Heavy/Hallmark Actor Kanoa Goo
When “Aloha Heart” premieres on Hallmark Channel on July 29, 2023, fans will meet the network’s newest leading man, Kanoa Goo, who has revealed in numerous interviews, conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, how incredibly grateful he feels for the opportunity.
Not only did Goo get to learn the ropes of shooting a Hallmark movie from Taylor Cole, a longtime regular on the network who has starred in almost 20 Hallmark romance and mystery movies over the last decade, but the Hawaii native is thrilled to represent his culture in the movie.
Goo, who has also appeared on the ABC drama “The Rookie” and CBS’ “Fire Country,” says that each opportunity he receives is a dream come true, given that this is what he’s wanted to do since he was a little boy.
Kanoa Goo Says Taylor Cole Helped Him Get Over His Nerves
HallmarkTaylor Cole and Kanoa Goo in Hallmark Channel’s “Aloha Heart”
In Hallmark’s synopsis, it says “Aloha Love” is about a conservationist played by Cole who travels to Hawaii for her best friend’s wedding. But “instead of relaxing wedding prep, finds herself helping the new hotel manager make the family resort more eco-friendly.”
Though Goo has plenty of experience shooting other TV shows and movies, many Hallmark stars insist that filming a movie for the network is a unique experience that not every actor feels comfortable with, given that most of Hallmark’s movies are shot in just 15 days, requiring long filming days and very few do-overs.
Adding to his nerves about the pace of filming, Goo told Just Jared, was that he wasn’t sure if he’d feel comfortable with a whole new crew of people. It turns out he had no need to worry.
He explained, “I mean, there’s always gonna be a little bit of nerves going into any job because there’s an element of unknown, right? I didn’t know too many people involved in the project going into it. So of course, you just wanna hope for the best that everyone gels and, and gets along and has a similar perspective and mindset over creating together, you know?”
Goo said the director and producer “were really kind and had a lot of confidence in me from day one. That made me feel good and at ease launching into the process.”
But it was Cole who put him most at ease, he shared with Just Jared.
“She is one of the kindest, most loving people and actresses I’ve ever worked with, and made me feel completely at ease,” he told the outlet. “We actually became really close friends right away, and we just approach working in a similar way. So I really looked forward to working with her day after day.”
Cole returned the compliment when she spoke about the movie with Digital Journal.
“Working with Kanoa was amazing,” she said. “I love working with first-timers because I get to warn him about all the love that he is about to receive in his life from all the Hallmark fans, and that is very exciting.”
Kanoa Goo Says He Always Wanted to Act
HallmarkKanoa Goo in “Aloha Love”
In April, Goo told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that growing up in Hawaii, where “Aloha Love” was filmed, he wanted to be an actor from the time he was “7 or 8” and went to a theater camp with kids in the neighborhood.
“I just loved it,” he recalled. “I loved that feeling of performing in front of people, even though I couldn’t articulate why or what that feeling was. Fortunately I had a really supportive family that then started seeking out, ‘How else can you do this?'”
Goo landed roles in several local commercials and acted at a local theater.
“It didn’t feel like work at the time, but when I think about it now, it still was professional work,” he said. “I’ve truly been doing this a long time.”
Goo left Hawaii to study acting at New York University and later moved to Los Angeles, where he immediately landed roles in commercials, and then TV and film roles, according to the paper. The actor is particularly proud of representing Hawaii as well as Asian and Pacific Island Americans (API) and credits the hit movie “Crazy Rich Asians” with opening many new doors in Hollywood.
“That’s truly when I felt a palpable shift in opportunities that were being afforded to me, even just to read for those types of parts and actually compete for them,” he told Pop Culturist.
“I just want to continue being a part of this positive moment of API representation in this industry and especially in these types of roles that weren’t being given,” he continued.
So to now be a leading man in a Hallmark movie is a particularly big deal for Goo.
“API actors weren’t even considered to lead a project (before),” he told Pop Culturist. “I just want to continue stepping into those shoes and those characters that aren’t just a supporting character or a sidekick for the main protagonist.”
In February, he told Honolulu Magazine he knows he’s lucky to still be acting after all these years.
He said, “It’s a rarity, right? To have a dream as a kid and make it reality as an adult. I’m very fortunate.”
“Aloha Heart” premieres on Hallmark Channel on July 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.