
Speaker 1: a friend, I agree wholeheartedly. Like you don't. You don't
Speaker 1: stay in touch like we do and try and go
Speaker 1: to dinners and do all the things that we're doing
Speaker 1: with every cast. This was special and um, by the way,
Speaker 1: Brian Herzelinger, our director killed it, Brian Sills, Wright Ford Green,
Speaker 1: Steve Benovich, I think that this cast there was such
Speaker 1: a great chemistry and Steph and Margaret are producers to
Speaker 1: just such a good job of allowing us to put
Speaker 1: together such an amazing cast, And um, recognizing like who's
Speaker 1: the who's best for this and Jessica adding to Jessica
Speaker 1: did such a great job with the script, So yeah,
Speaker 1: shout out because it is a great team. And somehow
Speaker 1: we're gonna have to, you know, be one of those
Speaker 1: like theater troops that we just figure out different stories
Speaker 1: within the same world and then, um, you know they've
Speaker 1: done that with Merry Little Christmas on Lifetime, so who knows,
Speaker 1: maybe we can do it. Um. As far as what
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward for the holidays, of course, this party
Speaker 1: is a huge highlight. Um. And you know the fact
Speaker 1: that you're coming in town for that channel, that's gonna
Speaker 1: be fantastic and we'll all have to like, how long
Speaker 1: are you gonna be in town fore night? One night folks, man,
Speaker 1: I thought, yeah, no, I get it. And if it's
Speaker 1: not your weekend, I get it. Um, So um then
Speaker 1: I'm gonna we're actually gonna go see Hamilton's. So that's
Speaker 1: aageous So I'm really I've seen it once before, but
Speaker 1: my kids haven't seen it, so they're at the right age.
Speaker 1: I always trying to make things age appropriate for them.
Speaker 1: So they've heard some of the songs and now that
Speaker 1: they know a little bit of history. I think that
Speaker 1: it's the right time. Um, so I'm excited about that. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think my mine is just Um I'm excited to
Speaker 1: make new memories playing any yet. Um. Well, like just
Speaker 1: little things like every year now, me and the kids
Speaker 1: are gonna take a polaroid and take a picture and
Speaker 1: put it on the tree. Um. It's just a little
Speaker 1: things like that, you know, make cookies all that stuff.
Speaker 1: But just you know, even when we went and picked
Speaker 1: out the Christmas tree together, that was a new memory
Speaker 1: s three. So just documenting that and um and being
Speaker 1: grateful for that memory, that's great. Yeah. I know. Well,
Speaker 1: I love you guys so much, and I hope all
Speaker 1: of you guys, um watch The Holiday Fix Up on
Speaker 1: December eleventh on Lifetime. It's going to be I think
Speaker 1: the best movie of the year. I don't know, live
Speaker 1: viewing party. You guys do live viewing parties, because we're
Speaker 1: gonna be doing a live viewing parties. So watch it
Speaker 1: and social with us, yes, and tag Maria, tag Ryan
Speaker 1: and um tag a solm. Well we'll just all tag
Speaker 1: each other and yeah, we'll put it if if people
Speaker 1: have live viewing parties, let's give them some incentive that
Speaker 1: will repost that. You know, just take a of it
Speaker 1: and tag us and I'll repost with my stories. You know,
Speaker 1: better together team, Like all of our listeners are saying
Speaker 1: they're gonna be live viewing parties and make your own cupcake,
Speaker 1: cupcakes and cocktails. Gosh, I love that. I love it
Speaker 1: some wine down crew to cupcakes and cocktails. Love you party,
Speaker 1: I love that. Okay, Well, I will see you guys
Speaker 1: in l A very soon, and um, you'll see all
Speaker 1: of us December eleven on Lifetime Holiday fix Up. Bye,