If you find yourself every Hallmark project like we do, then you might recognize actor James Kot from several of their films. He’s also one of the stars of the new Hallmark+ series ‘The Chicken Sisters’.
We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with James about learning new things, his all-time favorite Broadway show, and more!
Congratulations on “The Chicken Sisters’! What was the filming experience like for the first Season?
J: “Thank you! We had so much fun working on this show and that came with a lot of laughs on-set! The team behind our show helmed by Annie Mebane created such a unique world for us to play in and it was easy to come to work and develop these characters that call Merinac home. All the actors really brought it from Day One at the table read, all-the-way to our final day of shooting – and yes, we did have Fried Chicken on set a number of times which was always a crowd pleaser!“
Do you think you have anything in common with your character Frank Jr?
J: “Ha! I’d like to say no! Frank Jr. makes some more than questionable decisions in the first season of ‘Chicken Sisters’, but I always try to find some common ground with my characters, regardless of their actions. Frank’s behavior told me that he was in deep pain, medicating, and isolating himself from his family. Understanding that this pain was dealing with his fear of failure and the deep grief surrounding personal loss, helped me connect to his essence and heart. It was very important for me to make Frank Jr. a fully realized human being, rather than to judge and observe his troublesome choices.”
Are you a fan of Hallmark projects? If so, what is your all-time favorite Hallmark film or TV Show?
J:‘The Chicken Sisters’ on Hallmark+ is definitely my favorite of all-time! I think Hallmark has really tried to differentiate themselves lately from their previous expectations and I love the way the Network has evolved. I’m grateful that a couple of my very first roles were with them too. Add the 2007 Hallmark classic ‘Snowglobe’ to your Christmas watch list and you’ll see a fresh faced version of me trying to get a date over a deli counter! Ha!! More recently, I loved playing the Medical Examiner, Dr. Tommy Madden, on the Ruby Herring Mystery Series with Taylor Cole and Stephen Huszar.’
Tell us more about your amazing company Kot Creative Studios. What inspired you to start the company and what in your opinion has been the biggest highlight of the studio so far?
J: “My wife, Beatrice King, and I had been coaching actors for ten years with a different company and we’d always enjoyed the process of helping other artists. During the pandemic, we had time to consider what we really wanted moving forward. That was the lightning bolt for us to open our own studio space to provide our actors with an individual & specialized ‘tools not rules’ approach.
Kot Creative Studios focuses on Adult Actors taking the next steps in their career in Film & Television & our partnered company, King Creative Studios, specializes in young actors developing their skills & artistry. It’s been truly incredible to see our actors grace screens worldwide and gain recognition and awards for their craft! King & Kot Creative Studios have been operating at capacity since September 2021; we’re very proud of our amazing Creative Community!
The studio has also helped us produce the award-winning short film, ‘You Are the Blue’ directed and written by Beatrice, and starring Eden Summer Gilmore. Our film premiered at the Oscar qualifying Edmonton International Film Festival and Eden was named one of The Stars to Watch at Whistler Film Festival + Summit. There have been some incredible highlights!”
You got your start in musical theater and have migrated over to TV. Which one do you aspire to pursue more so in the future, performing in front of a camera or on stage?
J: “My very first play was when I was 8 years old in the Greek Tragedy of ‘Medea’. Definitely NOT a musical! Haha. But, I jumped into musical theatre in elementary school which continued through high school and into college!
Acting was always my first love, and I found that when I went to theatre school, I became more & more passionate about Acting for Film and TV and how to change styles for different genres and tones. So to answer your question, I see myself in the future devoting my work to the camera, but I also hope some great plays find their way to me over my career so that I keep journeying back to the stage, where it all started for me.”
Speaking of musical theater, we must ask: If you were given free seats to a Broadway show of your choosing, which one are you picking and why?
J: “My favorite musical is ‘Les Misérables’ – so epic and dramatic with incredible music and characters. ‘One Day More’ still brings down the house. I remember seeing a matinee of the touring production with my Mom as a young kid and was wowed by the scale and sounds!
For me, it’s hard not to snap up tickets to the Drama Du Jour when I’m in New York. I saw Sam Rockwell in ‘A Fool For Love’ and Succession’s Kieran Culkin opposite fellow Canadian Michael Cera in ‘This Is Our Youth’. Those both left a strong impression.”
How do you think you’ve grown as both a performer and as a person since your breakout role as Skinner; in the World War I drama, ‘Passchendaele’ to now?
J: “When I first started acting professionally, I thought I knew everything, even though I had so much to learn! Now, I’m much more interested in allowing what I don’t know to fuel my research and creative journey. I remind myself how useful it is not to know or understand something immediately, it’s really the only way to learn new things. I love that I’m still learning and evolving as an artist, and that’s the most amazing part of being an actor. The craft evolves as you do.”
Where can we follow your amazing journey?
J: “You can find me @kotjameskot on Instagram to follow my journey and @kot_creativestudios for our community of actors, artists and creatives!”
Make sure to tune in to see James in ‘The Chicken Girls’, available now on Hallmark+!
Photo Credit: Jenna Berman
Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.
