HGTV/ DISCOVERY+ Hilary Farr stars in "Designing Christmas."
HGTV has enlisted Hilary Farr for their first foray into Christmas movies. The “Love It or List It” host will star in the upcoming “Designing Christmas.”
Ahead of its premiere, the actress-turned-interior designer told PopCulture.com that stepping back into acting was an “unexpected” but “wonderful” experience.
“I did hesitate when I was first asked,” Farr told the outlet. The former actress quipped, “First of all, I haven’t had to learn lines in 1,000 years.”
But meeting with the “Designing Christmas” production team won her over. The movie follows the hosts of an HGTV-style renovation series.
“HGTV is such a comfortable place for people to be. It’s aspirational, but it’s also comfortable,” the “Tough Love” host explained to PopCulture.com. “Very cleverly, [‘Designing Christmas’ is] still within the ambiance and arena that is HGTV. …It isn’t saccharine sweet in any way, it just feels true and real.”
The movie follows “House Sweet Home” hosts Stella (Jessica Szohr) and Pablo (Marco Grazzini). According to a press release, in a “last-minute production change,” they decide to renovate Stella’s new house and move up her wedding for the holiday special. But Stella and Pablo’s working relationship becomes “complicated” as they work overtime to get everything done, causing Stella to confide in her mentor Freddy (Hilary Farr).
Jessica Szohr also shared her excitement for the film. “I’m honored and so pleased to be able to be a part of it,” the “Gossip Girl” alum told PopCulture.com. “Christmas is my favorite time of year [and] I think the story that we told is quite charming and fun.”
“Put it all together [and] this movie has something that’s different,” Farr told PopCulture.com.
‘Designing Christmas’ Is Not Hilary Farr’s First Acting Role
Farr is no stranger to acting, with a handful of movie and television roles in the 1970s and 1980s.
According to IMDb, her filmography includes “A Man Called Intrepid,” “City on Fire” and “The Return.” Though, perhaps most notably, she had a small part in the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Starring as bride Betty Munroe, Farr declares, “Okay, you guys, this is it! You ready?” before Janet, played by lead actress Susan Sarandon, catches her bouquet.
“It is an amazing fun fact,” Farr told PopSugar in 2020. “It came about because we lived — as a family — right below Tim Curry.” According to the publication, the role was created for her.
Ben & Erin Napier Star in ‘A Christmas Open House’
Like Farr, Ben and Erin Napier are also trying their hands at acting. The “Home Town” hosts star in HGTV’s other holiday movie, “A Christmas Open House.”
The movie “follows the story of Atlanta property stager Melissa Norwood (Katie Stevens) as she teams up with her old high school crush, real estate agent David Phelps (Victor Rasuk), and local artists Henry and Sarah Wright (Ben and Erin Napier) to prepare and sell her mom’s home before the holidays,” according to the official description. “As the tensions of the Christmas deadline grow, so does a romance between Melissa and David, but their diverging goals could be a deal breaker for their new relationship.”
Erin shared a behind-the-scenes fact about her role on Instagram.
“We filmed our parts in Laurel 3 days in August when the high was 103° so I need y’all to appreciate how not sweaty we may appear to be here,” she wrote. “It’s a renovation story within a love story within a Christmas story (and it honestly looks pretty cute)”
“Designing Christmas” and “A Christmas Open House” both premiere on discovery+ on November 11, 2022.
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