
It’s been about a year and a half since I last chatted with Brennan Elliott, and now seemed like a great time to jump on the phone with him again. He’s had a lot going on. Last summer, we saw him in Cedar Cove‘s final season and Lifetime’s juggernaut UnREAL. This past holiday season, he worked with (and for) Mariah Carey in A Christmas Melody, where he reteamed with his All of My Heart co-star, Lacey Chabert, and now he’s moved over to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ newest film franchise, co-starring with Brooke Shields in Flower Shop Mystery.

Flower Shop Mystery is based on a series of 19 books (so far) written by Kate Collins, about Abby Knight, a widowed former attorney (and new empty nester with a daughter at college) who opens a flower shop in her home town and falls into a series of mysteries. Elliott plays her neighboring business owner, Marco Salvare, an ex-military man and ex-PI who owns the bar next door. Mum’s the Word is the first entry and is based on the first book (and adapted by Hallmark regular Gary Goldstein). Elliott says HMM has an ambitious plan to turn each book into a movie.

“[We’re doing] a minimum of 16, a max of 20. I think that 20 would be the whole series. It’s a fun Murder She Wrote meets Moonlighting franchise. Each movie has a murder mystery and case that needs to be solved. [My character] is trying to protect her and be her conscience because I was a private detective,” he explains. “There are elements of Hart to Hart and Murder She Wrote. It’s light and fun, and they’re obviously dealing with serious issues like people being murdered and different crimes, but every episode has the different metaphor about flowers in the title. It’s a real fun relationship detective dramedy. The goal is that each book will be translated into its own film.”
He and Shields had a fantastic time working together, and similar to what Dylan Neal told us last year about Gourmet Detective, the first film is the one to learn by as they find their rhythms and figure out what works and what doesn’t. “[Brooke’s] character has a little bit of Lucille Ball energy, and I’m the manly, sex guy who has come from the world of the war and the private investigator. We’re still developing and creating the banter. The first few movies, you’re getting your feet on the ground. You’re finding your track. Once you get going, you realize Hallmark [wants] and what we all want is the voice of the show, and we’re still finding that.”

He’s about to head back to North Bay, Ontario (standing in for Illinois) to shoot the next film, Snipped in the Bud. “Some of the execs want us to do five a year. We’ll have three done by March. If we do three [a year] for three or four years, and it depends on how the audience and Hallmark responds, [that will be great]. I think the fans are going to have a blast,” he promises. “It’s really a lot of fun. I haven’t worked with Beau [Bridges] yet. I’m looking forward to that. Brooke and I get along great. She’s such a sweetheart, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We’re having a lot of fun together. She’s also an executive producer so she’s really inquisitive and trying to play an element she wants in the show.”

Elliott was as surprised as anyone about the critical darling UnREAL became, and it’s the project he’s approached on the street about. “I’ve been stopped in Beverly Hills and in restaurants. I didn’t see this [coming]. I thought it would be successful, but I didn’t know how much of a nerve it would touch,” he says. “I watch [news reality] shows, but my wife and friends watch [mainstream reality] shows and it was a water cooler show for sure. It’s an exciting and polarizing show.”
“It gets the audience that loves to watch the reality shows, and the people who’ve never really watched reality shows. You’re getting a double audience and a diverse group of viewers. I knew it was going to be successful on some level and I’d be happy to go back. Brooke has something she wants to do April to August [so we’d have a break in Flower Shop Mystery], and they’ve said they’re interested in bringing me back [for season two], and that would be wonderful and I’d love to. [If we can work out scheduling], that would be a wonderful transition.”

Working with Mariah Carey was a treat. “I’d done [All Of My Heart] with Lacey and consider her a very good friend. I’m very,very proud of that movie and what it did. …and the fans are calling for us to do more movie together and were very happy to do that. [A Christmas Melody] came across my desk and Lacey called me and said she’d really love me to do it. And it was that easy. We hadn’t discussed [where, when or contracts] and I hadn’t read the script [yet], and then I heard Mariah was directing and I thought, ‘that’s going to be really interesting,'” he recalls.
“She was sweet, up front, and she knew what wanted, and even amid all the things she has going on, the fact she could focus on our film and be an actor’s director, and really focus, was really inspiring. She’s one of the greatest multi-taskers I’ve ever seen. The first day we had 300 people with signs. It was pretty wild, it became a show within a show. I got the chance to do a little music and some singing. It was a different type of film, and real character for me, playing this unassuming teacher. I don’t think it’s something I would have been cast in a few years ago. I had a great experience.”

Last year’s All of My Heart, which was one of our favorites of 2015 and a fan favorite, recently came out on DVD–a sign of its success. “Everybody involved was such beautiful people. I really am proud of that film. This a testament to Peter [DeLuise],” he points out. “We had the honesty, the romance without being sappy, and we also had a lot of humor and a lot of emotion, too. If Peter calls me to work with him, I’ll work with him any day of the week. He’s [an] actor’s director, and he knows how to find those nuances. I love him. He’s one of the most brilliant directors I have ever worked with.”
Elliott adored working with icon Ed Asner, too. “It’s like Mariah. You walk into a room and you realize you have not lived or experienced anything like he has,” he says. “He’s 93 and he’s kicking it like he’s my age. He’s done it [all]. I soaked him up. I had conversations with him on the plane about life and children and raising kids in the business. He’s a brilliant, brilliant person. He’s so smart and amazing. Lacey and I have said that was one of the proudest projects we worked on.”

Cedar Cove‘s cancellation in November was a surprise and disappointment to the fans and the cast alike. Elliott says he’s only recently been able to sit down between projects and really reflect that his journey as Warren is done, although he doesn’t rule out that maybe someday there could be a follow-up. “With Hallmark, you never know. They listen to their audience. This is what happens in the business. They wanted to go forward, but there are reasons beyond us [that caused it],” he says. “In their defense, they really put their heart and soul behind it. I had one of, if not the, best experience of my career doing that show. It always will be.”
“Everybody [on the show and at the network made it] a wonderful, wonderful experience I would be surprised if down the road they didn’t want to do a movie a year, or here and there, to keep the Covers happy. It’s possible. I would be totally open to it. I think it’s a great idea. I can’t see [leaving it where it was] since it didn’t end the way everybody wanted.”
“I had been so busy I hadn’t had a chance to mourn Warren’s character. I was watching one of the Christmas movies, and I got really sad because I put everything into that character and it’s over, I did three years, so it’s a little different experience. But that’s the business. He’s my favorite character, and my wife’s favorite character, too.”
“All of us have gone on to other Hallmark projects. They know the fans. We’ll all be busy for years to come,” he says. He’s also practical about cancellations as a nature of the show business beast, and points out that it was a still a kinder dismissal than he’d previously encountered with another long-term role. “When I did Strong Medicine for five years, one day I was driving to work [and] I got the call that we were cancelled and they weren’t shooting the rest of the episode,” he remembers. “The hammer can come down at any moment.”
Next up, Elliott is working as a producer and weighing acting opportunities. “I am developing my own series, producing and possibly starring in it,” he says. “It’s a project I’ve been spearheading for about a year and getting the right writing team together. I’m very excited about it. There are a few movies that are interested in me being a part of them, as am I. I’m very busy, and very blessed.”
“My loyalty to Hallmark is solid. They’re one of the greatest class act companies to work for. They do really wonderful content and really care about the audience and family dynamic,” he says. “Their brand is inspiring to me when I do want to produce. We’re in a good place.”

Flower Shop Mystery: Mum’s the Word premieres Sunday at 9/8c on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Elliott will be live Tweeting during the East Coast and West Coast feeds with #MumsTheWord. I really liked the film, and I definitely want to see more of these characters so I’m happy this is the start of another series of films. Eagle-eyed fans will also recognize a few familiar faces sprinkled throughout the cast. As I’ve said recently about some of the other new Hallmark releases, I’m really enjoying, and genuinely appreciate, that there are more films coming down the pike with characters firmly in their 30s and 40s. Here’s a sneak peek.
Heather M
Related posts
1 Comment
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Classics
George R. Olson, Tim Rozon, and Sarah Levy Talk the SurrealEstate S2 Finale
[Spoilers for the SurrealEstate Season 2 finale.] How’s everyone doing after the finale? As we close out the second season of SurrealEstate, some of our merry band of misfits are scattering to the winds–Zooey to law school, Phil to the Vatican, and Augie back to his think tank with Rochelle,…
Previewing SurrealEstate Season 2 Finale + Revisiting the Season with George R. Olson
[Warning; General spoilers ahead.] Strap in, SurrealEstate fam, because we’ve arrived at the Season 2 finale, and it’s a doozy. As we saw in the closing moments of last week’s episode, Susan is back. But because we have one more episode left, it’s not as simple as all that, as…
Tyler Hynes Talks Through His Eight-Film Hallmark Holiday Library
Things you realize when you have to re-record your shows on a new DVR – just how many Hallmark movies your people have done. Fan favorite – and one of ours – Tyler Hynes has done eight Christmas movies for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries since 2018. Alongside…
Spencer Creaghan Talks About Creating SurrealEstate’s Signature Sound
SurrealEstate is winding down its second season, with two episodes left, and just as in Season 1, Spencer Creaghan’s music continues to be a character unto itself. And every week, he shares tidbits with the fans via his s social media channels, something he started to help give them an…
Andrew Walker Talks Christmas Island and the Magical Hallmark Community
[Warning: Spoilers for Christmas Island.] Now that the Screen Actors Guild strike has been resolved, we’re able to resume regularly scheduled programming and interview our favorites and yours. Up first, earlier today, I spoke with Andrew Walker about Christmas Island, which premiered last weekend and encores tonight and through the…
George Olson and Danishka Esterhazy Talk SurrealEstate “I Put a Spell on You”
[Warning: Spoilers for the episode.] Tonight’s fun new SurrealEstate found Luke caught up in an especially bewitching woman, Kay, played by Tara Yelland, Susan trapped in her house, and Zooey learning the ropes. In the next part of my conversation with showrunner George R. Olson and producing director Danishka Esterhazy,…
Danishka Esterhazy Talks SurrealEstate: “The Butler Didn’t”
[Warning: General spoilers for the episode]. Tonight’s new SurrealEstate, “The Butler Didn’t,” follows the team as they investigate the years-earlier mysterious death of a woman whose ghost now reenacts her hanging by dropping over the banister from the second floor to terrify anyone on the landing or at the bottom…
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk the From Season 2 finale
[Warning: Spoilers for the season finale.] How’s everyone doing after that finale? While we wait and wonder and hope for a third season announcement, soon, here’s what Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders had to say about their parts of the finale, and where they hope they get to go next….
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk From Season 2 + A Season Finale Preview
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] It all comes down this, #FROMily. As Sunday’s episode wraps up Season 2, we begin with the aftermath of the terrifying onset of seemingly simultaneous attacks on Julie, Marielle, and Randall, which accelerate the “We gotta get out of this place” of it all. Sara comes…
Alison Sweeney Talks About What’s Next for Hannah and Mike After Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
[Warning: Spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder.] Everybody OK after that Hannah Swensen Mystery twist? Thankfully, our favorite crime-solving couple is still on speaking term, even if they’re on a break (hopefully not that kind of break). Most importantly, we already know this isn’t the last film in the series. No…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…
I am a fan of Brennan Elliott I first saw him on Strong Medicine so I know his work. I love anything he ‘s in.