Exclusive: Clark Backo On Her Leading Role In Hallmark’s ‘Falling For Look Lodge’
Premiering Saturday, September 26 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Channel, as part of the network’s annual “Fall Harvest” programming event is the romantic film “Falling for Look Lodge,” starring Clark Backo (“Letterkenny,” “Supernatural”) and Jonathan Keltz (“Reign,” “Once Upon a Prince”).
When the activities director at Look Lodge quits, Lily (Backo) seizes the opportunity for a promotion and must immediately entertain a wedding party. While keeping Charmaine (Janice Mendes), her boss and sister, happy, Lily helps the bride’s estranged brother, Noah (Keltz), put his job aside to help plan the wedding and reconnect with his family.
“Falling for Look Lodge” is a MarVista Entertainment presents a Neshama Entertainment Production. Executive producers are Fernando Szew, Hannah Pillemer, Marianne C. Wunch, Arnie Zipursky and Andrew C. Erin. Hayden Babtiste is producer and Sarah Gutierrez is associate producer. Maxwell McGuire directed from a script by Claire Ross Dunn.
For Backo, who has appeared on critically acclaimed TV series such as The CW’s “Supernatural,” Fox’s “The Hot Zone,” Hulu’s “Letterkenny,” the multiple Emmy award-winning series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and Jay Baruchel’s “Random Acts of Violence,” this represents a major step in her acting career as this is a lead role. Upcoming projects include “Happy Place,” directed by Helen Shaver and premiering at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Delmar Washington’s directorial debut “No Running” alongside Taryn Manning and Shane West.
In speaking exclusively with BlackFilmandTV.com, Backo goes her role, the sell of romantic films and getting work during the pandemic.
This is a big role for you. How did it come about?
Clark Backo: This was actually one of those projects that just fell into my lap, thankfully. I had just moved to L.A. I think it was my second day being here, I got a call from my Canadian agent asking me if I wanted to come back to Canada to do a Hallmark film. And usually, Hallmark wouldn’t be my number one choice, but I just am a huge advocate for creating spaces for people of color, where we aren’t usually seen. And though Hallmark is doing such a great job right now in diversifying, which I really respect and admire, I still just felt like being number one on the call sheet for a Hallmark film as a Black woman – especially in an interracial couple within the movie – was really huge, and I wanted to be a part of brining that to the screen. So, when I got the script, I was just like, ‘Why not? Let’s do it. Let’s have fun.’
How would you best describe the character [of Lily] and how do you relate to her?
Clark Backo: She is definitely strong willed. She’s funny and very smart. I definitely would say that I relate to her in the sense that she doesn’t easily open up to love, but in the end, if it’s worth it, she will let herself go for it, and I think that’s what we’ll see Lily do in the movie.
Now the film also deals with siblings and their relationship. Obviously, there’s your character and her sister, and then there’s the brother-sister angle in there, as well. Can you talk about what siblings mean and is there an expectation of one looking out for the other?
Clark Backo: Yeah, definitely. I think, in terms of this film, there’s two versions of siblinghood that we see. When it comes to Lily and Charmain, it’s more, I would say, Lily puts an expectation on herself to try to prove to her older sister, who is also her boss, that she can get the job done. Her number one thing is, ‘I want my sister’s approval.’ And then when it comes to Noah, I think he is trying to figure out how to be a brother again. He’s lost his way a little bit when it comes to being a good sibling, but through falling in love with Lily, he learns again how to open up to his sister.
Hallmark is no stranger to doing a lot of these romantic movies, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or we get a number of Christmas movies. What is the sell, when people see a lot of these romantic films? We know where it’s going to end up at, it’s the matter of how do they get there – the execution of it. What do you look for in these romantic films?
Clark Backo: I like when things don’t work out how they usually do in the movies. What I did appreciate about “Falling for Look Lodge” is that the journey to get there wasn’t as stereotypical as we might usually find in these movies. It’s a hard road ahead for Lily and for Noah. You almost aren’t sure that they’re going to make it, because it almost seems like they don’t like each other at all at times, because they’re both fighting against it. So, I think just a love story where you feel like it’s real life, as opposed to just a fantasy. That’s usually what I go for. I like when it feels real.
It’s not that often that you’re number one on the call sheet. When you appear on every page, how does it feel for you as an actress? It is at any point daunting? It’s one thing if you’re in a supporting role, you come in, you do your scene and get out. When you know you have to be on a set throughout the whole time, does this give you a lot more confidence knowing that, ‘Okay I just got this done, and I did this many pages and I carried it through’ and you’re showing all sorts of ranges?
Clark Backo: Absolutely. I love it. I think it’s where I shine. It was really my second time being number one, but with being number one comes so much responsibility, but also so much more space to feel like you’re able to collaborate and feel confident in collaborating. I’m the type of person where once I get on a set, I want to know everybody’s name, I want to be everybody’s friend, and that’s just a lot easier to do when you’re there every day. So, you get this level of comfort that allows you to play as the character, because you just feel comfortable with everybody. I just like being a part of every department, like when you’re number one or two, or even three, there’s just more say in talking with the wardrobe department, with the hair and makeup department, even just making decisions with the director, so I think I just love the level of responsibility that comes with it.
What’s your takeaway working with this director, knowing you were the lead role, that you can bring onto your next project, whether it’s the lead or not?
Clark Backo: I would say working with Max [Maxwell McGuire] taught me to really just trust myself and more than anything, no matter what the scene is, no matter how physically demanding or emotionally demanding, to just always have fun, because at the end of the day, acting is playtime.
Looking at the role, what’s your best scene that you shot? Obviously, you’re filming a lot and like you said, you’re number one and you’ve got to go through all these scenes, is there any particular take that you liked shooting?
Clark Backo: I don’t know which one I like in the end, I haven’t watched it yet, but I did love filming the pie scene. The more characters involved in a scene the better, because it’s trickier, and I like a challenge. Weirdly, I like spending a lot of time on one scene, so I think just the pie scene, because everyone was there, was the most fun for me.
You mentioned earlier that they wanted you to come back to Canada to film this, and obviously it’s a big role for you and for the woman who played your sister [Janice Mendes], and you’re living in L.A. now. Because everything has changed in terms of the way work is now, because of the pandemic, how do you see the industry shaping up for actresses of color, whether it’s a lead role or a supporting role? Because we don’t know where things stand, but are you finding things, like is work being offered online? Do you have to submit your tapes online?
Clark Backo: It’s definitely been a big change. I haven’t done any in-rooms, so I would say everything has moved to taping. I think it also depends on where you are in the world, because I have some actor friends in Toronto that have been able to get back into the room, but this state isn’t doing the best to keep our numbers low. So, for me it’s been a lot of taping. I’ve been hearing about a lot of straight-to-offers. Then when it comes to being a woman of color – I mean, I can notice some changes in breakdowns, in the language they use that maybe they’re pushing for more diversity. There is a lot more work to be done, before we start seeing people of color actually booking the roles. Showing that you are casting or looking at people of color as an option is very different from actually booking somebody. Or even going before casting, like writers rooms, it’s a big place where we need more diversity, because if you’re writing all-white characters in a movie or in a TV show and then you come to cast and then you decide, ‘Okay, we’ll just make this person open ethnicity and we’ll see what happens, there’s not much thought that goes into that. So, I haven’t seen as much change as I would have wanted, considering everything going on since George Floyd’s murder, but I’m just trying to be patient and create my own work, really.
When people want to see these movies. A lot of times, social media tends to say one thing or another, like “We want to see Black love,” and stuff like that. But interracial love sells just as well, and I think there needs to be an argument for that. What’s your take on it?
Clark Backo: Well, we just so rarely get to see it, so there’s an entire demographic of people that aren’t getting to see themselves on TV or not even. I come from a Cameroonian father and a white-Canadian mother, so I’m mixed race myself, but even though I’ll see mixed-race actors in film and TV, it’s very rare that I get to see my parents’ relationship on TV. It’s really important for the world to see that love has no bounds. Black love is beautiful, and films like Love Jones – all those films – Love and Basketball, they are so beautiful, but I still don’t feel seen in that, and I know that means other people aren’t as well. There’s just so much room to continue to push the boundaries of love in film and television.
“Falling for Look Lodge” premieres Saturday, September 26th at 9p/8c on Hallmark Channel.