Cindy Busby and Jilon VanOver in CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS | ©2022 Great American Family
In CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS, premiering Sunday December 11 on Great American Family at 8:00pm ET/5:00 pm PT, Cindy Busby stars as Madison Little. Madison works at a New York hotel, where she’s quietly falling for coworker Sebastian (Jilon VanOver). Madison came to New York to further her promising singing career, but paralyzing stage fright has quashed those dreams.
Still, when there’s an opportunity to perform at the hotel’s Christmas gala, Sebastian pushes Madison to audition. Then Madison’s family become convinced that Sebastian is really the enigmatic crown prince of the nation of Luxenworth. Since it will mean so much to her parents and little sisters, Madison persuades Sebastian to pretend to really be the prince for the Littles’ Christmas Eve gathering. What Madison doesn’t know (although Sebastian has tried to tell her) is that her fake prince is in fact the real thing.
Busby, originally from Montreal, Canada, has a career that spans everything from TV horror (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, SUPERNATURAL) to comedy (PSYCH, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID) to drama (PROOF, CEDAR COVE) to thrillers (WHITE RAVEN) to musicals (HONEY GIRLS). She has also done quite a few Christmas-themed romances, including A HEARTLAND CHRISTMAS, A PUPPY FOR CHRISTMAS, RUNAWAY CHRISTMAS BRIDE, CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES, A CHRISTMAS IN ROYAL FASHION, A GODWINK CHRISTMAS: MEANT FOR LOVE, TOYING WITH THE HOLIDAYS, and JOY FOR CHRISTMAS.
In an exclusive interview, Busby discusses playing the lead in a tale of a Christmas that brings love and song to her character.
ASSIGNMENT X: What are some of the key things you’ve learned about Christmas, while filming this and other Christmas movies?
CINDY BUSBY: That Christmas is so much more than gifts, Santa, and a tree. It’s about coming together and helping each other grow and giving back to our communities. It’s a wonderful time of the year, but it can also be a very challenging time of the year for a lot of people and these movies bring so much joy and peace to those who watch them. Most of all, Christmas is about love, spreading love, and celebrating all kinds of love!
Cindy Busby and Jilon VanOver in CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS | ©2022 Great American Family
AX: You’ve made at least one movie featuring a prince/Christmas storyline before. What do you think it is that makes these prince/Christmas movies such a popular subgenre?
BUSBY: I think audiences love the fantasy and extravagance of being a royal. Stories of a “regular person” falling in love with a prince, like the Meghan and Harry love story, are fascinating to watch. Then you add all those Christmas decorations and the Christmas spirit, and you’ve got yourself a magical movie formula.
AX: Did you have to learn how to do anything in order to play Madison, about hotel work, Christmas carols, or anything else?
BUSBY: Playing Madison Little was so much fun and quite the challenge. Singing is a big part of the character and the movie, so I worked really hard on learning all the lyrics to the Christmas carols and my vocals. A lot of voice work went on behind the scenes in preparation for shoot. I’m sure my neighbors were probably tired of hearing me sing Christmas songs in September [laughs].
AX: Do you sing independently of acting?
BUSBY: I absolutely love singing, but it’s always been more of a hobby for me. I studied it in theater school and I’ve done voice lessons too, but it’s more for fun, and something I do when no one’s watching. I find singing to be a very vulnerable experience, which makes me feel nervous when I have to do it in front of people, but getting out of my comfort zone was exactly what drew me to this project, and I’m so happy with how it all turned out.
Cindy Busby and Jilon VanOver in CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS | ©2022 Great American Family
AX: Is there anything distinctive for you about CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS that feels different from the other romcoms/Christmas movies you’ve done in the past?
BUSBY: Singing [in a movie] was certainly a new thing for me. That’s something audiences will be surprised by. I also love the chemistry that my costar Jilon VanOver and I have. There are some great comedic moments in this one, too.
AX: Did you and Jilon VanOver have any time to work on the relationship between your characters?
BUSBY: Yes. Jilon and I spent a lot of time going over the script together, along with our director, Anthony C. Ferrante, before we started shooting the movie. We also talked over our characters’ relationship and ran lines together in the greenroom in between scenes and any chance we had. Jilon is someone who really loves to get deep in the work and wants to have clarity in everything he’s doing, so we worked very well in that regard. I love it when I get to work with such a talented and collaborative actor. It makes the experience so much easier and more fun.
Cindy Busby and Jilon VanOver in CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS | ©2022 Great American Family
AX: What do you feel the key is to creating chemistry in a film like this?
BUSBY: Have fun, laugh, and get to know one another. Connection is so important for actors to portray the story truthfully on screen, and in this movie, we had plenty of it.
AX: How was shooting September for December in New York?
BUSBY: Shooting in Buffalo, New York in September was perfect, because it wasn’t too hot. Oftentimes, these Christmas movies are shot in the summer, so wearing winter clothes can be a little challenging because of the sweating [laughs]. It was also the beginning of football season so I got to see the city’s excitement for their team. Go Bills!
AX: What would you most like people to know about CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS?
Larry Shagawat, Cindy Busby, Nancy Harding, Sarah Helbringer, Kelly Mulvihill in CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS | ©2022 Great American Family
BUSBY: There was a lot of hard work that went into making this Christmas movie behind the scenes, especially from our crew members. You may not see them on camera, but there would be no movie without them! We had a ton of fun making this movie, and we hope you enjoy it.
Related: Exclusive Interview with actor Jeff K. Kim on new Christmas movie CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS
Related: Exclusive Interview with Nancy Harding on new Christmas movie CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS
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Article: Exclusive Interview with actress Cindy Busy on her new Christmas romcom CROWN PRINCE OF CHRISTMAS
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