Interview with Hallmark Channel star Brant Daugherty

Hallmark star Brant Daugherty will always have a special connection with The Baker’s Son. Not only did he learn to bake bread with a master baker, but his first child was born during filming. Talk about a special delivery! We spoke with Daugherty about the all-new original movie that premiered June 12 as part of Hallmark Channel’s Summer Nights programming.

The Baker’s Son brought Daugherty together with his friend and Fifty Shades Freed costar Eloise Mumford. Their chemistry as Matt and Annie blossoms on screen as the good friends realize that there is more than just a friendship between them.

Daugherty has quickly adapted to Dad Life, as evidenced by his posts on social media. He recently shared a video that helps spread awareness of ankyloglossia, a condition that’s also known as “tongue-tie” where the range of motion with a baby’s tongue is restricted. It’s a condition some babies are born with, and as you can imagine it impacts a baby’s ability to eat. It can be corrected through surgery and stretches to promote a full range of motion. Daugherty and his wife Kim have been very open about their journey so that they can help other parents going through the same thing in a supportive environment.

Now that The Baker’s Son has been released into the world, Daugherty and his wife will be focusing on bringing a new project to life. As avid screenwriters, they recently developed a script and Brant will be making his directorial debut when they start work on the film in a few weeks.

This interview contains mild spoilers for The Baker’s Son, but it can be enjoyed even if you haven’t seen the movie.

Interview: Brant Daugherty talks the Hallmark Channel original The Baker’s Son

(Culturess) First off, I wanted to congratulate you on becoming a dad. This movie will always be tied to his birth. 

(Brant Daugherty) Yeah, he was born as we were filming.

That’s so crazy, and it’s even wilder that there’s a line in the movie where Matt reminds his friend that he’s about to become a dad.

That was, believe it or not, the day he was born. It was one of those surreal moments of my life. My son was born at 12:06 am that morning and we filmed that [scene] that day.

But what a special memory to be able to share with your son, that this was happening at the same time. 

It’s a trip, and we’ll have that forever. I can show him what I was doing and where I was when he was born. Missing the birth was a disappointment, but it was something my wife and I made peace with before I even left to make the movie.

Wow. That’s amazing. And it’s so special, too, because you’re helping people who need these movies right now, after the year we’ve had. So it’s a tremendous sacrifice on your part but it’s also really special that you’re able to impact so many people with this role. 

That’s a really kind way of looking at it, I appreciate that.

Speaking of the past year, I’d noticed in previews that you’ve never based bread before, and here making bread became a pandemic pastime for lots of people and here you are making a movie about being a baker. 

Actually, my co-star Eloise started baking during quarantine and she got really good. And she actually carried [bread] starter around with her to different film sets. She was a hundred percent into it. 

You hear about people who work at ice cream shops saying they can’t eat ice cream anymore. Did you end up eating a lot of bread on set?

Not at all, honestly. I didn’t eat as much bread as it might imply. I had to remind myself that I’m still here to be on camera and film a movie, so I should go easy. And you know, after a year of quarantine I think I’ve had enough bread. 

I did a show a number of years ago called Army Wives. My character comes back from war and my mom makes me a big Thanksgiving dinner and I wolf it down. The first take was amazing. I had such a good dinner, I loved it. And the second take was a struggle. And then we did three or four [takes] after that, where I was like “oh God, I should have paced myself, what am I doing?” That was tough. A tougher day than it would have seemed to be.

You’ve done so many projects, from Fifty Shades Freed to Army Wives and so many others. What was it about The Baker’s Son script that made it something you wanted to do, especially amid the pandemic and knowing your little one was on the way. I would have to think that was a pretty special script.

Absolutely. What I really liked about this script was that it feels like a classic Hallmark movie, but it also feels different at the same time. There’s a very time-tested formula for these romantic comedies and this movie tweaks it a little bit, which I really like. The main focus of the movie is really the male lead. It’s Matt’s story, it’s called The Baker’s Son. So to be the driving force between most of what happens in the movie was really a big draw for me. And then they threw a few curve balls in. It’s not a classic “people with differences fall in love” story, there’s a friendship and there’s a new love interest, and she has a new love interest, and it keeps taking turns I didn’t expect. I really appreciated that about the script. 

In so many of these movies the location becomes a co-star, or a cute dog. But in this movie, it’s the bread. 

Yeah, the town kind of lives or dies by the bread. The voiceover at the top of the movie mentions how bread is the staff of life. It’s how you take care of your family, feed your friends and the people around you. And it’s a really big community idea behind it. 

Which couldn’t be a more prescient idea than it is right now, with all the things going on and people struggling, but also now with people coming back together. And food is such a big part of celebrations. This movie hits those themes so perfectly.

It was the right time, as everyone’s been separated this last year and now we’re finally tentatively coming back together. I think it’s a really great time for this movie to come out. 

There’s also something very special, as you say, about having Matt’s story and the idea that the person who’s perfect for you is the one who has been there the whole time. 

Absolutely. I think Matt had been afraid to rock that boat for so long that he’s become accustomed to the relationship that he and Annie have because it’s so comfortable and it’s easy and there’s nothing new there, but there’s nothing to be lost. And then he’s looking for something new and different, but ultimately he realizes that his heart’s been with Annie the whole time and I think that’s really beautiful. And then he finally takes that leap of faith almost into the water at the end.

Which is a great metaphor, for so many things. We see little glimpses of Matt asking Annie to come off the dock because we learn he can’t swim even though he lives on an island. It’s a great metaphor.

I couldn’t agree more. When we were filming they actually put out a new draft of the script. Originally Matt jumped into the water and then they cut it completely so there was no moment about the water at all. I called the director and was like, “I feel like he needs to at least try to get in the water. It doesn’t feel full circle unless he tries.” And the director said “I know, I’m already on it. They’re going to change it.” I knew I was in good hands because the director knew what he’s doing and everyone’s on board. I felt like Matt needed that moment. 

What were some of your favorite moments about making The Baker’s Son?

First and foremost, when I found out Eloise was going to work on it with me I was very happy. We did Fifty Shades Freed together about five years ago, so it was like seeing an old friend again. We were able to fall right into Matt and Annie, which was really cool. And learning to bake was amazing, I really liked that part. I don’t have a lot of experience baking, so learning all of that was a treat for me. 

So you’re going to be bringing the rolls for Thanksgiving dinner from now on?

Oh, no, that’s too much pressure! But really just being able to work in a community again, with all of those people, after a year of self-isolation with just myself and my family…it was a pleasure to be in a restaurant with people, or to eat in a bakery with people. It was really nice.

We want to thank Brant Daugherty for taking the time to chat with us. Make sure you check out his new movie The Baker’s Son, available now on the Hallmark Channel.

(This interview was edited for content and clarity)