Exclusive Interview: Stars Kelly Stables and Caylee Cowan Talk Holiday Twist

Kelly Stables and Caylee Cowan are spreading holiday cheer with their must-see film, Holiday Twist.

Penned and directed by Stephanie Garvin, Holiday Twist revolves around Connie (played by Kelly Stables), a high-powered female executive and Grinch-like workaholic CEO, whose world shatters due to unforeseen circumstances, challenging her self-perceived importance. With the assistance of a Salvation Army Santa and a touch of holiday magic, the protagonist discovers that letting go of her painful past is the key to becoming the twinkling light her community and family need. The nuanced and dynamic performances of both actresses will undoubtedly evoke a range of emotions in the audience.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of conversing with Kelly and Caylee about Holiday Twist, their collaboration with Stephanie Garvin, delving into the emotional journeys of their characters, the film’s essential messages, and more.

PC: You’ve both built such illustrious careers in this industry. How did this project come across your desk? What was it about this character and script that resonated with each of you?
Kelly: I met Stephanie [Garvin] through the Burbank International Film Festival, and she presented the script to me. She thought I’d be great in the role of Connie. I took a quick read and instantly laughed and teared up in places. I thought the script was really great. I loved that this character went on this cool arc of a journey. I was excited to get to do that.

Caylee: I met Stephanie at a pre-Oscars party. She got a number from a friend of mine and asked if I would take a read of her script. I did, and I really liked it. I said that I would do it, and that was about two years ago. So it’s been a while of ups and downs trying to get this movie made. It’s really a miracle that it’s in theaters now.

PC: Kelly, Connie’s journey in the film is about finding her way back and letting the past stay in the past, which you brought so much nuance to. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into that growth and that transformation that happens over such a short period of time?
Kelly: It was really listening to the characters that helped my character. Blake Leeper plays Santa Claus Rex, who himself goes through quite a bit of a journey, and he was able to come across through the other side of something really difficult. He inspires my character. He did such a great job that it was really just listening to him tell his story and allowing my character to soak that in and give that a shot.

PC: Caylee, without giving any spoilers, you get to show off your incredible range, particularly in the final moments of the film where you take audiences on this roller coaster of emotions. It’s one of the most heartbreaking yet inspiring scenes. How did you prepare for that scene in particular where you’re playing with all those emotions all at once?
Caylee: I remember that day specifically because my character is so not grounded by the way that she’s written. She’s an angel. It’s not necessarily the most relatable thing for me to pull on.

I remember that day specifically. They were adjusting the camera lighting. I was trying to hold on to this one single thread of truth that I had for the character and justify my emotional response towards seeing something that’s very resonant for my character, without giving my spoilers.

PC: There’s this beautiful sentiment in the film about how success is defined by how you make a difference in the world. Who were the people in your own life who have impacted your journeys as storytellers?
Kelly: The first person who comes to mind is my sixth-grade teacher. She had a quote on the board that said, “All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough.” There’s such a push in today’s world to do better, to be better, to get more, to go faster to this and this and this and this and this and this. The contrast to that is, “Actually, you’re good just how you are.” I try to tell my kids that. I say, “I love you, and I like you just the way you are.” The more that we get in touch with ourselves, the more peace that’ll bring. So my sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Kendal was a big influence on me, as well as my parents, who always supported the things that I wanted to do and try.

For everyone, if there’s something inside of them that they’re passionate about, something that resonates with them and ignites their soul, they should have the ability to try that out. Fortunately, my parents said, “Hey, We’ll give it a go. We support you. We believe in you. If you believe in yourself and you have a good work ethic, we think you can do it.” So I would say parents also.

I also have a great group of friends that I’ve been friends with since junior high school. Those girls helped remind me of who I am when things start to get a little swayed off track. So for me, it’s been the people in my life.

Caylee: For me, the best thing for me was my acting coach when I first started, who really instilled in me that as an actor, you have to have grit and perseverance. In the early stages of my career, I thought that was only applicable to the audition process and when people tell you no, but it’s actually applicable throughout your entire career. It’s on those hard days when you’re on hour sixteen, and you’re just about to wrap, but you have to pull through.

That emotional scene that we were talking about earlier was shot at the end of a very long day. I remember having a lot of personal things going on in my life. It was complicated. I remember not having slept at all the night before because someone had broken into my house. I went straight to work and worked a whole day and had to do that emotional scene. I remember being so exhausted and thinking, “I just have to do my best. I have to find that grit and perseverance and give it my best when I’m depleted.”

PC: Kelly, Stephanie wrote and directed this project. Is the filming experience different when the person who’s created this universe and these characters is also at the helm directing and also has experience in front of the camera? What was that collaboration like?
Kelly: Everything was important to her. She wasn’t coming in and directing someone else’s words. She wrote it. It’s coming from her heart, and it has principles and the things that she’s learned throughout her journey in life. So it was important that it was told in a way that she wanted it expressed and also visually how she wanted it. It was so easy to honor that because she’s such a lovely person, and all the lessons she’s sharing are things others can benefit from. She was lovely to work with and for. We all pretty much stuck to the script, but she allowed us to improvise quite a bit as well. We had a lot of laughs on set.

PC: Caylee, in addition to the incredible work that you’ve done as an actor, you’ve also produced and directed. How have your experiences behind the camera impacted the way that you approach your work on screen and interpret scripts and characters like the one you play in Holiday Twist.
Caylee: I don’t have too much experience as a producer or as a director yet, but I did direct a short film that I wrote, and I put all my friends in it as actors. That helped me to understand what directors who don’t have acting experience are talking about and what the camera is doing. For example, “the camera can’t cross the line,” isn’t terminology that I knew as an actor.

But being on the opposite side of the camera has really impacted my acting. It’s also been really fun because I love filmmaking. It’s been nice to have that experience. As a producer, it’s also taught me so much about how movies are made and why everything needs a name, why different terms exist, and how money moves and where it comes from.

Doing all those things and also writing, because I just wrote a short film that hasn’t been made yet, has helped me get a better understanding of the importance of every word, especially if it’s been a project they’ve been working on for years. For example, if a writer uses “could” instead of “would,” it’s understanding the importance of that differentiation. Also, if a writer has just written a script in a couple of months, knowing whether they’re married to the words or if there is room for improvisation.

Another example is continuity. If you’re directing multiple people in a scene and someone puts down a cup in a certain way, and it’s not there the next scene, it’s so hard in the editing room to match that. So it’s being cognizant of what you do on camera as an actor because you’re going to make the editing in post so much easier.

Make sure to follow Kelly (Instagram) and Caylee (Twitter/Instagram). Learn more about Holiday Twist here.