Three of the brightest male stars reflect on breaking the ‘norms’ of iconic movies

three smartest people Star Paul Campbell and Taylor Hines They’re proud of the way they’ve challenged the structural norms of typical Hallmark films over the years.

“A lot of the reason people keep rewatching these movies is because they’re funny and because they really reflect the human experience,” Campbell, 46, exclusively said. US Weekly ahead of the film’s premiere on Saturday, November 15th. “These are very real things. We’ve taken away the gloss and polish from it and we’re saying, ‘Actually, life is messy, it’s imperfect, and it doesn’t need to fit into this neat little box and home.'”

Actor, three co-screenwriters wise man Filming Movies with Hallmark Stars Kimberly Sustadpointed out that the duo’s goal is to tell audiences a “truly human and relatable story.” “These characters’ lives aren’t perfect, but they’re doing the best they can,” he explains. “I think that’s why people enjoy these movies so much.”

this three wise men Trilogy starring Campbell, Hines to premiere in 2022 and Andrew Walker leading Play as brothers Stephen, Tyler and Luke Brenner, who find their lives thrown into chaos when Luke brings home a baby abandoned at a fire station. With the help of her mother Barbara (Margaret Colin), the three discuss balancing chaotic personal lives and raising children.

The film quickly became Hallmark’s highest-rated film of the year and spawned follow-ups three wise men and a boy 2024 and recent three smartest peoplewhich will serve as The last part of the trilogy. The series is known for its boundary-pushing stories, with the first film creating empathy and sympathy for an overwhelmed, down-on-her-luck mother who not only returns for redemption but ends up falling in love with Walker’s character, Luke.

The third film is no exception, incorporating a progressive storyline like Hines’s Tyler, who is torn over whether he should move to San Francisco with his girlfriend, Caroline (Erin Karplak). The two are not engaged or married — which has always been a requirement for couples to live together in the Hallmark world — but it does feel reflective of reality.

“We worked really hard humanize these characters,” Campbell said of the choice to have Tyler and Caroline move in before marriage. “Not everyone waits until they get married to move in, and that’s not accurate. “

Campbell and Hines said Sustad, 38, was determined to provide viewers with “an accurate depiction of human nature.”

“While we were filming, Paul was sleeping because he was working so long hours, and she was fighting for these roles and helping to clarify the points,” Hines, 39, told us us. “It’s because of King that these things we’re talking about happened.”

Campbell added that to its credit, Hallmark, which has been praised for its progress on diversity and inclusion over the past few years, has done a “really good job” of getting Tthree wise men Franchises “pull the limits of what they might historically have been satisfied with, or what their audiences have sometimes been satisfied with.”

He added that while “not everyone will like this storyline, Hallmark is really great. Let’s tell this story because we need to diversify and be more inclusive in the way we tell our stories. “

Campbell also praised Hines, Walker, 46, and the rest of the cast for their “incredible contributions” and support for telling an honest story, noting that “everyone showed up 1,000 percent, and that’s the only way this movie will make sense.”

However, Hines refused to let Campbell get through it without praising him. He noted that one of the “crazy jobs” of an actor is to build the entire project and make sure it’s special before taking center stage as one of the leads.

After three movies in a row, the job wasn’t easy.

“He’s the MVP of these movies. He’s at the heart of it all, without a doubt,” gushed Hines. “He took on the burden of building the world and evolving these characters that really felt like they evolved, and then making it feel fresh and not stale, like we just phoned it in. That was really hard to do.”

He also praised Campbell for providing so much “open dialogue” and “flow” on set, figuring out what worked and what didn’t work in the moment.

“It’s this very specific alchemy that creates the final product, and it shows in the details,” he explains. “These are all Christmas movies. They’re all funny, they’re all entertaining, et cetera, but it’s that little extra spice that makes this (series) resonate in a way that people might not understand. But it only exists because of Paul.”

“He is patrick mahomes Hines said, then added with a laugh: “He’s the quarterback. andrew is Travis Kelce. I am the goalpost. I stood there. “

three smartest people It’s out now.