Interview: Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison talk Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery

Fans love Hannah Swensen and her super-sweet sleuthing skills. When Hallmark Movies & Mysteries announced Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery starring Alison Sweeney and Cameron Mathison, it was cause for celebration. For Sweeney and Mathison, it was a chance to reunite with friends after the pandemic kept everyone apart for months. We had a chance to speak with the Sweet Revenge stars about coming together in the all-new mystery.

In Sweet Revenge, a gym employee is found dead and a connection to Hannah Swensen’s bakery is discovered at the crime scene. Though Hannah’s charming fiance Detective Mike Kingston knows that his bride-to-be knows her way around a crime scene, his new partner is immediately suspicious.

While Hannah is working to solve a murder, her well-intentioned mother Delores is preparing for her Regency-themed book launch and trying to insert her opinions into Hannah’s life, including her wedding planning. In other words, it’s just another day for Hannah Swensen.

New Hannah Swensen Mystery was “like a family reunion”

For star Alison Sweeney, it was so easy jumping back into the character. “Oh my gosh, it’s like a family reunion,” Sweeney told Culturess. “We just fell right back into the dynamic that you had before, and the friendships and the relationships and the trust that we all have with each other.”

Cameron Mathison was a few days late in joining the production due to his quarantine, but he agreed that it was very easy to get settled into the role again. “When I started my first day was their fourth day, and they were up and going. It was like stepping into something that felt so easy, so comfortable, and so exciting at the same time. I was so happy.”

Sweeney was very happy to be back to work with Mathison. “I just adore working with Cameron. He’s such a pleasure to talk to and such a great guy and he’s so talented. So I just knew it was going to be so easy and natural to fall back into scenes with him.”

This time around things were different for Hannah and Mike. Now engaged, their dynamic has shifted a lot but the love they share shines through even in the most difficult moments. “It was fun to play a really different beat with the two of them trying to solve murders together,” Mathison said.

Sweeney agreed, noting that Mike will always support Hannah even when it could get him into trouble at work. “He’s so proud of her, and he knows she’s right,” she said. “It’s not easy to navigate that but he’s proud of her and he knows she’s good at it. He doesn’t want her to be in danger but he’s also going to support her.”

When asked why she keeps returning to the role, Sweeney had no trouble outlining the reasons why she loves the character. “I love Hannah for her nosiness,” she said. I think it’s a hilarious trait that she has. She’s super aware of all the little clues in the beginning. There’s nothing she doesn’t see, you know? I think that’s a fun quirk of her character.” Sweeney also talked about Hannah’s complicated dynamic with her mother. “She loves her mom and she loves her quirks, but sometimes she has to put her foot down.”

The future is very bright for Hannah Swensen, and there’s no question that the cast is on board for more movies if the opportunity presents itself.

Though they follow Joanne Fluke’s series closely, Mathison is hoping fans will get to see Hannah and Mike in a new location, perhaps on vacation or after their wedding on their honeymoon. Something would happen that requires them to work on a case and they would both be outside of their comfort zones. “It would be kind of cool to see them in a different environment.”