VOD Channels ‘s Christmas movie “Merry Good Christmas”, starring Susan Gallagher, is all set to premiere on the VOD channels on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Let’s take a first look! We at Survived The Shows had the incredibile chance to chat via email with star Comfort Clinton and discuss the movie Merry Good Christmas and her on-set experience. Check out the full interview below!
Can you tell us a bit about your character in Merry Good Christmas?
My character is Cynthia, the youngest of the Raulie siblings. She is a high-powered lawyer living in Chicago, who comes home for the holidays and finds her older siblings have made a bit of a mess of Christmas! She is a deeply optimistic person, but she is also the one who always fixes issues within her family, so that’s what she goes about doing as the movie progresses.
What initially attracted you to your role in Merry Good Christmas?
The writer/co-director of the film, Caroline Keene, sent it to me about 6 years ago and I was very excited about it, beginning then. I thought the movie was a breath of fresh air, and I loved the character of Cynthia. I felt very connected to her right away, and was excited at the idea of making this movie.
What do you think makes this movie so special and captivating?
I think this movie is truly unique, in that it explores a very honest approach to family and the holidays. The holidays are my favorite time of year, but let’s face it- sometimes they can be stressful! And this movie really shines a light on that and leans into it, which you don’t often see in the Christmas movie genre.
What do you hope audiences take away from watching Merry Good Christmas?
I hope that audiences will feel seen when they watch this movie. I think there is always a character someone can relate to- whether it’s the main character of Lucy, or the father, the mother, or one of the siblings, like my character Cynthia. I think everyone is able to see themselves in some way and relate to the struggles being shown.
What was it like working with the rest of the cast on set?
Working with this cast was an absolute JOY. This is such a warm and fun and impressive group of actors- playing a family with them came very effortlessly. We all stayed on location, some of us in the same houses, and were able to really bond because of that. We’ve stayed incredibly close since filming, and I now consider them some of my closest friends.
What can you tease about your character Journey?
I think the central struggle for Cynthia is to balance her expectations with reality. She is very focused on what is considered “normal” and wants so badly to be normal herself. The journey she goes on in this film challenges her to think about whether the reality she faces might actually be better in some ways, than the expectations she’s always put on herself.
What was your favorite scene or moment while filming Merry Good Christmas?
I had so many great moments it is hard to pick just one! There was a day when two characters were filming at an ice skating rink, and Raye Levine, who plays Lucy, and I went to visit the set with Raye’s daughter. I’ll never forget watching them film our movie while gliding around on the ice. We also had a wonderful moment on a Friday night, when we were shooting outdoors in the freezing cold, in front of a real life house. We wrapped filming and instead of running immediately to our warm cars and going home for the weekend, the family bought us hot cocoa and we all stood around outside drinking cocoa and chatting. It was truly magical and speaks to how much everyone enjoyed each other’s company.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while filming Merry Good Christmas and how you overcame them?
We were faced overall with the challenge of being a small independent film shooting in the middle of December in Massachusetts! We were so lucky to have so many wonderful people lend us their time and resources, and offer their help to us when we needed it most. This movie embodies the concept of “it takes a village”, and was a Christmas miracle in many ways!
Change of subject, What have been some of the most memorable projects you have worked on throughout your career, and why?
I’ve been so lucky to work on SO many incredible projects in my career. Some that stand out are my first film job, an indie movie called “Good Bones”, as well as my first TV job, which was an episode of “Law & Order: SVU”. And of course my recurring role on “Billions” meant more to me than I can ever say. Getting to play the evolution of that character over many seasons and years was so exciting and fulfilling. The writers, cast and crew of that show were so welcoming, and phenomenally talented, and I will always treasure my experience working on it.
Can you tease something about your next projects?
I’m currently shooting a few episodes of “FBI” on CBS, which is extremely exciting and has been a lot of fun to work on!
Keep following us for more news on Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Great American Family Networks!
Desirèe
Please step by our Facebook page SurvivedtheShows, Instagram page @survivedtheshows and Twitter page @SurvivedShows to keep yourself updated!
