TV Movie Goodness Interview: Luke Macfarlane Talks Hallmark Movie Channel’s The Memory Book 

OK. Full disclosure kids. I’m new to Luke Macfarlane. Brothers & Sisters wasn’t my jam, so when his name popped up in The Memory Book, I got to Googling. He’s had a whirlwind 12 months, y’all.

Last summer, he shot a season of a Canadian sitcom called Satisfaction, last month he popped up in The Night Shift, and then this weekend, he’s on our screens for Hallmark Movie Channel. We caught up with him for a quick chat while he was in Illinois, driving cross-country (his tenth such tip) to Toronto for his next gig, Syfy’s Killjoys. We talked about The Memory Book, his super busy year, and what’s next.

Macfarlane loved working on The Memory Book. He joked that the film allowed him to put his canoeing skills to the test. Similar to what Meghan Ory said in our interview yesterday, the two became fast friends. Macfarlane attributes that easy vibe to their camaraderie as Canadians.  “We got along really well. We both have a sort of practicality where we feel very lucky to be in this business and we take everything as a blessing. We enjoyed the process,” he says. “I really did have so much fun on this movie, and that’s not always the case. I had a blast.”

The positioning of the film as a mystery and romance wasn’t completely clear to him until they got into production. “I didn’t read it as a mystery and then I had a conversation with Paul [Kaufman] and he said Hallmark really loves mysteries and we’re doing this mystery,” he recalls. “I thought that was perfect. So many love stories are a mystery.”

His favorite moment was goosing the director during a scene shot in the car. “[He] had to be crouched down in the backseat. Rarely is the director in a very uncomfortable position,” he explains. “So we had a lot of fun–accelerating a little bit too much or braking a little too much.”

Macfarlane had a one-and-done episode earlier this month on The Night Shift, which was just renewed for NBC. He said there are no official plans for him to return, but he’d love to go back. “I got a very nice e-mail from the producer politely poking about,” he shares. “It depends on when they shoot it and the NBC Universal family. I had a blast with that show. I was very pleased that it found an audience.”

His next project, Killjoys (which was just announced by Syfy), comes from Temple Street, the minds that brought us Orphan Black and will be showrun by Michelle Lovretta, who created Lost Girl. “Again, [a] totally, tonally-different project,” he laughs. “[It’s] a bit like Firefly. I’m really excited about it. I really like the [producers] and upon meeting them, I said, ‘You guys are way too young to be this successful.'”

We asked about which type of project feeds him most, since he’s run the gamut the last year, and he said drama is where his heart most lies. “You’re always scratching itches in places that you didn’t know you had them. I do like drama–that’s where I feel most comfortable,” he says. “I got into acting because I didn’t know entirely what I wanted to do, but I’m figuring it out as I’m going along. I do love the long form and TV. The last year has been very weird with all the different projects.”

We’re definitely looking forward to Killjoys coming this winter.

The Memory Book airs tonight at 9/8c on Hallmark Movie Channel. In case you missed it, click here for our preview and here for our exclusive interview with Meghan Ory.