Max Charles previews Hallmark’s NORTHPOLE

Photo Credit: Lesley Bryce

Photo Credit: Lesley Bryce

Tonight on the The Hallmark Channel, be sure to tune into their all new feature length movie, NORTHPOLE, starring Max Charles, Bailee Madison, Tiffani Thiessen, and Josh Hopkins.  The movie follows Charles’ Kevin as he teams up with Bailee Madison’s Clementine the elf to save Christmas!

I spent time talking with Max about what to expect from the movie and why you should watch!

I loved THE NEIGHBORS so much!
Thanks!  It was a really fun show!

Now you’re starring in this Hallmark movie – tell me about NORTHPOLE!
I play Kevin, and me and my mom, played by Tiffani Thiessen – we move into a new town and we really like Christmas.  IN our old town, everyone really liked Christmas.  They had a big tree ceremony, and in the new town, everybody’s just too busy for Christmas, so Kevin and his new friend, an elf named Clementine, played by Bailee Madison. [She] and Kevin have to try and save Christmas in that town.

Are you a Christmas fan, someone that loved the Christmas aspect?
I really like Christmas – last year, we actually took a train out to the woods, and we cut down our own Christmas tree, and it was like, too tall for the house, and it was leaning against the wall. We had to cut the bottom of it off, so we decorate it ourselves, and it was really cool.

Why do you think that this is a movie that people will really like and will want to watch a million times?
I think they’re going to really like it because it’s a really family-like movie that they can watch with their whole family.  It’s a Christmas movie so everyone in the world will like it!

What was it like working with Bailee Madison?
She was really nice!  Her and her mom were there, and my brother and my mom, we were all there.  Everynight, we would go out and have dinner, have snowball fights and make snow angels. It was really fun.

Where did you shoot?
Up in Canada, in Montreal.  It was 18 below!

It sounds like you’re really staying busy – do you have things you like to do – comedies or dramatic movies?  What is your favorite?
I kind of like switching it up all of the time – doing a bunch of different stuff like movies, TV, voiceover.  They are all really different so they are all really fun.

What was it that made you decide to be an actor?
We were living out in Tennessee, and my brother was doing singing stuff, and he got a call from a producer and said, hey, can you come out to California and do any audition.  I was 5 years old at the time, so I went out with my mom and my brother, and we all went out to California, and I was listening through the door on him doing a couple of auditions, and I really want to do it.  I started begging my mom, “Mom, please let me do it! Please” and she was like, no, no, and she finally let me do it, and now I’ve been doing it for a couple of years!

What else besides NORTH POLE and working on LAB RATS – what are some other things you’re doing?
I actually just did a musical, an animated musical called BUDDY THE ELF.  And I just did a Clint Eastwood directed [movie] called AMERICAN SNIPER.

What’s that like – working with Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood?  Did you learn a lot working with them?
Yeah!  They were really nice.  Clint Eastwood was really calm.  On his set, the whole set was really calm.  Instead of yelling “rolling”, they would all throw their hands up in the air and start making a circle with it, and it was a real fun set to be on.

What are you doing on LAB RATS?
I’m doing a couple of episodes – you’re going to have to wait and watch!

You’ve gotten a chance to work with a lot of big names in your career so far – is there someone you can’t wait to work with?
Well!!!  There’s a lot of great people that are doing this, but I think Johnny Depp would be pretty cool.  I like how he does a bunch of different kinds of roles, and I’d like to do that also!

You’re doing the musical, doing a bit of everything – is music something you want to explore, too?
Yeah!  I think it’s cool to be able to sing and be able to act!

Do you have a chance to watch some TV?  Do you have favorite shows you can’t miss?
Well, after I get all of my school work done, we normally sit down and watch a lot of shows!  I do like DOCTOR WHO, though!

It’s been interesting this season, hasn’t it?
Yeah! It’s a really cool show.

Would you love to get back onto a show, like THE NEIGHBORS, do another series regular role?
I think it would be fun to do everything.  To do all of the stuff that I can!

Tune into NORTH POLE at 8/7c, Saturday, November 15.