Crosspost: Originally published at TVMeg.com

Premiering Monday on Hallmark, season two of the reality competition Finding Mr. Christmas follows ten aspiring male actors competing to become the next Hallmark leading man. Each week they face a mix of Christmas-themed tasks as well as acting challenges featuring popular Hallmark stars. The series is hosted by Jonathan Bennett, who has starred in many of his own Hallmark Christmas films. Actress and comedian Melissa Peterman is the judge, who is joined weekly by other guest judges. Each week, one contestant will be sent home, and the winner will land a leading role in one of this year’s Countdown to Christmas movies on Hallmark.

Recently, Jamie Ruby spoke with Peterman and contestants Drake Kuyper and Marcus Brodie for TV Meg about what they learned from the experience, the friends they’ve made along the way, and more.

The new season premieres October 27th on the Hallmark Channel and is available to stream the next day on Hallmark+.

Watch the interview and read the transcript below.



JAMIE RUBY:   Let's start with you, Melissa. How do you think the show's evolved since season one? What do you feel is different this season?

MELISSA PETERMAN:   You know, season one, I think we loved what happened there. So, we didn't really change the sort of the foundation of that show, but, you know, Jonathan had more time to dream of bigger challenges. So, everything got a lot bigger. We asked a lot more of the guys in the acting challenges. We have, we brought in, I think, I don't know if we even brought in more mentors. We just, everything's just a little bit extra in season two as far as we know what worked here. So, let's dial it up a notch. And I enjoyed watching that happen.

JAMIE RUBY:   For both of you, what made you want to be a part of it? We'll just go Drake, then Marcus.

DRAKE:   Yeah, I would say what made me want to be a part of this is just really how wholesome Hallmark is. Like whenever I think Hallmark, I think Christmas. And I think that like, it's in the background whenever we're in Christmas, I just think of, you know, my mom making cookies and it's in the background playing. It's just like a happy memory of childhood. So, when I heard that Hallmark was interested, I'm like, “Absolutely, let's do this. I'm so in, so excited to take on this role.”

MARCUS:   And for me, when I first heard about the show, me and my girlfriend started watching the first season, and we were just, we were hooked. Like after the first episode, we were like, “Do you want to watch another one?” They're like, “Yeah.” And we ended up binge watching like four or five episodes in a row. So, I knew. I was like, “Okay, this is something I probably want to do.” And my girlfriend really pushed me, like, this is going to be a great opportunity to see how much you've grown, seen how much you've learned and see what you can learn from the other people on the show, the other judges, other guys. And I learned so much. So, it was great to be able to be on the show.

JAMIE RUBY:   Marcus, other than watching the show, what else did you do to prepare? Is there anything you can think of?

MARCUS:   Oh man, I didn't do much to prepare. I just really wanted to come into the show with an open mind, be ready to learn, ready to see how much I've grown, ready to open up about myself. And it took a lot for me to get to the point where I could just open up about myself and be myself. I feel like I kind of got to that point, and within a couple of days, like us guys, we've got so close. So, it made it easier to open up about myself because of how close and how much the other guys were opening up.

JAMIE RUBY:   All right. Drake, what about you? Did you watch season one, and what did you do to prepare?

DRAKE:   Yep. So, I watched all of season one, and that's what I was hoping was my preparation. Little did I know they were about to crank up the heat, and then competitions were way, way more intense. So, pretty much watching that was a big deal. I also didn't have any experience in actually speaking lines, so I was like in front of my camera trying to practice with my brother, trying to go back and forth and get a little more experience before this, because I knew this was going to be a pretty big jump and from my experience to, you know, being on TV.

MELISSA PETERMAN:   See, that's what I love about this show is that we've got guys that [are] from all different like levels and experience of acting and the reality is anyone could win, because if you've got that it factor, you know, you can teach them that other stuff, because otherwise, someone can take all the classes in the world, but if they don't have that sort of special equality that doesn't really matter. So, I love that there's people from all different levels of acting experience.

JAMIE RUBY:   That leads me into my next question. I was going to ask you, do you find yourself though trying to give them acting advice since you've been doing it a while, or do you feel like you have to restrain yourself somewhat since you're a judge?

MELISSA PETERMAN:   I've never restrained myself in anything whether it's a buffet or being a judge. No, I think my job is to tell them stuff. I may not always be right. I can only speak from my experience as someone who's auditioned a million times and worked with different people. So, I can only tell them, I think I'm supposed to tell them what I know, and I really took that seriously, because they're going to hear no a lot. Actors are going to hear no. You're going to be asked to get up the next day and go back in a room and maybe hear no again, and you have to really want it.

And what I loved about the show, is just like in real life, they're going to be competing for jobs against friends or people they know, and they're going to maybe watch their friend get the job, and they don't. And what I try to say all the time is, “You're going to need those friends.” If you're going to be in this business, you're going to want that support group.

And what I love seeing, is these guys really did create a brotherhood that I think will continue on long after the show is gone. And you [are] going to need that in this business, because I don't think I would have gotten through my very - anytime in LA or auditioning without having someone I could call and go, “Oh, I had this audition and what do you think?” She's like, “Oh, I went in on it yesterday, and here's what I think.” And just to really build a community, because that's what you really need to succeed, I think.

JAMIE RUBY:   You say that, but for the two of you though, was that hard at all? I mean, you're friends with each other but you also kind of want to beat each other too. So, how do you balance that?

MARCUS:   It was definitely hard, because we grew so close so quick. Like, having to see anybody go home during that first elimination, it hurt. When we first walked into that first elimination, we all felt it. It hit us, because it was like, wow, this is real. Somebody really has to go home right now.

DRAKE:   Yeah, definitely, the bonds we created so quickly. It reminded me of football. Like, all of us just spend hours together, you know, and then the next thing you know, you're competing again at some an hour later. That was definitely super tough to kind of balance that, but what was great, is everyone was so supportive. It was one of those things where if you messed up, people were rallying behind you. Like, “Hey, you’ve got this next one.” And that was such a good feeling to just know that these guys had my back, you know?

MELISSA PETERMAN:   I think if even, if any of the guys walked in thinking it was a competition, and I have to come in with my game face, I think the show and the format quickly strips that away. You know, they can come in thinking, “I'm not going to show I'm - game face. They're not going to get to know me. I'm here to win.” It's formulated that we really want to get rid of that quickly, and it sort of happens.

MARCUS:   Oh yeah.

JAMIE RUBY:   For the two of you, what did you find more difficult? The first challenges, or, I mean, obviously I've only seen the first episode, but the [other kinds of] challenges, or the acting challenges, because I think they both kind of cause other problems.

DRAKE:   Yeah, I would say that the first challenges felt like less pressure, because like, you're just getting that advantage and stuff, but then the acting challenges, that's when you had to lock in. You're like, “This is the part where I really need to focus.” So, I felt like a little bit less pressure from the challenges, even though it was fun and it was intense, it felt like the actual acting challenges when you really had to lock in.

MARCUS:   And I would probably say the opposite. Maybe just because I have a little bit more of a background in acting, but obviously not a ton, but a little bit more, but the first ones were a little bit more about opening up about yourself, and that's harder for me. It always has been. And the show helped me be able to do that a lot more, but I was a little bit more afraid that I was going to have to talk about myself more, and that's almost more fearful for me than just acting or, you know, acting in somebody else's shoes, almost.

MELISSA PETERMAN:   It's hard. I mean, it's easy to play, you know, when they give you the words to say. It's hard to -

MARCUS:   Exactly, but then when you have to talk about yourself, that's a whole ‘nother level. You have to really be vulnerable and show your real self.

MARCUS:   That’s a good point.

JAMIE RUBY:   I was going to say, Drake, is that something you struggled with?

DRAKE:   Yes. I was going to say for any of the ones where it felt like, you know, you really had to open yourself up, that did feel tough. Like there's obviously some walls that like, it's kind of hard to just talk about yourself.nIt's not a character you're playing. This is actually you. It's like when they're actually learning who is Drake Kiper, like it definitely is a little bit more intense and it's a lot harder to just open up and say everything, you know, it takes a little bit. It does help though having other guys do it as well. Like, you see these guys that you're getting close with, and they're also showing who they are. It makes it much, much easier to share yourself.

JAMIE RUBY:   Melissa, obviously you're on the other side of that, but is there anything that you found a challenge in this?

MELISSA PETERMAN:   Eliminations. I hated them. I really hated to tell somebody that, you know, it was time; their time was over on the show, because I know what that feels like, and it doesn't always feel great.

And that was really hard for me, because I was at that point very invested, and still am, in all of them and want them to succeed. So, I did not look forward to eliminations. And I want everyone to know, nobody walked in there without being so serious about it and thinking about it and talking about it. But also, I hope imparting on everybody that this isn't over. This is just today, and like, that's the life of an actor. Today is maybe not your day. Tomorrow might be your day. So yeah, eliminations were very difficult.

JAMIE RUBY:   Yeah, I was going to say, I'm sure this will still give everybody more opportunities, regardless of the outcome.

MELISSA PETERMAN:   People are going to watch and fall in love with all of these guys. And somebody is going to see something that, you know, their faces are going to be in front of a lot of people, and that's the beauty. There's a lot of - everyone wants something different. Some days, you know, they're looking for a Drake. Someday they're looking for a Marcus, and tomorrow they're looking for a Marcus.bLike that's what's the beauty of the business. Things can change in an hour, truly.

MARCUS:   I mean, come on, they're always looking for a Drake.

DRAKE:   Yes, man, no, don't be humble.

MARCUS:   And a Melissa, of course.

JAMIE RUBY:   For you two, what was it like for the first time you acted against another Hallmark star?

MELISSA PETERMAN:   Ooh, I want to hear.

MARCUS:   Oh man. Well, acting for the first time with Janelle [Parrish] was amazing. I mean, I remember skiing up and then seeing her and being nervous. But then once she started saying her lines, it like relaxed me, and I was able to kind of fall into the scene. So, you could just tell she was a pro, and it made everything so much more relaxed and easy.

DRAKE:   Yeah, to piggyback off what he said, it was really nice to have such a professional in there to where there's a lot of crazy things going on with it, and you have to be able to like remember your lines and everything. And I feel like her confidence helped you gain confidence. Like, okay, this is where I'm supposed to be. This is what I'm doing. Like, let's do it. I feel like that helped, because there's some crazy elements in the acting scene. It's not just, you know, two people standing there. We're skiing, we're doing - the weather's crazy. Everything just comes together to become like a more difficult thing.

JAMIE RUBY:   Who else were you guys looking forward to getting to work with during this season?

MARCUS:   That's a good question. You know, I was really hoping that Jonathan and Melissa would hop in a scene with us and maybe do something crazy.

DRAKE:   That would have been so cool.

MELISSA PETERMAN: I don't know how much they can spoil it.

[crosstalk]

MARCUS:   I wish we could have done more scenes with Jonathan and Melissa, just because they're so good at acting.

MELISSA PETERMAN:   Jonathan's not even sitting here. You can just say Melissa.

MARCUS:   Melissa. I was gonna say Melissa first, because I mean, she's so quick, so witty, so funny. She brings the best actor out of you. So, I mean, I would have wanted to do everything with Melissa. Of course.

MELISSA PETERMAN:   I'm just gonna give you another lesson right here. When you're sitting next to the person, say them.

MARCUS:   Yes, say them, Melissa. Put down Jonathan. Got it.

[laughter]

MELISSA PETERMAN:   Not put down, just say. Yeah, I don't know how much we can, because I know that they, I think people know who we have coming on for mentors, but I'm not sure that they can spoil all of them. But I will say this, that I would tell every contestant, like when you have time with the Janelle Parris or an Ali Sweeney or any of the Chris Palaha, when you've got people there, take that time. That's a gift. You're getting somebody who's been working. Ask questions, listen to what they say, watch what they do when they walk on a set, and what they ask a director. And I learned something every day. You're not done learning ever, ever, ever, ever. Yeah.

JAMIE RUBY:   I know we're almost out of time, but really quick, what did you two take away the most? What did you learn in particular?

MARCUS:   Just to be yourself and be vulnerable, be willing to open up and just be yourself, because at the end of the day, people are gonna judge you, whether you're yourself or acting like you're somebody else. So, you may as well be yourself and be as happy as possible.

DRAKE:   I would say definitely being vulnerable. I mean, just watching these guys open up and you just can develop such a deeper relationship when you actually know the true person. Like, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to hide anything, like just be yourself and be vulnerable and you'll end up making closer friends.