Talking With Will Blagrove about holiday film “The Christmas Classic”

This edition of Talking With focuses on actor Will Blagrove, who brings a fun-spirited, Caribbean vibe to the slopes in the new holiday film “The Christmas Classic.”

Currently streaming on all major platforms, the film centers around a woman attempting to secretly return to her hometown, buy up the local ski resort, and get out of town before her crazy family catches her. Of course, that doesn’t happen, and she is forced to stay for Christmas and deal with her family, including Akeem Baptiste (Will Blagrove), a Caribbean native married to her kooky aunt.

In addition to Will, the cast includes Malin Akerman, Amy Smart, Ryan Hansen and Pamela Witte, who plays his wife.

Will is definitely a recognizable face. He’s worked with Amy Schumer on her Paramount+ series “Inside Amy Schumer,” and Hulu’s “Life & Beth.” He recurred as Keith Michaels on the CW’s “Black Lightning,” and appeared on “Quantico,” “Broad City,” “Mysteries of Laura,” “Law & Order SVU,” and “Gossip Girl.” His film credits include Lionsgate’s “Divergent,” “How Do You Know” with Paul Rudd, and starred in the indie drama, “Cost of a Soul.”

To learn more, we are Talking With Will Blagrove:

What can you tell us about “The Christmas Classic”?

WILL BLAGROVE: It’s a fun filled ride about family during the holidays. Figuratively AND literally. We also shot it in New Mexico and the people were great!

As an actor, what helped you the most in bringing Akeem Baptiste to life?

WB: I hired Bridgett Jackson to be my dialect coach on this project, and she was amazing in helping me find the nuances of an accent from the island of St. Vincent. She’s also the dialect coach for Oprah’s new television show “Black Cake”, so she came highly recommended and did not let me down.

There seems to be great chemistry with all of the cast. Was the film as fun in-between takes and it appears on-screen?

WB: Yes! Pamela Witte and I connected immediately when we started rehearsing scenes, and we knew immediately it would be easy to work off of each other. We both have a theater background, and I think that helped with being able to improv on the spot, because you’re used to anything happening on a stage at any moment. It was a lot of fun working with everyone. My opening scene was with Ryan Hansen, and we were laughing so much between takes, the director said we’re going to have to have a buddy comedy with Akeem and Randy (Ryan’s character). We all just really clicked. We even all went bowling together, after we wrapped the movie.

Do you have a favorite scene from the movie? And, was it also your favorite to shoot?

WB: I’d say the sled scene was my favorite scene to shoot, because the set designer created these carboard sort of bobsled’s and growing up Jamaican, the bobsled team was a big deal, so it was just a lot of fun to go flying down that slope. My favorite scene is when Akeem goes snowboarding for the first time because a lot of that dialogue was improv!

Do you do anything special to celebrate the holidays personally?

WB: I usually go home for the holidays and spend it with my family. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday!

You’ve also been working a lot with Amy Schumer lately; tell us about that.

WB: I did a Super Bowl commercial with Amy Schumer the year before last, and it’s been a game changer. We became friends on set, and realized we had a ton of mutual friends, and also went to the same acting conservatory in New York at the same time, but just never met until we ended up shooting a Hellmann’s commercial. It was wild. Since then, I’ve worked with her on multiple TV shows. I have a recurring role on Hulu’s “Life & Beth”, and I got to play her husband in an episode of the Emmy winning comedy “Inside Amy Schumer.”

Where do you start when preparing for a role; and does that change depending on the genre?

WB: It definitely changes depending on the genre. But if the character has an accent, I typically like to do something that connects me to where that person is from, like go that area or eat the food of that character’s culture, something that grounds me in something real that I can recall, thru experience. I learned a lot about the 9 Mornings Festival for Akeem. Obviously diving into the script is key in the beginning as well, but I also find that paying more attention to what the other characters say about mine or how they regard him, is telling as well. I loved playing Akeem, because St. Vincent has such a different sound from what I’m accustomed to, growing up with a Jamaican and British upbringing, so making sure I honored the nuances was very important to me. Most people may not notice it, since both are Caribbean, but like any actor you strive to both honor the text and the people you represent.

What inspires you the most creatively?

WB: I’m probably the most inspired by stories that connect people, bring them together, and make you think. I’ve always loved movies and was inspired to become an actor from watching films. I still get goosebumps while watching a great feature, to be more creative and continue to pursue my dream.

Finally, is there anything else coming up we can watch for?

WB: Next up I’ll be in Amazon Freevee’s TV show “American Rust” starring Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney. Then I’ll be appearing in an indie movie titled “Thirsty” with Kyra Sedgwick. It’s been a busy year but getting a chance to go to the movie theater and see myself in “The Christmas Classic” was a nice holiday treat.

Meanwhile, I’ll be watching it again with my family soon since it’s now available on all the streaming platforms!

Connect with Will Blagrove at WillBlagrove.com Instagram: @willblagrove FB: /WillBlagrove X: @willblagrove