BEVERLY HILLS, CA–If you spot Tom Cavanagh on the streets of Toronto today, wish him luck. The former Ed star is competing in an Iron Man marathon Sunday, a challenge he’s tackling along with a bunch of his Queens University pals who are also turning 40 this year.
Cavanagh looked in shape at press tour a few days ago when he joined fellow Canuck Gil Bellows and Faith Ford at a TCA cable session panel. All three are starring in the upcoming Hallmark Channel TV-movie Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas, one of a gazillion holiday movies the family-friendly channel has commissioned for its post-Thanksgiving schedule.
Like a lot of Hallmark fare, the movie was shot in Vancouver. Shooting a Christmas movie in the summer made snow scenes a challenge, but director Michael Scott says they worked around it. “Luckily there are lots of ice rinks in the area, so we collect the snow, we lay it out, and hopefully it lasts long enough for the scene.” As Scott says, “they’re very experienced in Vancouver at creating snow scenes in the summer. So we’ve done it quite a bit, and it works quite well.”
Cavanagh did his best to keep the rather straight-laced Hallmark sessions light. Asked to name his favourite Christmas film, he did his best Jimmy Stewart impression: “Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls. Merry Christmas you old Building and Loan. Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter.”
Bellow’s favourite holiday movie is a little less Wonderful: Bad Santa.
Cavanagh does a series of free comedy podcasts with Michael Ian Black called Mike & Tom Eat Snacks. Basically they sit around and eat and goof on stuff. You can find them here.
