Tyler Hynes in Hallmark Channel’s ‘Shifting Gears’.Photo:Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media
Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media
ForTyler Hynes,Shifting Gears, his latestHallmark Channelmovie, is a special one for several reasons — and they all have to do with supporting women.
“I was expressing my disappointment in the fact that she didn’t get that opportunity, and Ashley was like, ‘Well, I think I have a solution, and would you be willing?’ And I said, ‘Certainly,'” he continues. “I can’t think of a better reason to do one of these movies than for that. These movies are made primarily for women, and I think what a correct place to be doing this.”
Tyler Hynes and ‘Shifting Gears’ director Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe.Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media
The film, which also stars Katherine Barrell, also marked the first time Hynes’ mother, Betty, visited the set of one of his films in nearly 20 years — and his nieces, Ella and Haylie, make a cameo.
This movie follows a pair of exes who participate in a car restoration reality competition show. I know you ride motorcycles—which your character also does in this movie—but had you ever worked on cars?
Never. My very first car was a ‘76 Chevy Nova, which was similar to the one that was my car in the movie. But no, definitely my two brain cells aren’t strong enough to handle any sort of mechanical intelligence. One brain cell is dedicated to standing on my mark, and then the other brain cell is dedicated to my lines, and that’s all that they can handle. Any more, they’re going to go on strike.
Tyler Hynes in Hallmark Channel’s ‘Shifting Gears’.Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media
Then how did you do the rollerskating scene?
Oh, I took the one that usually does the mark — there’s no more marks — and I put him on rollerskates, and he figured it out that day, because I had never roller-skated before. Kat had rented skates prior, like a smart person does. I didn’t and put them on and started wobbling around and came up with a dance routine that we hadn’t choreographed. And then we shot the thing immediately.
But you can ice skate, right?
Even that, I’m not a real Canadian. I don’t play hockey. I am a skateboarder. I grew up skateboarding. I couldn’t afford hockey equipment, is the actual truth of it … so I never played hockey. I can ice skate. I’m not the best stopper. I’m like Zoolander. I’m not an ambi-turner. I can’t stop two ways, only one way. And for the most part, I usually just use the boards to stop me. So it wasn’t like I was teed up into some great situation going into a rollerskating scene.
How did Crystal, as a first-time director, handle that on-the-fly choreography experience?
A lot of that stuff we were sort of coming up with, and Crystal was watching and filming, and she was just the best audience ever. So I could just sort of go off of her giggles and her reactions, what was working and what wasn’t. And Kat was new to rollerskating herself, and she had found out that she was with child. So she was going through the rigors of early pregnancy as well as having a pretty full-blown cold. A lot of people were getting sick. So what you see there is the best I could do and I apologize.
There were some repeated moves fromThree Wise Menthat I noticed. I’m sure the fans will love it.
I don’t have that many moves. I told you, the brain cells are already overtaxed as it is.
Tyler Hynes and Katherine Barrell in Hallmark Channel’s ‘Shifting Gears’.Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media
I know you had your mom on set. Why was this the right movie to bring her along?
Because it was in Ottawa, her hometown. And certainly, she would’ve murdered me if I said no to this movie. She has access to my emails. This is how she keeps up on what’s going on. And so she saw the offer come in even before I did. She was already in my text messages going, “This is really good. You should do this.” But yeah, that was obviously a huge bonus. And she told me that she was going to give me some time to get comfortable with everybody, and then check if it’s time to come. But immediately. I walk off set, and there she is behind the monitors, already introduced to everybody. “Mom, what are you doing?”
She’s like, “I live 30 minutes from here. I just can’t not be here right now.” I was like, “You can do whatever you want.” And so she became a staple behind the monitors, just illegally filming all the scenes and having a blast. And it was the best. She was putting herself in my eye line behind other actors that I was acting with and just being right off beside their faces. I was like, “Mom, come on.”
When was the last time she came to set with you?
It was I think like 15, 20 years. And she sacrificed a lot. Everything. I wouldn’t be here without her. … Bringing me to auditions, coming with me to set. I was doing theater when I was young, touring the country, and she was traveling with me. Like, this is a huge sacrifice for a grown woman to make. and I’ll forever be indebted to her. So she can stand behind anybody while I’m acting with them, as awkward as that might be. And she could stand behind any monitor that she likes, because she’s certainly earned it.
Speaking of family, you had your nieces in one scene! How was that?
This movie seems like it was a special experience for you.
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Shifting Gearspremieres Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.
source: people.com
