Interview: Lauren Tom talks the importance of Sweet Pecan Summer
Lauren Tom has been acting for a long time, but you might know her best for her voice. Tom has appeared in dozens of animated series and features such as Futurama, Teen Titans Go and Disenchantment. She’s starring in the all-new Hallmark Channel original movie Sweet Pecan Summer and I had a chance to catch up with her about what attracted her to the role.
In Sweet Pecan Summer, Tom plays Aunt Carol. She wants her beloved niece Amanda (Christine Ko) to find love so she’s cooked up a clever scheme to reunite her with her former high school boyfriend J.P (Wes Brown). Though they don’t exactly see eye to eye, there’s no question that there are sparks between them.
Tom is as charming in real life as Aunt Carol is on the screen. She’s passionate about her work and now that she has taken the jump into Hallmark movies you can bet that she’ll find another Hallmark movie in the future after having an amazing experience bringing Sweet Pecan Summer to life.
Lauren Tom says Hallmark Channel movies are a “safe place”
Sweet Pecan Summer is very important for Hallmark and for members of the AAPI community. The story is based on Brown’s story, and the movie features a very diverse cast. “I have to say how proud I am of Hallmark for allowing two of the leads to be people of color,” she said. “I feel like it’s super important for young people to establish representation and know that they’re seen and to be inspired by seeing faces of color on their screens.
Tom says one of the reasons she was drawn to working on her first Hallmark movie is because her mom loves them. “My mom loves Hallmark movies because nothing bad ever happens in them, and it’s a safe place to go when the world feels so uncertain.”
Not only is her mom a big fan of Hallmark movies, but Tom appreciates what the movies do for fans. “It means a lot to me, being a mom, and as I get older I try to choose projects so that I’m feeling like I’m helping move us toward being more compassionate people.”
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Tom had a lot of fun bringing Aunt Carol to life. She’s driven by a desire to make people happy, and that includes her favorite niece, Amanda. “[Carol] is someone who believes in love and just wants to see her favorite niece be happy,” she said. “[Carol believes] that these two beautiful, wonderful people should be together. And if she has any say in it, she’s going to make it happen!”
Sweet Pecan Summer debuts on Saturday, August 28 at 9pm ET/PT on the Hallmark Channel.