Exclusive Interview
‘Hope Valley: 1874’s Jedidiah Goodacre Reveals Why Clayton’s Hiding His Feelings for Olivia
What To Know
- Jedidiah Goodacre looked back at filming Hope Valley: 1874, discussing his role with Swooon.
- Goodacre explained why his character Clayton has hesitated to express his feelings for Olivia.
- He teased what is to come in the Season 1 finale.
When we sat down with Jedidiah Goodacre, he made it clear that joining the cast of Hallmark+‘s Hope Valley: 1874 is a bit of a dream job. He told Swooon, “It was such a slog to get this season done. We filmed in the winter in Vancouver, so there was lots of rain and mud filming outdoors.” That said, he wholeheartedly admitted, “I loved going to work every single day.”
Goodacre, who romance lovers might know as Chad Charming from Descendants or Dorian Gray from Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, stepped into his first Hallmark role as Clayton, a ranch hand and blacksmith, in the When Calls the Heart prequel series. “What stood out to me is the group of people that I got to meet and work with. All of the cast, all of the directors, every single crew member,” Goodacre remarked, looking back at filming Season 1.
Season 1 finds Clayton vying for the attention of Olivia (Roan Curtis), the trading post owner’s daughter. When Clayton seems like he’s finally about to work up the nerve to make a deeper connection with Olivia, Constable Alexander (Lachlan Quarmby), one of the first Mounties, comes into the picture, immediately taken by Olivia as well.
“There’s not too many people around, so how lucky for Clayton that Olivia just happens to be in that same small gathering of people, and she happens to be artistic. I think there’s an element of Clayton that is artistic in his own way, so they share that common bond.” Goodacre told Swooon, “I feel like Clayton, ever since he came to town and became the blacksmith, he’s got lots of time and excuses to go to the trading post. And so I think, it’s just that age-old story of boy meets girl. It was just going so swell until Mr. Six-Foot-Three Gorgeous Lachlan showed up.”
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Of course, there is the question of why Clayton didn’t act on his feelings before Alexander came into the picture. When asked why Clayton never made his crush on Olivia known, Goodacre shared, “It’s a very good question because you would think there aren’t many people around, and once you find that love, why wouldn’t you jump at that opportunity?”
That said, “It’s not like a big city where, if you take your shot and you miss, or the feelings aren’t reciprocated, then you can kind of disappear into anonymity. In this small town, you might have to face her every single day, so I understand that fear because it’s a very difficult thing to share your emotions with somebody and be that vulnerable.”
According to Goodacre, there are a lot of overlaps between Clayton and himself. “Clayton’s a hopeless romantic, for sure,” he explained, “and I think I kind of am that as well. So, that’s kind of what drew me towards the character. Also, I used to work with my hands. I used to build houses before my acting career, so playing someone who works with wood and metal and stuff like that was pretty fun as well.”
Right now, while both Clayton and Alexander are clearly vying for Olivia’s attention and seem to have noticed they’re not alone in their yearning, neither has made a real move. When asked to tease what’s to come this season for Clayton, Olivia, and Alexander’s budding love triangle, Goodacre joked, “Jeepers, I don’t want to give any spoilers. I don’t want to be, you know, the Tom Holland of the Hope Valley universe.”
He added, “Let’s just say you are going to see Clayton explore his confidence a little bit. It might be shaky along the way, but he is going to explore a new side of himself. He’s maybe a bit more willing to share that vulnerable side of himself.”
As for the show as a whole, he teased, “It’s a big finale, lots of people involved, and it should be a lot of fun and a great, great end to the first season.”
Hope Valley: 1874, Season 1, Thursdays, Hallmark+
