Eloise Mumford, Dan Jeannotte and Brenda Strong will star in “Sweeter than Chocolate” a new, original movie premiering Saturday, February 4 on Hallmark Channel. We at Survived The Shows had the pleasure of chatting with Dan Jeannotte, about his experience on the movie and a lot more.
Survived the Shows: What’s the main element in Dean’s character and the movie in general that fascinates you the most and drew you to join Sweeter than Chocolate?
Dan Jeannotte: When I read the script for Sweeter Than Chocolate, one of the things I loved was that the movie gives us a glimpse of a variety of different love stories. Often in these romantic comedies, the focus is on the main couple — how they meet, how they make it work. In this movie, though, the main character Lucy Sweet makes a special kind of chocolate that’s supposed to help you find your true love — and so the audience actually gets to see little snippets of how various couples came together because of the “chocolate cupids“. I thought it was a lovely and fun addition to the story, and it goes to show that love stories can happen in a number of different ways.
Where are you and Dean most similar and where most different as human beings?
Dean is a logical, sometimes skeptical guy. He doesn’t just believe everything he hears — he wants to understand the real story behind things. He and I are alike in that way. But also, Dean doesn’t mind ruffling some feathers, or putting people in uncomfortable situations, if it means getting to the truth. I admire him for it, but I’m not like that. I tend to be a bit more of a diplomat, I guess. A peacemaker.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you in portraying Dean?
A big challenge, but also a great pleasure, was nailing the “reporter voice“. Dean’s an investigative TV reporter, hoping to make it as a news anchor. I really wanted to sound the way that TV reporters actually sound, their intonation and rhythm. I don’t know if I did it perfectly — I’ll need some real-life reporters to watch the movie and let me know what they think! But it sure was fun to try.
To all the fans looking forward to watching the movie, how would you describe Sweeter than Chocolate in just 3 words?
Magic love chocolates!
What can you tease about Lucy’s and Dean’s journey throughout the movie?
There’s a undeniable spark between Lucy and Dean, right from the beginning. But they find themselves slightly at odds: Lucy is trying to keep her business afloat, and Dean’s been sent to do a news piece on her chocolate shop, but he’s skeptical about the myth of the “chocolate cupids“. I would say what’s really interesting and sweet about their story, though, is that it’s not actually about the two of them butting heads, or misunderstanding each other, or not realizing they have feelings for each other. They know that they’ve got something special. The question is, can they put aside their fears and be vulnerable with each other? Will they be brave enough to love each other?
Talking about the environment on set, how would you describe your experience while filming Sweeter than Chocolate and do you have any fun anecdotes to share?
Best thing about filming Sweeter Than Chocolate: working with Eloise Mumford! We had never met before, and thankfully, we just clicked. She is such a good actor, she really carries the movie. It was a real pleasure to share this experience with her. She’s filming a new show for Amazon Prime now, based on the Alex Cross novels by James Patterson — so watch her in Cross when it comes out, if you want a very different viewing experience from Sweeter Than Chocolate!
If you could choose any other character from Sweeter than Chocolate, apart from Dean, that you would have loved to play, which one would it be and why?
Good question. I think I would’ve had fun playing Serena, Lucy’s best friend. She’s bubbly and energetic and a real romantic. She’s the one who gets the whole ball rolling by posting a viral video about Lucy’s love chocolates. But I might just be saying that because Christin Park, who actually does play Serena, was just so much fun to watch! She’s really hilarious and charming in the movie.
Did you take anything from set, any prop or piece of costume, to remember your experience as Dean?
I took home a fantastic eggplant-coloured suit, and a couple extra pounds of body weight thanks to all the chocolate.
‘Sweeter than Chocolate’ with Dan Jeannotte will premiere on Saturday, February 4 on Hallmark.
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