Laura Osnes in ‘Candace Cameron Presents: Just in Time.’ Photo Courtesy of Great American Family.
Two-time Tony-nominated actress Laura Osnes chatted about starring in the new film “Candace Cameron Bure: Just in Time.”
This movie will be streaming on Great American Pure Flix on April 12.
‘Candace Cameron Presents: Just in Time’
On being a part of “Just in Time,” Osnes remarked, “It was wonderful. I am so grateful. We filmed it in January up in Canada. The crew did such an incredible job; they took care of us and it was nice to be able to tell a faith-forward story and to go on Hannah’s journey every day.”
“What I loved about this character was that there is so much depth and complexity to her, and what she was going through,” she admitted. “This was a really exciting journey to get to go on as an actor.”
In this rom-com, directed by Paula Elle, Hannah (Laura Osnes) and her husband, Rowan (Greyston Holt) have focused all their time, energy, and attention into trying to have a baby.
The pressure to complete their family starts weighing heavily on their relationship. The couple is left questioning if having a child is the right thing to do, and if they are still right for one another.
“Working with Greyston was great,” she said. “I wish we had more days to work with together. He was only on set for five days.”
When Hannah receives a call from a stranger, named Franklin (Peter Bryant), who claims to have discovered an antique on the beach bearing an inscription unique to Hannah and Rowan, she reluctantly agrees to meet him to look.
Great American Pure Flix
Osnes spoke about being a part of the Great American Pure Flix family. “I love it, I am so grateful,” she said. “I love getting to make these movies, I have a lot of fun on set.”
“By doing these films, I realized that you can touch so many people in just one night in television,” she noted. “I think that’s really beautiful.”
Working with Candace Cameron Bure in ‘Just in Time’
On working with Candace Cameron Bure, Osnes said, “I was so grateful to get to work with Candace so closely on this project. I felt very honored that she trusted me with this role and this film, especially because her name and production company are above the title. That meant a lot to me.”
“Candace was on set every day. She was so present, accessible, humble, and she was such a pro,” Osnes exclaimed.
“Candace has been in this industry since she was a child so she had solutions to every problem and she made herself so available. Candace has such knowledge and expertise of the film industry,” Osnes elaborated.
‘A Dash of Christmas’
Osnes discussed starring in the Great American Family holiday film “A Dash of Christmas” opposite Christopher Russell as her male love interest.
The synopsis is: To apply for her dream job at a foodie startup, an executive (Laura Osnes) must learn to bake.
When she recruits a handsome baker to help her (Christopher Russell), she inadvertently ends up entered in a Christmas Bakeoff.
“That one was fun,” she admitted. “We got to make a lot of cookies, and eat a lot of baked goods, which is always a plus.”
“This was my first time working with Christopher Russell,” she said. “We have a lot of mutual friends, and he was so lovely, easy, and fun to work with on set.”
“I’ve been spoiled with my leading men,” she said with a sweet laugh.
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, Osnes said, “It’s great. The cool thing is that there is a ton of content being made all the time, so that has been really special.”
“There is a budding TV scene in Nashville that we are dipping our toes into, and hopefully, we will be able to create more content in the future,” she noted.
On working with Danny Burstein, she said, “I love Danny, he is such an amazing actor, human, and he is so grounded. He is so warm and loving. We keep in touch on social media and check up on each other once in a while.”
Future plans
Regarding her future plans, Osnes shared, “I have so many plans. My husband and I have a lot of creative irons in the fire. We moved to Nashville, Tennessee 2.5 years ago, and I started songwriting, so I released an EP, and I am still writing and starting to release new music.”
“To be honest, it’s fulfilling but it’s also a challenge, especially since it’s something that doesn’t come naturally to me,” she said.
“I am developing a concert series that I hope to do in the fall in Tennessee , so I am still singing, acting, and writing,” she noted. “I am creating all the time.”
“I also just finished writing a movie script with a friend of mine, so that has been new and a lot of fun. I’ve been learning so much,” she added.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, she said, “I actually love coaching and teaching the next generation. I do a lot of private lessons, and I travel and do masterclasses in colleges and schools. First, be yourself since only you can be you. Stay authentic, and be confident in that.”
“Also, be patient, and that’s the lesson in the movie ‘Just in Time’: patience and waiting for God’s perfect timing. That teaches you lessons on humility,” she said.
“Finally, plow your own path. I had a very unconventional path to Broadway… I won a TV reality show in 2007 and that cast me as Sandy in ‘Grease’ on Broadway,” she added.
‘Cinderella’ on Broadway
Osnes starred in the protagonist role of Cinderella in the Broadway musical “Cinderella,” for which she received a Drama Desk Award and her second Tony nomination for “Best Actress in a Musical.”
She had great words working opposite two-time Tony winner Victoria Clark. “Victoria is a great friend,” she said. “Victoria literally played my ‘Fairy Godmother’ so I call her ‘Mama Bear.’ We also got to reunite in a Hallmark movie called ‘One Royal Holiday.’
‘South Pacific’ on Broadway
She recalled that being a part of the musical “South Pacific” was “such a beautiful show” and she was “honored to be a part of it.” At the time, she had replaced Kelli O’Hara due to her then-pregnancy.
Stage of her life
Regarding the title of the current chapter of her life, Osnes said, “On the other side.” “That motto is still sitting with me,” she acknowledged.
Superpower of choice
Her superpower of choice would be to “heal people.” “I would love to heal sick people, whether it’s a physical injury, mental or emotional trauma. That would be an incredible gift to have,” she said. “Healing, for me, would probably be the most meaningful.”
Success
On her definition of the word success, Osnes shared, “Success is joy in doing what you love. Being happy and content doing what you love is what success is to me.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Candace Cameron Bure: Just in Time’ movie
For her fans and viewers, she remarked about the rom-com, “I hope that people are moved, inspired or changed by this story. Everybody has been through or is going through some difficult season.”
“This story, in particular, points to the hope that God can offer. There are so many themes of redemption, forgiveness, perseverance through hardship, and learning communication and patience,” she concluded.
To learn more about Laura Osnes, follow her on Instagram.