These Two TV Stars Are Making Their Hallmark Channel Debut

Fans of hit TV shows Scandal and Roswell are going to find two very familiar faces making their Hallmark debut this Saturday in Love, Take Two. Heather Hemmen and Cornelius Smith Jr. play old flames that cross paths once again in a very interesting way. Hemmen’s character Lily is a successful producer of a wedding centered reality show and when a couple pulls out at the last minute, the replacement couple happens to include a groom she already knows—her college sweetheart, Scott, played by Smith Jr. And of course, old sparks are rekindled, and the two former love-birds are left to rethink their choices.

Love, Take Two is the first Hallmark film for both actors and they are both very excited to be a part of the Hallmark Family. “As far as working with Hallmark and that team for the first time, it could not have been easier, or a {more} well-oiled machine to just step into. I felt very, very supported and encouraged,” Hemmen said. Smith Jr. echoed those sentiments, as well as a shared excitement about departing their usually dramatic roles for a light-hearted romantic comedy. “I love telling all kinds of stories and rom-comes are sometimes the best because you get the best of both worlds. You get something that touches your heart but also makes a smile and makes you feel good and all warm on the inside,” he said.

They also both really loved filming in picturesque Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Several scenes were filmed in the nearby town of Squamish, British Columbia. Getting to their location required a gondola ride. In the movie, it’s a gorgeous ride. But for Hemmens, whom is very afraid of heights, this was a serious challenge. “It was about 15 minutes long, so you’re climbing the entire time. And that first time I got in with one of my castmates. I was terrified. And she was comforting me.” With that reassurance, Hemmens made it to the top, the first day. “The next day, we went to shoot there, and I can’t remember if I was going for a costume change or what, but I got dumped into the gondola by myself. And I’m just on this long ride up the mountain, hyperventilating. And I really just had to get over it…About 10 minutes into the ride I started doing some stretches, and yoga and looking out the window…In the middle of a shoot, I ended up conquering one of my own fears.”

On camera, you’d never be able to tell that she was afraid. Total pro!

Smith Jr. had his own behind the scenes secret. During filming he was on a very limiting anti-inflammatory diet. “No sugar, no gluten, no beans, tomatoes, peppers, wheat, no anything! My diet was so specific and so lean, and I relayed that to the production, and they were so kind to accommodate me,” he said. When you watch the movie, you will see that characters Lily and Scott eat in several scenes. In one instance, they are eating pizza. “Little known fact, I had my own special pizza. Everybody else had regular pizza and I had special pizza. It was a vegan pizza…and it was delicious. Heather tried to make fun of me, and she thought it was weird that I ordered salmon and chicken on my pizza. She was like, ‘who does that?’ And then she tried it…I think she liked it,” he explained. In another scene the cast are tasting wedding cake and although you won’t be able to tell, Smith Jr. had a very special section of the cake that was swapped out. In place of the cake everyone else was eating, was a section of vegan cake. Movie magic!

This movie is the latest in the network’s June Weddings line-up that already gave us Wedding at Graceland and Wedding March 5. Weddings being the central theme, we asked the stars about their own ideas about their dream celebrations and the ultimate gift.

Hemmen, not yet married, said that filming the outdoor wedding scenes for this movie helped her realize what she wants when it’s time for her to walk down that aisle. “I think I do want to get married outdoors. It doesn’t have to be on a beach. It doesn’t have to be in the mountains. I just want a great view and sunshine, and lots of flowers.”

Smith Jr. married his wife in a destination wedding in Mexico that had them celebrating with their loved ones for several days. He said that for him and his wife, this multi-day celebration was just right for them. “My best advice is to cherish and have an experience as opposed to a moment…Take it one day at a time and don’t get too stressed out…The other person is more important than the experience and as long as you kind of keep that center of why and who you’re doing this for, I think you’ll be ok.”

When were asked if they, like the characters in the movie, would ever get married on a reality show, both actors emphatically said no. Or as Smith Jr. said, “Hecky-nah. Absolutely not. That’s not my cup of tea.” Hemmens agreed. “Not only would I not get married on a TV show, I would not date, I would not get engaged, I’m a very private person when it comes to my personal life. But I have to say I love watching other people do it. I love The Bachelor, Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise,” she admitted, but she said that like her character, she’d prefer to be behind the camera when it comes to reality shows.

Hemmens also knows exactly what will make it on her registry when she gets engaged. “If I was getting married, everyone is welcome to get me anything Le Crueset, anything from Williams Sonoma, any of the big KitchenAid mixers. I love to cook so anything big and high tech for the kitchen is a great wedding gift.”

Her co-star’s thoughts on gifts are more theoretical. “I think the perfect gift is really anything you put thought in and it comes from your heart…I think if it comes from that place of, that intention of celebration, and supporting, and just wanting to honor someone with a gift, then you can’t go wrong because it’s the intentions of the heart that speak the loudest.”

WATCH: Hey Y'all Hallmark Movie Marathon

Tune-in to Love, Take Two, premiering Saturday, June 15th. If you love these two, be sure to catch Heather Hemmens in season one of Roswell on Netflix and Cornelius Smith Jr. will have a feature film out in the next year called Against All Enemies.