It’s a Wonderful Lifetime is back for the holiday season with an impressive slate of original Christmas movies.
Everything is always filled with hope and affection and love."
“I’m filled with movie lore fascinations,” she explains.
“I love the way movies are made.
I love when little tricks fool us.”
Signing up for Santa Bootcamp
What drew you all to “Santa Bootcamp”?
Rita Moreno:I go first because I’m the oldest.
I loved the idea of doing a Christmas movie.
I’ve never done one.
I’ve never been asked before.
I saw a lot of female names and I thought, “This is really special.
This is going to be special,” [and] indeed, it was.
She allowed the character to be smart, and I loved that.
Then, there’s this beautiful creature [Emily Kinney] with that gorgeous hair and those eyes.
She’s an absolute joy to be with in the movie.
What could be bad?
I sound very Jewish.
Melissa Joan Hart:This is 42 years now, married to a Jewish man.
Emily Kinney:I really wanted to work with Rita and Melissa.
I’m fans of both of them.
That was the first thing.
When I read the script I have never been in a Christmas movie either.
I loved how playful it was, and the magical moments and those elements.
It was really fun.
Moreno:It was really amazing how you learned sign language.
You made it look like you had been doing it all your life.
Hart:She worked really hard.
Moreno:I have arthritis, so you could’t make this finger do what you want it to do.
You were fabulous with that.
I was so impressed.
This script was a new fresh story.
I love that it’s a romance, but it’s about these two women.
It’s a story of one woman teaching the other one about the joy of Christmas.
Normally, you see it in the romantic elements of these movies.
In this one, it was these two females coming together.
Emily killed it with the comedy.
Rita’s [character Belle] is a firecracker.
It’s like, “Boom.”
All the time, I would be like, “Drop the mic!
There we go.”
Moreno:It’s so funny.
After one particular take, she says, “Drop the mic.”
I thought, “What happened?”
Hart:I didn’t think of the fact that she would take it that way.
I was like, “You nailed it,” and then Emily with her physical comedy.
… Justin Gaston was wonderful, and Marissa Jaret Winokur is a joy.
Moreno:Justin is not only wonderful, he’s gorgeous.
Hart:Rita is as boy crazy as I was at 12.
Moreno:Dirty old lady.
Hart:Let’s go with boy crazy, maybe not dirty old lady.
My nine-year-old played Jack in the movie, and he fell in love with Rita.
She’s 90 going on 55, sexy as all get out, and funny and sharp.
This cast was stellar.
I couldn’t be prouder of this movie.
Was it fun filming all of those sarcastic and cheeky moments?
Kinney:Rita, what I loved about doing scenes with you is it was always different.
Moreno:I loved it.
Emily touched me a couple of times, really hard.
Those beautiful eyes of hers and that demeanor, she really choked me up a couple of times.
Emily, a lot of people know you from “The Walking Dead.”
What was it like taking the lead in a Christmas rom-com?
Kinney:It was so fun honestly, dream come true.
Every day, I was so happy to go to set.
Is there going to be a “Santa Bootcamp 2”?
Hart:I think that’s why they’re airing it early.
I hope that we’re going to get us a little script written.
I would absolutely love it.
They don’t often do sequels, but for Ms. Rita, they should.
Was that important for you to include in the movie?
We decided to incorporate it as they work together.
My in-laws were like, “We love her show.”
The little girl, Zira, was incredible, but Emily, you could talk to learning it all.
Kinney:Deanne was so helpful.
Will you be doing more of those?
What else do you have coming up?
It’s going to be a Rita Moreno Fest next month.
Hart:Rita, don’t forget about “80 for Brady.”
You have all these other amazing projects.
Moreno:“80 for Brady,” which is the Tom Brady movie.
[It also features] Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, myself, and Sally Field.
It’s about four old ladies who are real fans of Tom Brady and the Super Bowl.
It’s a quasi road movie.
They’re going to Houston, Texas to give a shot to meet him, which was fun.
Hart:I’m excited for that one.
[Don’t you] also something with Vin Diesel?
Moreno:Yes, I play his Gram.
I’m playing Vin Diesel’s Grandma, Abalita, in [“Fast X”].
Emily Kinney’s music career keeps her busy
Emily, you’re also a musician.
What are you working on at the moment?
Kinney:I have a new album coming out next year.
I just released an album called “The Supporting Character.”
My new album comes out next year; it’s called “Swim Team.”
I have a poetry book that’s coming out next year called “Little Earthquakes.”
What’s it like balancing touring and recording music and acting?
Kinney:It’s a lot of scheduling.
They feed into each other in certain ways.
A lot of times, I make a run at make them work together.
They work together really well.
The only thing that’s difficult is scheduling.
We need to see you in a musical with Rita next.
Kinney:I would love that.
Let’s do it.
Hart:All right, you got my number.
Hart:We tried.
I don’t know.
I like moving forward and I’m loving my directing career, but I am still auditioning and developing.
I might be acting in a movie next year.
I love those characters dearly, but I need to let them lie, in a way.
It’s really not up to me.
It’s not as easy as like, “Let’s do that.”
Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s in the cards, but I never say never.
You’ve directed a lot of TV shows, and so many movies now.
What are you hoping to work on next?
I want to be in a sitcom again, so I’m thinking about that.
I miss the days of making people laugh in front of a live audience.
It’s also great for family life.
I’m out there looking for a sitcom.
I was like, “I should act again maybe sometime soon.”
Moreno:I agree with you so much about making people laugh.
There’s something so positive about that, to have the ability to make people laugh.
I never realized that about myself, but I really love to make people laugh.
Hart:Oh, you’re such a ham.
Are you kidding me?
She’s always coming up with the funny jokes on set and pranks.
She’s a firecracker.
This is the best way to describe you.
Rita’s my new role model for life now.
Working with Steven Spielberg
Rita, I loved seeing you return to “West Side Story.”
What was it like returning to that iconic story?
Moreno:It was an astonishing experience, truly, in every sense of the word.
He said, “Would you be interested in being a part of it?”
I couldn’t believe, this because he’s been one of my favorite directors for years.
Hart:Until you met me, but go on.
I said, “but I don’t do cameos.”
He said, “No, oh my God, no, you would have a real part.
Tony Kushner wrote this already, just for you.”
I was thrilled to pieces.
When he made me executive director, I couldn’t believe my good luck.
It was so amazing.
We had to suffer with that in the original movie.
All of us had one color makeup.
You have to understand that it was a different time.
None of us loved those very dark makeups.
It kept streaking on me because it was so dark, and I was so light compared to it.
I said [to the makeup artist], “I hate this makeup.
It’s too dark.
I don’t know why I have to be this shade.”
He actually said, “What are you racist?”
That made me speechless, because he didn’t understand that Puerto Ricans come in so many different colors.
We are all many different colors.
If you do it in the right way, it’s brilliant.
If you do it in the wrong way, it’s trash.
What you did, Rita, was amazing, and the way Steven was able to do it.
“Santa Bootcamp” premieres November 19, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. CT on Lifetime.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
