There are a whopping 36 principal cast members in Hallmark’s new series “Holidazed,” but actress Erin Cahill thinks she might be the luckiest of them all.
On November 14, 2024 — launch day for the long-awaited series on Hallmark+, which chronicles the lives of six families who live on the same cul-de-sac — Cahill told Heavy that she felt incredibly fortunate to be present for the whole two-and-a-half-month shoot in late 2022.
“I got so lucky,” Cahill said. “I got to meet and work with everybody, and I was the only actor that got to do that. It was such a gift.”
But despite the fact that cast members were always coming and going on for much of the shoot, Cahill said that their showrunners ensured they’ve become a family offscreen, with texts flying on their group chat as “Holidazed” finally launches into the world.
Erin Cahill Calls Herself the ‘Luckiest TV Mom Ever’
HallmarkErin Cahill, Ian Harding, and Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez in Hallmark’s series, “Holidazed”
Though the characters’ stories intertwine throughout the eight episodes of “Holidazed,” Cahill said the script didn’t call for all 36 actors to appear in every episode. That meant many of the show’s stars — which include Loretta Devine, Noemi Gonzalez, Virginia Madsen and John C. McGinley — got to go home at different points.
But Cahill, who plays a single mom and the town sheriff, had the opportunity to shadow one of the directors throughout the shoot, which she would do when she wasn’t filming one of her primary episodes or doing smaller scenes in others. She said that allowed her to bond offscreen with cast members she didn’t have many onscreen moments with like Dennis Haysbert, of whom she said, “He’s, like, such a buddy now. I love him so much!”
Cahill also fell head over heels for with child actor Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, who plays her son in “Holidazed” and also appears in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” now in theaters.
“That boy is honestly, he’s a miracle,” Cahill gushed. “He’s the sweetest. His dads have done such a beautiful job. He’s just the kindest boy, and is so smart and so talented.”
Marveling at how quickly Billingsley-Rodriguez followed the directors’ guidance, nailed his lines and repeatedly made Cahill cry during a monologue he gives in the second episode, she said, “I’m the luckiest TV mom ever.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Cahill said getting to play opposite “Pretty Little Liars” alum Ian Harding as her onscreen love interest in “Holidazed” was a dream.
“Ian Harding, don’t get me started,” she laughed. “What a dreamboat. He is, personally and professionally, like everybody’s favorite person. If you meet Ian, you will love him. If you work with him? Like, you just pinch yourself.”
Erin Cahill Has a Packed Schedule But Would Love to Film a Second Season of ‘Holidazed’
GettyErin Cahill and Paul Freeman attend The Hollywood Reporter’s Oscar Nominees Night at Spago on March 07, 2022 in Beverly Hills.
Cahill’s new series marks the beginning of an incredibly busy holiday season for her, which includes heading to the Bahamas on November 17 aboard Hallmark’s second sold-out Christmas Cruise, attending the first Hallmark Christmas Experience weekend that begins on November 29, starring in a sequel to her 2023 Hallmark hit “Christmas on Cherry Lane,” and heading to Europe to cheer on her singer/songwriter husband Paul Freeman, who performs under the stage name Welsh Wolf.
Married since 2016, the couple loves supporting each others’ work. Cahill told Heavy that Freeman called her on the morning “Holidazed” debuted to wish her a “happy premiere day” and that she was thrilled to wish him a “happy release day,” since he released a new single — “When You Cry” — on the very same day.
As for 2025, Cahill plans to continue her philanthropic work, with designs on building a school in Senegal early in the year, and focusing on acting and producing, she told Heavy.
“I’ve got a bunch of stuff in development, so that’s kind of what I’m focused on right now,” she said. “I could see myself directing one day. I just I love it all.”
As for whether a second season of “Holidazed” is possible, Cahill said she’s keeping her fingers crossed that viewers love it and Hallmark wants to continue the stories.
“We’ve heard rumors but you never know, so fingers crossed,” Cahill said, acknowledging that it might be difficult to get the entire cast back. “But I would do it in a heartbeat, with so much gratitude.”
The first two episodes of “Holidazed” are available to stream on Hallmark+, with new episodes dropping each Thursday through Christmas Eve.
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This article was originally published on Heavy.com
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