Look out, Hollywood - two new Vancouver Island stars are born.
A pair of 14-month-old Qualicum Beach twins will share the spotlight alongside Chesapeake Shores actor Robert Buckley in a Hallmark Christmas movie this holiday season.
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls, filmed in Victoria, follows the story of Mike Mitchell (Buckley) and Brandon Mitchell (Johnathan Bennett) as they compete to see who can decorate the best Christmas house.
Mother to the twins, Erica Horsfield Woodruff, said her daughters (Baylee and Charlee) share the role as BennettB次元官网网址檚 newly adopted infant daughter.
B次元官网网址淏abies only get 15 minutes maximum on set at a time B次元官网网址 with a total work day of four hours, allowing for nap times, feeding times and all that,B次元官网网址 said Woodruff. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why they use twins predominantly, so that one twin can come for the first four hours and then the other twin comes in for the second four hours.B次元官网网址
She said the production company, , was very good at allowing her daughters the time and space they needed while on set.
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Although Baylee and Charlee are twins, they are not identical.
B次元官网网址淭hey look nothing alike, believe it or not. But apparently, in movies thatB次元官网网址檚 OK,B次元官网网址 their mother said with a chuckle. B次元官网网址淥ne of them has a bit more hair, but theyB次元官网网址檙e in toques most of the time because itB次元官网网址檚 Christmas. And I thought they might not want my kids because one of them has more hair than the other, but no.B次元官网网址
Woodruff learned that on some film sets, multiple and sometimes unrelated babies are hired to play the same character.
The Christmas House 2 shoot took approximately six weeks in September and October, and the twins were on set for about seven days.
B次元官网网址淭hey absolutely loved being on set,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淎t first I thought, B次元官网网址榦h, itB次元官网网址檒l just be a fun story for them when theyB次元官网网址檙e older, IB次元官网网址檒l tell them they were in this movie. And then they fell in love with it.B次元官网网址
She said her girls seemed to enjoy the hustle and bustle of an active set, but especially the all-day yogurt and muffin snacks provided. And although the twins were not required to perform a special skill while on-screen, their good behaviour was appreciated.
B次元官网网址淭he director came up to me and said: B次元官网网址業 donB次元官网网址檛 think your kids are real! They havenB次元官网网址檛 messed up a shot with crying B次元官网网址 whenever we put a camera six inches from their face for a closeup, theyB次元官网网址檙e just all smiley and happy,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址 said Woodruff.
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The hardest part for their mother, however, was keeping the girls busy off-screen.
B次元官网网址淏eing a mom of twins is busy and difficult on its own, but the most challenging part was making sure theyB次元官网网址檙e napped and fed,B次元官网网址 she said.
Woodruff first learned of the casting callout after being tagged in a Facebook post and she then sent a background actor casting agent photos of her daughters. However, by the end, they were hired as principal actors.
With the roaring success of their first film behind them, Baylee and Charlee will also appear in the sequel to B次元官网网址檚 The Bad Seed, filmed in Langley for approximately four weeks in November and December. Given that they were on set for nine days, Woodruff imagines her twins will get more screen time in their second movie appearance.
From The Bad Seed sequel, Vancouver talent agency recently signed Baylee and Charlee, allowing for more possible acting opportunities in the future.
B次元官网网址淲ho knows what theyB次元官网网址檒l want to do when they get older. But weB次元官网网址檙e totally open to it. As long as they keep enjoying it, weB次元官网网址檒l keep supporting it,B次元官网网址 said Woodruff, adding that all the money her daughters make gets put into a savings account for college. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e just working for themselves to do whatever they want to in the future.B次元官网网址
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls premieres Saturday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. (PST) on the Hallmark Channel and W Network.
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