Hallmark
Before she a duchess, Meghan Markle was a Hallmark Channel star. In 2016, she starred in the romantic comedy “Dater’s Handbook” with Kristoffer Polaha and Jonathan Scarfe.
In a new interview with TV Insider, Polaha was asked about his various Hallmark movies from over the years and he dished about what it was like working with the future member of the British Royal family.
Here’s what Polaha had to say:
Kristoffer Polaha Said He & Meghan Markle ‘Hit it Off Like Gangbusters’
In the interview with TV Insider, Polaha reminisced about his Hallmark movies and when he got to “Dater’s Handbook,” he said that not only did he and co-star Meghan Markle get along great, but neither one of them really understood what Hallmark was at the time — and then when she started dating Prince Harry, the movie kind of blew up.
“That one was a great entry point because Meghan [Markle] and I hit it off like gangbusters, and we had the best time making that movie,” said Polaha, adding, “That movie became special because, obviously here was a movie that we didn’t think many people would see beyond — we didn’t understand what Hallmark was at the time, neither one of us. And then of course, Meghan met Harry later that year and the entire Commonwealth watched that movie over and over and over again. That was kind of the high point of that, getting to know her.”
Markle herself echoed those sentiments in an interview she did for Hallmark to promote the movie.
“This is our first time working together,” said Markle of working with Polaha. “We have mutual friends, so it’s just really easy chemistry right off the bat and I think he keeps the environment on set just so fun and easy and light, so he was a perfect cast for Robert.”
She added, “The chemistry between Cass and Robert is really special. I think he is the type of guy that she has always been after for quite a while and she hasn’t had luck with that type in the past. So even though she’s drawn to him and they have this instant, fun-loving chemistry, she’s trying to veer away from that kind of attraction, so we’ll see if her heart gets her that way or if she’s still keeping to her old habits.”
‘Dater’s Handbook’ Proved Quite Prescient For Both Markle & Polaha
Markle also said in her Hallmark interview that the big lesson from “Dater’s Handbook” is to “follow your heart” and she hoped that that’s what viewers took away from the film, which is quite prescient considering where she ended up just a year later.
“You have to follow your heart to find your true love … at the end of the day, when it comes down to finding the person that you’re right for, that’s not the person you’re going to play games with, so I think following her heart has really ended up proving to work out well for Cass and I think to a lot of women watching this, I would give them that same advice,” said Markle.
Meanwhile, Polaha said in his TV Insider interview that the movie sort of foretold his role in “Jurassic World.”
“If you notice, we go to play miniature golf, and there are dinosaurs in the miniature golf course — it was almost like a time travel thing because I ended up doing ‘Jurassic World’ about two years later,” said the actor.
Markle starred in two Hallmark films before she left the world of acting — “Dater’s Handbook” in 2016 and “When Sparks Fly” in 2014. She also starred on “Suits” from 2011 to 2018. But she left that world behind when she married Prince Harry. The two have since left the Royal family and live in California with their two children, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2.