Erin Krakow and Brendan Penny star in “The Wedding Cottage,” a new, original movie premiering Saturday, April 15 (8 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Channel. We at Survived The Shows had the pleasure of chatting with Drew Henderson about his experience in the making of The Wedding Cottage and what fans can expect from it. Check out the full interview in the article below!
What’s the main element in Scott Bishop and the movie in general that fascinates you the most and drew you to join The Wedding Cottage?
a) I was immediately drawn to the backstory of my character as I discovered that he (Staff Sergeant Scott Bishop) was wounded while on tour in Afghanistan. Once he returned home, he didn’t want to feel a burden on his fiancé and called off their engagement. His fiancé (played by Matreya Scarrwener) eventually convinces him that she still wants to marry him even though his injury makes life more challenging. I’m always moved when love overcomes adversity, and wanted the opportunity to dive into a character that I thought showed tremendous strength in facing his fears.
b) I was drawn to The Wedding Cottage because… well… I love a good rom com! I’m a romantic at heart and will probably cry on my couch while eating ice cream as the movie premieres.
Where are you and your character most similar and where most different as human beings?
a) I also don’t like being a burden on people in the same way he does. If I’m sick or injured I prefer to suffer on my own. I’ve worked at getting better at accepting help from family, friends and loved ones when I need it.
b) Scott Bishop went to war for his country and was wounded in combat. Drew Henderson has never seen anything close to war other than playing paintball in high school. I really had to sit and mull around in what I would imagine that experience would have been like. After much research and much thought, I have an even greater respect for men and women in military service.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you in portraying your character?
Scott has a prosthetic leg and making sure that I walked with a believable and consistent limp was a challenge I had to get creative about. I am an avid squash player and coach, so after some thinking I got an idea, “why don’t I just put a couple squash balls in my boot and see if that’s workable?” Turns out that it gave me an awkward, consistent gait and it wasn’t unbearably painful. Every scene I am in, I have two squash balls under my right heel. It was uncomfortable, but I figured that was a good reminder of the constant inconvenience that Scott would be living with. If you don’t know what the sport of squash is, please look it up!
To all the fans looking forward to watching the movie, how would you describe The Wedding Cottage in just 3 words?
Heart-warming, inspiring and FUN!
What can you tease about your character’s journey throughout the movie?
The biggest mountain Scott has to climb is him successfully completing the first dance on his wedding day. He’s not steady on his leg and not much of a dancer to begin with. He even admits his fear of letting his fiancé down during the dance is greater than the fear he had during combat overseas. But, with the help of his new friends, he just may get the confidence he needs.
Talking about the environment on set, how would you describe your experience while filming The Wedding Cottage and do you have any fun anecdotes to share?
Yes, I sure do. The lovely, and talented, Matreya Scarrwener (playing Scott’s fiancé) would frequently forget that my character had a limp/slow walk. At the end of many takes, she would take off walking fast and leave poor Scott in the dust. This was, of course, very amusing to all of us and became an ongoing, on-set joke. This movie was a BLAST to make. Having a director as seasoned and professional as Terry Ingram made things go smoothly and kept the mood light the entire time. Erin Krakow and Brenden Penny made us feel so welcome, and by the way, they are hilarious to work with. The green room was usually full of laughter and we got to know each other really well between takes. I’ve seen some of the footage… Erin and Brenden are dynamite together!
If you could choose any other character from The Wedding Cottage, apart from yours, that you would have loved to play, which one would it be and why?
If I wasn’t playing Scott I would most definitely offer to play the owner of the Wedding Cake Shop. I got to sample some of wedding cakes in one of our scenes. If played the cake shop owner, I think I would have been able to request many take-home cakes…
Did you take anything from set, any prop or piece of costume, to remember your experience?
JEANS! I took home my character’s jeans! I am always amazed how the costume departments can always find a pair of jeans that fit so perfect. I always have a hard time finding a good pair that fits, so I am very excited about this. On a side note, I would have requested to bring home my military wedding suit, but I felt that would be frowned upon by the American Military. Quite frankly, as a Canadian, I definitely prefer to have the American Military as my friend and not have them frown on me for any reason!!!
Throwing back to the origins of your career, how did the passion for acting come about in your life?
I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. It didn’t even cross my mind that being an actor was a possible career when I was young. I loved movies, but it just felt so far away and something that beautiful people in Hollywood only do. Years later, in my early 20’s, I was felt lost and wasn’t sure the direction I wanted to take in life. I knew I had a strong creative side as I enjoyed writing music and poetry, and a good friend that I used to sing with, suggested I take an acting class. Well, the rest is history. I graduated acting school and truly feel like I found my calling in life. There have been highs and lows, but I know I am in the right place and very excited to make a lasting career in this wild and wonderous business.
Among all the roles you’ve had the chance to play throughout your career, is there any particular role you’re most fond of?
I played Shane Mitchell in a romantic comedy called, Candid About Love. It was my first Lead Role and I will always remember it.
What can you tease about your next projects?
I am currently playing the character Rod Flynn on another Hallmark movie called The Wedding Season! Fancy that! Finishing The Wedding Cottage and then working on The Wedding Season. What will be next?! The Wedding _____?
The Wedding Cottage, starring Erin Krakow, Brendan Penny and Drew Henderson, premieres April 15 at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel. Get a preview below!
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Chiara
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