Rushi Kota and Eva Bourne star in “Make Me a Match,” a new, original movie premiering Saturday June 24 (8 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Channel. We at Survived The Shows had the pleasure of chatting with Eva Bourne about her experience in the making of the movie and what fans can expect. Check out the full interview below!
Can you tell us a bit about your character Vivi in “Make me a Match” and what drew you to this role?
EVA BOURNE: Yeah, when I received the first draft I loved her voice and the way she interacted in the world. She was very strong headed, direct and had a cunning sense of humour. There was a line in the original script that really spoke to her deep belief in how to find love and her judgement of others thinking it could be any other way, it made me laugh out loud when I first read the draft. It didn’t end up making it into the script, because it was somewhat unkind, but I wanted to say it so bad!
What was it like working on set with the cast and crew of “Make me a Match”?
Beyond having to put with Rushi, it was amazing. Just kidding. Everyone was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience of the process on set. By far this was the most unified set I have worked on. Everyone was so on it, kind and even under the moments of pressure and time restraint were able to laugh and move forward with grace. I’ll always hold this experience very close to my heart.
Did you face any challenges while preparing for your role in “Make me a Match”? How did you overcome them?
Just the stress. It’s always stressful for me to move into a new project. There is so much unknown and so many changes all happening at once. However, I was incredibly fortunate to work with our director Heather Hawthorne-Doyle. She was very keen to spend the time needed with Rushi and I before shooting, which was lovely. That really helped to take some of the weight off knowing she would be steering the ship.
Oh, and there was the moment when Heather sent me a photo of Rushi, his wife and fresh little newborn baby in the hospital the week before shooting that I think threw me for a loop. I only knew that Rushi would be my costar, but not that he was just about to become a father, so I was a bit worried that he may not be completed focused. I mean that is a huge moment and change in life, so it was a bit concerning! Of course, I met him before we started shooting and instantly those fears dissipated.
Can you share any memorable moments or experiences that occurred while filming “Make me a Match”?
Theres so many. I love watching other actors work and I was able to sneak onto set, with Heathers approval, to watch a scene between Rekha and Rushi that is in my opinion the whole movie. I learnt so much watching Heather direct them with such care and thoughtfulness, and seeing those notes come through in their performances was magic. That scene had pretty much the whole crew in tears. I was really special.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching “Make me a Match”?
I hope people take chances and don’t pass up opportunities that present themselves in life due to fears. I think it’s really easy to say no, because change can be incredibly terrifying. It can bring up a lot of insights into yourself that you may not be ready to digest, but I think I would say…Feel the fear and do it anyway.
As an actress, what aspects of your performance in “Make me a Match” are you most proud of?
Oh, well. I don’t know about performance, I’m very critical of myself and always wanting to improve, I don’t know that I will ever be like “I was amazing”. I don’t thinks that’s me. However, I would say I am very proud of my leadership skills on set. Before shooting, I kept being told by multiple people that the tone of set is dependant on the leads. I took that very seriously, and I certainly felt like I was able to establish a set environment where people felt that they could be open, creative and be happy to come to work everyday. As well as getting a lot of laughs in.
What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in acting?
Well, being incredibly unhappy. Haha. I was working as a dental assistant and had just started school for dental hygiene, and I was just not doing well. Haha. I fell victim to hearing peoples approval and moving forward with something that was safe, but not going to necessarily challenge me in life. I grew up in a very small town, so the idea of becoming an actor, as a career, was absolutely not in my mind as a possibility at all.
I enjoyed drama class and was in the plays, but yeah, not a dream I ever really spent time thinking about. Anyway, I eventually got to a point of finally asking myself what I wanted in life and I think I was watching Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind all day in my dorm room and I something just clicked. Called my parents, told them I was quitting school, moving to Vancouver and going to theatre school. And here we are. Haha.
Can you tease us something about your next projects?
Sure! I’m currently working with an amazingly talented woman Anika Yuzak. I actually met her when I first started in theatre and we reconnected on a show recently. She’s really keen on having me collaborate with her on the script and casting. It’s been very cool, and inspiring me to start to create my own stories. I can’t say too much, but it is loosely based on themes addressed in Naomi Wolf’s novel Promiscuities. Exploring the many experiences of womanhood. I’m very, very, very excited to dive into this one!
Make Me a Match, starring Rushi Kota and Eva Bourne, premieres June 24 at 8 P.M. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel. Get a preview below!
Keep following us for more news on Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Great American Family Networks!
Chiara
Please step by our Facebook page SurvivedtheShows, Instagram page @survivedtheshows and Twitter page @SurvivedShows to keep yourself updated!
