Eric Guilmette. Photo Courtesy of Great American Family.
Actor and model Eric Guilmette chatted about starring in the new Great American Family film “Tails of Christmas” opposite Ash Tsai.
It will premiere on Saturday, November 2nd on the Great American Family channel.
New holiday movie
“Filming ‘Tails of Christmas’ was pure joy,” he exclaimed. “This was my first Christmas movie and I vividly remember feeling happy while we were filming.”
“Of course, a Christmas story is happy, but the producers, the crew, and the cast… all of them made this experience so positive that I truly didn’t want to stop filming when we wrapped. That is a great feeling… bittersweet, but great,” he elaborated.
Working with Ash Tsai
On working with Ash Tsai, he said, “Ash is phenomenal. She is talented… that’s very obvious… but she is such a pleasure to be around and I was very lucky to have her as my co-star for this film.”
“We always kept the energy light and were laughing more than we were not, and I think for a Christmas film to feel Christmasy, you need a good camaraderie like that between the two leads,” he elaborated.
“I can speak for both of us and say we are both very excited to watch our film on November 2nd,” he added.
Daily inspirations as a model and actor
On his daily inspirations as a model and actor, he said, “I love waking up every day. That’s the best part of doing what I do. When I wake up, I am excited about my life… and I attribute that to acting and modeling.”
“These days, I am mostly just acting and my passion for this art is my inspiration. When you don’t need to do much to be inspired, that’s when you know you are doing what you are supposed to be doing,” he explained.
“So here I am, acting – a lot these days – doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” he added.
Lessons learned from this screenplay
On the lessons learned from this rom-com screenplay, he said, “When I first got the role of Caleb, I was so enthralled in making him a real army vet who had been through a lot and was struggling to find purpose.”
“Then, once we got closer to filming, I was reminded this is a Christmas movie… meaning it’s happy and not lined with trauma. When this hit me, I took a step back and just laughed… like ‘duh Eric, how did you not think of that?’ I then adjusted my character, his backstory and made him have a smile,” he said
“Since ‘Tails of Christmas’ was my first Christmas movie, this was a humbling reminder for me to see the big picture before I go making decisions for any character I play in the future,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “It feels great. I don’t have much to compare it to since I didn’t start acting until 2021, but I am very fulfilled with where I am right now as an actor. I’ve had the pleasure of leading 20 productions over the last year and a half… which is wild when I say it out loud… and I am loving the journey.”
“I love being able to share my work so easily thanks to social media and for people who don’t know who I am to be able to find me and then go watch. I have so many awesome people who support me and it makes social media a really fun thing for me,” he said.
“It’s definitely a huge undertaking trying to balance everything on social media and simultaneously being completely present in your work as an artist, but I do a good job of setting boundaries for myself and I know when/where I need to isolate,” he explained.
“I’ve been able to meet a lot of cool people because of the digital mediums and I’m grateful for it everyday,” he added.
Future plans
On his future plans, he revealed, “Right now, I’m slated to finish up a few more projects before the end of the year and then next year, I’m already planning several projects; both to produce and to act in.”
“So, my near future is packed with doing more of what I love and as for the future-future, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” he added.
Advice for hopefuls in acting and modeling
For young and aspiring actors and models, he said, “It’s not going to happen overnight. I do love the speed and efficiency of our lives now, but this isn’t a journey that you can rush through.”
“I believe the main question a young, aspiring actor needs to ask themself is ‘Why am I doing this?’ Ask that question over and over again, and make sure your answer is solid,” he said.
“Having a solid foundation for this career starts with being honest with yourself and understanding why you’re here. Also, don’t compare yourself to other people. Easier said than done, but at the end of the day, this is you versus you,” he added.
Eric Guilmette on Kyle Fragnoli
Guilmette had complimentary words about fellow actor and model Kyle “Kiki” Fragnoli. “Kyle is a great human. I met him about a year and a half ago on my first vertical series and we hit it off,” he said.
“We’re both from the Northeast so there is a natural connection there and our energies definitely sync up from our goofiness to our work ethics. Kiki has a heart of gold,” Guilmette expressed.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Guilmette shared, “If you can wake up every day feeling excited, and go to bed every night feeling fulfilled, you are rich and successful.”
Closing thoughts on his new Great American Family holiday movie
For fans and viewers, he remarked, “If you like dogs, Christmas and romance, then you’re going to love “Tails of Christmas”. I won’t give away too much but you’ll love Rex… I know I do. Happy watching (and an early Merry Christmas).”
To learn more about Eric Guilmette, follow him on Instagram.