Aimee Garcia is Birdie Case and Paul Campbell is Alden in THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE: DEATH IS LISTENING | ©2024 Hallmark
The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel found such an enthusiastic audience for 2023’s THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE that they’re back this year with a sequel, THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE: DEATH IS LISTENING. The new telefilm premieres on the channel on Friday, September 13.
In both films, Aimee Garcia plays Birdie Case and Paul Campbell plays her husband Alden. As the title suggests, the couple live on Mystery Lane, and find themselves as amateurs investigating murders.
Garcia, originally from Chicago, began her professional career as a dancer at age seven in a production of CINDERELLA. As an actor, she’s done her share of crime drama and crime dramedy, with series regular roles in VEGAS, DEXTER, RUSH HOUR and, as pathologist Ella Lopez, all six seasons of LUCIFER. Garcia has also been a regular on GREETINGS FROM TUCSON, ALL ABOUT THE ANDERSONS, GEORGE LOPEZ, and TRAUMA. Her feature credits include MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY, the 2014 ROBOCOP remake, A LOT LIKE LOVE, and D.E.B.S.
When Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel has a panel for multiple upcoming telefilms for the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, the panelists are subsequently available for interview during a luncheon. Garcia sits down to talk THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE: DEATH IS LISTENING at a table. This interview combines that discussion with comments she made on the panel.
How does Garcia feel about returning to MYSTERY LANE after the initial 2023 telefilm?
“It was a pretty all-encompassing story, which I really liked, but of course, when you have a blast, you want to do it again. So, I really wanted to come back to the party. Luckily, Hallmark is giving us the opportunity to do that. And I would love for there to be more to come, because there’s nothing like just having pure joy when you go to work.”
Hallmark and murder, even relatively comedic murder, are not two words that immediately spring to mind together. How does Garcia describe that sensibility on CASES?
“I think there’s a fine balance between the humor and the groundedness, and that’s where the writers and producers and colleagues come in. We want to make sure that it’s believable, and make sure that we believe that they’re really solving an actual murder, but then also bringing in the fun and the levity in the same way that Ella brought that into LUCIFER. There were actually dead bodies, but she would have so much curiosity in solving it that her sense of justice for the dead took over the morbidness of the dead body. And that’s what I think is happening with these two is, their sense of justice for the victim – they find joy in closing these cases, and bringing justice to the families.”
In terms of working for Hallmark overall, Garcia relates, “I’m the new kid at Hallmark, and I do feel the sense of family. I think Hallmark’s superpower is ‘feel good,’ and I think the world needs that right now.”
Given that Birdie and Alden have very different personalities, what does Garcia believe keeps the couple together? “I think it really is an unconditional love. I think it’s a deep respect, a deep appreciation, and them choosing to stay.”
As both Birdie on CASES and Ella on LUCIFER, Garcia portrays women dealing with things outside of their normal experience. The difference is that Birdie’s discoveries are at least within the realm of natural occurrence, whereas Ella is handling matters involving the Devil, God and angels (although it takes her until the final season to learn this).
“On LUCIFER,” Garcia explains, “what was so fun is that she basically was the one that was kept in the dark the most. She had no idea that she was talking to angels and demons, and I love her meltdown in the wedding episode [when she finds out]. On LUCIFER, I think the reaction to angels is one of my favorite moments on that show for myself as an actor, because D.B. [Woodside, who played the angel Amenadiel] directed that episode, and he just guided me. We only had five minutes to shoot Ella’s [knowingly] seeing an angel for the first time, and so that reaction was so organic.
“On CASES OF MYSTERY LANE, I think what she’s reacting to a lot is her own husband, with his mustaches and his shenanigans and his glasses, the whole thing. So, she’s very curious, and she’s a rookie sleuth, but I love that she uses her lawyer skills to get the tea and solve the crime.
“While I do love a good supernatural [storyline], I also love just bantering and physical comedy and hijinks and shenanigans. So, this has just been so fun. I’m really taking a liking to this.”
Besides having a legal background, what does Birdie do when she’s not solving murders? “Play poker. She’s a poker shark.”
Did Garcia have to learn the game, or did she already know it? “I’m an okay poker player. I do work on my poker face, but that was really fun. And there’s more poker in this movie.”
Garcia doesn’t want to confirm or deny what else she’s learned in order to play Birdie. “I may or may not have to learn lock-picking, I may or may not have to learn how to teach salsa, and I may or may not have to refresh on how to rant in Spanish.”
Speaking of salsa, Garcia has gotten to demonstrate her dance skills in several acting roles. How is dancing similar to or different from acting for her?
“I think it’s acting with your body. I think acting has a certain dance to it if you have a good dance partner, like I do in Paul; it makes it easy. I would say the discipline, the work ethic, is really similar. I was a professional dancer for a very long time, and so it’s nice to bring that work ethic into acting. But I think that there is a rhythm to both, especially with comedy, so I always say, if you’re doing good comedy, it’s like a dance.”
Whose idea was it to have Garcia dance on CASES? “I think it’s on both sides. I mentioned loving to dance early on, and they are very collaborative, they took that to heart, and now they’re like, ‘Okay, there’s a dance scene.’”
Does Garcia have a favorite TV detective? “I would have to go with Monk. I appreciate a good OCD detective.”
What else is Garcia working on? “I am writing something that I’m very excited about. Hopefully, I can be more specific in the near future.”
And what would Garcia most like people to know about THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE: DEATH IS LISTENING?
“I would love them to know that we are passionate about making them laugh, making them think to solve the crime, and inspiring them, I think, to just be curious and still hold hands with someone that they’ve known for a really long time.”
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Article: THE CASES OF MYSTERY LANE: DEATH IS LISTENING: Actress Aimee Garcia on new Hallmark mystery movie – Exclusive Interview
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