Pop-Culturalist.com

Award-winning director-actor Corey Sevier has built an illustrious career in this industry with projects like 5th & Alameda, Haley, and North Shore.

This summer, he reunites with Vanessa Lengies in Take Me Back for Christmas, part of Hallmark’s Christmas in July celebration. The heartfelt and hilarious film follows Vanessa’s character Renee making a Christmas wish that gives her the life she’s always dreamed of. This new reality is perfect, except for one thing…she is no longer married to her husband Aaron (Sevier). Now, Renee must race against the clock to win him back before Christmas Eve.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Corey about acting and directing Take Me Back for Christmas, the film’s universal messages, and more.

Please Note: This interview was filmed prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. We stand in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, and will not be conducting further interviews until a fair deal is reached.

PC: Your wife, Kate Pragnell, wrote the script for Take Me Back for Christmas. At what point did you know you wanted to star in and also direct it?
Corey: I knew I wanted to direct it very early on. She and I brainstormed the idea together. From the beginning, I knew this was a story that I wanted to tell. It was very close to both of our hearts.

In terms of acting, that sort of came together. I was casting the other roles. I wasn’t necessarily thinking of myself for this. We cast Vanessa Lengies, our star, whom I’ve known my whole life. Her first ever acting job was on a series that I did when I was twelve years old. We did Heart of the Holidays together. When we knew we could get Vanessa, all of a sudden, the producers and everyone started getting excited about the idea that we would reunite together on screen.

I knew the script so well that it was the logical next step. I said, “Okay, I’ll step in and play Aaron as well.” We had a lot of fun.

PC: This isn’t your first time directing. Have you found that your experiences behind the camera have impacted the way that you now approach your work on screen and vice versa?
Corey: 100%. Any time you get a chance to wear a different hat, it gives you more appreciation for the other side. I started working as an actor at a very young age. You get to learn a lot. I’ve gotten to learn from so many different directors over the years. You take little bits along the way, so as an actor, I was always absorbing that.

Now getting to be a director, I’m trying to utilize some of the language that I know worked for me as an actor with my cast. They go hand in hand. But I do have to admit the directing side is a real pleasure because you get a chance to really get your fingers in all aspects of the production and get to work with the crew and everyone.

I’ve learned more sitting in the director’s chair, watching it all, and appreciating what everyone else does on the set even more. Even when you’re there as an actor, you don’t realize how much work goes into getting there to shoot on the day.

PC: You all shot this film in thirteen days. How helpful was it having that prior friendship with Vanessa as you prepared to tackle the dynamic between Aaron and Renee? What was it like getting to collaborate again?
Corey: It’s huge. As you said, we did it in thirteen days. It’s hard enough to make a film. In this particular one, we’re playing husband and wife. It was important to have that relationship, continuity, and friendship that we had. You don’t have a ton of time to rehearse, but we had so much trust that we dove in together. Having Vanessa there made it all that much easier.

Also, it’s my wife’s script, so having her support was beneficial. We also worked with this production team before. There was a real family element to the film and that allowed us to get the most out of the limited time we had.

PC: You and Vanessa have both talked about how it’s rare to get the opportunity to make films with your friends and that trust and camaraderie come across on screen. Do you have a favorite behind-the-scenes moment from the filming experience?
Corey: There are two things. On our first day, we did all the cooking scenes, so that was really fun. I’m not a professional chef; that’s where the acting came in. [laughs] But that was really fun, and it was an improvised scene that we did together. That really set the tone.

Then on our last day, we did all the skating and hockey scenes. I’ve always loved hockey. It was the last day, and it was pouring rain all morning. We were like, “How are we going to get this done?” Then lo and behold, the sun came out. Vanessa has skated before but she’d never played hockey before. I was like, “Let’s just go out there and give it a shot. Even if it doesn’t work out, it will be very endearing and fun.” Those two scenes bookended the shoot. They are such fun tropes of Christmas films. They were some of the most fun we had on the shoot.

PC: These characters are so layered and nuanced. As a director, how did you create the space for Vanessa to explore those themes of grief and the vulnerabilities of her character?
Corey: We had as many conversations as possible about it going in. Vanessa is so good. She brings so many ideas and her intuition anyway. She and I have a very similar sensibility and what we’re trying to achieve on screen. I always like to do a read of the script, even if it’s just her and me. Because Kate is the writer and my wife, we could make little tweaks as much as we needed.

Then on the day, our production team did such a great job of setting it up and having us ready to go so that we could have the quiet space and let our actors do their thing. I tried to plan all the technical stuff as meticulously as possible in advance so that we weren’t wasting time on set that way. We were just there getting the emotions. As you said, we were very proud of the nuances of that relationship and her relationship with her mother. I wanted to create a safe environment for the actors to feel like they could really go there emotionally, despite the fact that the clock was always ticking. But I think by and large, the team did such an incredible job. We never felt rushed. We never left the scene without feeling like we turned over every stone. So that’s a nice feeling.

PC: Kate is incredible at weaving all these universal themes within the film. There’s a beautiful conversation between Renee and her best friend where they’re talking about home being less about a physical location and more about the people you surround yourself with. For you, who’s home? Who have been the people in your own life who have supported you on this journey?
Corey: My family. It’s my parents and my brother. Starting at such a young age, it takes a lot. Being a child actor, you need that support from your parents or guardians. So first and foremost, it’s them.

Then into my adulthood, it’s my wife Kate. We’ve been together for ten years, collaborating and doing this together. We’re very supportive of each other on both sides. It’s funny how one of the main themes of the film is my character trying to get through to Vanessa’s character Renee to not give up on her dreams and being that support. That’s where I could tap into the Aaron side of things because I’m very much like that with Kate and vice versa. Life in the arts has its ups and downs. Life always throws you unexpected things. But if you’re fortunate enough to have that love, support, and trust with the people around you, it does give you the courage to take risks and to take chances.

More often than not, when you really listen to your heart, good things happen. That was something that runs prevalently throughout the film. It was really nice to have that mature love story as a strong element of the film. We were proud of that. I’m very proud of Kate. I’m biased but she’s such a talented writer. Then, we have such talented actors who can take it to another level.

PC: As well as your direction. So often in life, we don’t get second chances, but for Renee, she gets the opportunity. If you could get a second chance in your own life, what would you do over?
Corey: That’s a great question. To be honest, even the things in life that didn’t fall the way you may have hoped, more often than not, not to be cliché, but when one door closes, I find another one opens. Things in life tend to happen when you least expect them, so there’s not a lot that I would take back because even the things that would be considered failures or falls, you learn from a lot of the time. I find myself constantly learning in life as well as professionally. I wouldn’t really go back and change anything. I’ve been really fortunate in my life to pursue the things that I love and be surrounded by great people.

But I can understand the allure to those who have not had that fortune who want to have a second chance. Vanessa and I laugh while we’ve been doing press for this film that it’s a cautionary tale. If you’re going to make a wish, make it specific. Be careful what you wish for. That’s where we explore the pie-in-the-sky fantasy versus being in tune with what you already have. That’s a strong message that flows throughout the film as well.

That’s a great question, but I can’t think of one. Maybe it’s a message from my wife that we need to build a much larger closet. [laughs] Not to give any spoilers, but there is a lot of fun stuff that people can relate to that anyone would want, like that dream job, position, or place to live. But the message is that it’s ultimately about the internal things. It’s about having love and support and pursuing your own dreams. That’s the ultimate lesson. That’s the most important thing. The other stuff is a bonus.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What’s left on that bucket list?
Corey: There are so many things. I love storytelling. I love the art of filmmaking. I’ve been fortunate enough to be acting my entire life, but in terms of being involved in the whole process of telling stories, I hope I’m just getting started. There are so many other things that we want to explore—more films in this genre. We want to explore other stuff.

Fatherhood is fairly new. I have a four-year-old and another on the way, so there’s that aspect as well. Continuing to grow as a family is super important. And on the other side, having the opportunity to collaborate and create your own content has been a real blessing for us, so we hope to keep pursuing that and telling hopefully meaningful stories that will mean a lot to people. I hope to continue on the path that I am on and keep learning and hopefully getting better at it every chance that I have at it.

To keep up with Corey, follow him on Twitter. Take Me Back for Christmas premieres on July 15 at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.

Photo Credit: Ainsley Rose