What can viewers expect?
“The Winter Palace” is an adorable romantic comedy set at wintertime, of course.
My character is Emily Miller.
I’m a writer, a novelist, and I have total writer’s block.
I cannot write to save my life, suddenly.
She’s like, “Look, we need a house manager.
We need somebody just to go up there and just care take [of] the house.
You’ll love it.”
I’m like, “Great.”
So I go up there.
First morning after I wake up in the morning, someone knocks on the door.
I’m like, “Who is this?”
And she tells me, there’s this family who owns the house.
They’re a European wealthy family.
And they never go there.
Well, sure enough, they show up.
And it’s not just a European family.
They’re a royal family, and the prince himself is there.
So now I’m working for this royal family while I’m trying to write.
It’s a great, really fun setup.
And of course, it’s a romantic comedy, so a lot of really funny things happen.
So what attracted you to this role and to this project?
I love a good royal story.
I mean, like every little girl growing up, I lovedCinderellaand just fantasies.
And my costar and I, Neal Bledsoe, we had so much fun.
The entire cast was amazing, everyone with their British accents, except for me, of course.
It was one of the most creatively fulfilling roles I’ve ever played.
It was just such a great collaboration on the set.
And the prince is in a … he’s about to become king.
And so, he’s dealing with his own stuff.
And we end up kind of being exactly what the other one needs in the most unexpected ways.
So what was it like working with him again?
Oh, it was fantastic.
And the last movie was on Hallmark Channel.
This one’s GAC Family.
And then getting to bring in Neal to the mix.
It was just really, really satisfying and fun.
And I’m just thrilled.
I cannot wait for people to see it.
So are there any on-set memories that stand out for you?
There are so many.
I mean, Neal is hilarious.
He should be in improv, like a stand-up comedian or something.
There was this one time, where there was this little fluff on his scarf.
And he’s like, “But now I’m in love with you!”
And he took this snowball and he got down in one knee.
And it was just hilarious.
There were so many moments like that, where we just laughed so hard.
It was like, “Wait, we should be making a movie right now.”
We were just having a great time.
Holiday movies are special for Danica McKellar
Nice!
You’re also known for doing a lot of Christmas movies.
So how did you get into that?
Well, the thing is, the Christmas movies, that’s a big event, right?
But the romantic comedies go all year round.
Really, what we want is that warm fuzziness.
And I think around Christmastime, we all allow ourselves to spend more time feeling warm and fuzzy.
And of course, “The Winter Palace” happens in the snow.
And so, it has almost a kind of a Christmasy feeling.
We all miss Christmas as soon as it’s done.
So this is a way to kind of reclaim some of that warm and fuzzy nostalgic feeling.
So what other future projects do you have planned with GAC Family?
And it’s just a fantastic fun exercise and art form all at once.
So that’s in the works.
But I can’t say anything else.
I’m just going to be really mysterious with you.
Well, people will be keeping their eyes open!
What are your thoughts about the new show?
I think they’re doing an amazing job.
It’s a very different show, but it’s a great show.
But Fred Savage’s character would be worried about, “Should I call that girl or not?”
And that’s the headline news, and it’s such a fun premise for a show.
And to take it into a totally different environment with different types of issues is brilliant.
I really feel like it’s a great way to look at the world.
Would you consider doing a cameo in the new show?
If it’s appropriate for it.
I mean, I wouldn’t want to be a distraction, but sure.
I mean, if they wanted me to do something, I would absolutely be on board.
I don’t think that we’ll ever do that throw in of revival.
Speaking to nostalgia again, there’s something that you want to preserve sometimes about memories.
It’s such a different show.
What are you going to call it?"
He’s like, “Well, ‘The Wonder Years.'”
Then yes, it’s perfect.
And maybe we’ll get a 12-year-old girl at some point.
They’ll get over it."
And they don’t have real concerns.
They don’t have real-life worries.
And they meant something, and they were worthwhile and worth looking at and honoring."
That show honored a kid’s feelings in a way that most people don’t, I think.
I really appreciate your time.
So on my Instagram Live, we’re doing a party.
And my birthday was Monday.
So we’re doing a virtual birthday party-slash-watch party, and I hope people tune in.
And that’s 4:00 Pacific, 7:00 Eastern for the watch party on Instagram Live.
So that’s something to check out as well.
There’s lots of really fun content.
And this week, I’m doing something called “The Winter Palace, Winter Games” onmy socials.
So I hope people will check it out.
So where could people find you on Instagram?
What’s your handle?
I’m just@danicamckellar.
Sounds like a great party.
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
