Exclusive Interview
‘Christmas on Duty’s Janel Parrish Teases Parker Young’s Hallmark Debut: Fans Will ‘Be in Love’
What To Know
- Parker Young makes his Hallmark debut alongside Janel Parrish in Christmas on Duty.
- The costars spoke to Swooon about their instant chemistry and a possible sequel.
- Young also shares his history with Hallmark favorite Lacey Chabert.
Parker Young is making his Hallmark debut, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to join the Christmas crew. The actor stars alongside Janel Parrish in Christmas on Duty, which premieres on November 1 as part of the network’s Countdown to Christmas lineup.
Young and Parrish play Josh and Blair, who’ve been rivals ever since they trained together at Quantico. After graduation, Blair got Josh’s dream job, and they haven’t spoken since. When they see each other again three years later, sparks fly — literally. After their argument at a holiday party, Josh and Blair are forced to work on Christmas Day. They plan on staying far away from each other, but when a snowstorm prevents Christmas presents from being delivered to base, Josh and Blair have to team up in order to save Christmas.
Christmas on Duty marks Young’s first Hallmark movie, and if Parrish has anything to say about it, this will be the first of many. “I think Hallmark fans are going to be in love with Parker, and they will be calling for many more Parker Young movies. I am honored that he did his first with me,” she gushed to Swooon.
Fred Hayes / Hallmark Media
Young did point out that he’s already worked with the Queen of Hallmark, Lacey Chabert, and dropped some major TV lore. “Lacey and I worked together on a pilot years ago that Tina Fey was producing, and we had so much fun. She played my wife, and it was a sitcom. It was my first time doing a multi-cam sitcom in front of an audience. Fortunately, the show didn’t go, but I worked with the Queen before she was the Queen of Hallmark.”
Unlike most Hallmark movies, Parrish and Young weren’t dressed up in typical holiday attire for the majority of the movie. As their characters join forces to save Christmas, they’re rocking their military fatigues. “It was our love letter to the military, and it was really cool and different and an honor that we got to represent our brothers and sisters in the forces,” Parrish said.
Josh and Blair may be rivals in the beginning, but the tension between them slowly melts as they do everything they can to keep the holiday magic alive. Young revealed that he and Parrish had a “natural banter” from the jump.
“When you have that foundation already with your costar, when you come to set, everything else is just play on top of that. It just makes work so easy and so much fun. I don’t think we were ever not together on set. One person went to crafty, the other one followed. We really were just two birds of a feather. Everyone would be like, ‘Did you guys know each other before this? Because you guys get along so well.’ We’re like, ‘No, but we’re just so lucky that that happened the way that it did.'”
Could we see Josh and Blair team up again for another holiday? “Listen, the military never sleeps. There’s Halloween on duty. There’s Valentine’s Day on duty,” Young quipped.
Christmas on Duty, Movie Premiere, November 1, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel
