Niall Matter on Finding Family and Love in "The Secrets of Bella Vista"

quotAt first you39re not sure what his motives are or how he is kind of tied into the family in the storyquot he continued quotI always like to play characters that have a little bit of something interesting something else going on And it turns out the family in the film means a lot to him So it was definitely having a possible bad element to him that interested me about playing this character for surequotInvite job candidates to apply live during the Media and Advertising Communityamp8217s Black Talent Outreach Week at MediaVillagecom and AdvancingDiversityorg October 1720 Apply for jobssubmit your resume hereIn the film Lefevre portrays Tess Delaney a successful antique dealer with a complicated past Raised by a single mother she never knew her father and has no sense of family given the estranged relationship she shares with her mom So when the news is delivered by an estate executor Damhnaic McAuley Matter that she has inherited half of an apple orchard from a grandfather she never knew it comes as quite a shock As does the news she also inherited a halfsister named Isabel Helena Marie whom she knew nothing about But with the orchard in serious financial trouble the chances of it staying in the family are slim unless Tess can unravel the mystery of her grandmother39s treasure hidden somewhere amidst the orchardMatter wasn39t familiar with the book the film is based upon but was familiar with Kim Arnott the film39s executive producer who is a good friend and a large draw to signing on He was also enticed by the fact the film was more about finding love rather than the traditional fallinginlove story quotWhen you39ve done as many movies as I have with Hallmark you do look for scripts that have a bit of a different element to themquot he shared quotThat39s definitely something The Secrets of Bella Vista has It wasn39t necessarily about falling in love and more about finding love on two different planes not only finding love with a partner but finding love within a family That39s something the lead character had never known so I found that very interesting about the projectquotIt39s something that39s not too uncommonquot he continued quotWith Ancestrycom and these DNA kits people are finding they have family members out there or have halfsiblings they didn39t know about I liked that aspect I39ve been hearing about twins and triplets meeting later in life and it39s amazing these people now have the ability to meet That39s what I loved about the introduction between the two sisters in this movie that first time getting to meet each other was awkward and felt so realquotAfter last portraying Rip Van Winkle Jr Matter admitted it was refreshing to tackle a more subtle character although the role was not without challenges quotI do like the subtler workquot he reflected quotWith a character like Rip amp8230 I mean every actor wants the freedom to make bold choices and try things that pull you out of your comfort zone Fortunately I like to live out of my comfort zone and push myself But I feel playing the subtler character and underplaying things can be just as difficult if not more Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to bring it down and not overshadow what else is going onquotWhile he enjoys exploring the fantasy genre of movies Matter is thrilled to be a part of Hallmark39s new direction of storytelling one emersed in realism along with an expansion of inclusivity As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month this film is perfectly timed quotI loved that the family in this speaks Spanish with subtitlesquot he enthused quotThat was real and a great thing to have As an actor an artist and somebody that39s always very happy working with Hallmark as a company I39m excited about the scripts I see come through They39re evolving and the brand is something I39m excited to be a part of I like the direction these scripts are heading in and it39s been great getting the opportunity to sink my teeth into different types of work within the companyquotCurrently Matter is hard at work on a new Hallmark Media Christmas film details soon to be announced and he39s having a ball quotI find I work a lot with my friends at Hallmarkquot he said in closing quotKim Arnott pulled me into The Secrets of Bella Vista and another really good friend Peter Benson is directing this Christmas movie It also gave me the opportunity to reteam with one of my former costars so I39ve been having nothing but a blast every day while filmingquotThe Secrets of Bella Vista will be telecast Sunday September 18 at 9 pm on Hallmark Movies ampamp Mysteries Click the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Niall Matter on Finding Family and Love in "The Secrets of Bella Vista"

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