Kristoffer Polaha is beloved by Hallmark fans for his engaging and high-quality movies. In early December, he talked about the secret to what makes his Hallmark movies so great.
Polaha Treats Every Movie ‘Like a Martin Scorsese Film’
In an interview with Woman’s World on December 3, Polaha revealed that he’s been taking his Hallmark movies very seriously ever since his first one, “Dater’s Handbook.”
“I’m going to treat this like a Martin Scorsese film,” he recalled telling a costume designer while making his first movie. “I’m going to treat it like my only chance to get hired again.”
And Polaha has brought that same seriousness to his Hallmark movies ever since.
“When I show up on set, I come prepared with choices and talk about what the story’s going to be, and then figure out the best way to tell that story,” he told Woman’s World. “It’s really become a tangible, deeply enjoyable process that has only been made available through those Hallmark movies. Series television is very locked in, and you have to honor the writing to such a strict degree. With Hallmark, it’s a collaborative effort, and if you have a great idea, they’ll be like, ‘Make it better. Do whatever it takes.'”
In an interview with People in 2022, Polaha shared similar praise about how great it is to work with Hallmark.
“It’s the most collaborative experience I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “I think everybody knows what the score is. They show up without their egos, and they’re ready to work and they know what they’re doing. They know the thing that they’re making… You get 15 shooting days and it’s like camp. It’s a Hallmark camp.”
Meghan Markle Helped Him Realize He Could be a Director
That freedom to have quality control over his Hallmark films helps him ensure excellence in every script and plot.
When asked what his favorite Hallmark movie is, Polaha answered “Biltmore Christmas,” in part because of the support from the community. About 8,000 people were extras in the film, he shared with Woman’s World.
And Polaha brings that same sense of excellence to directing too. He said he first realized he could direct when he was filming “Dater’s Handbook” with Markle and helped problem solve the directing for one scene.
“Meghan turned to me and she said, ‘You know, you’d make a really good director. You should direct,'” he recalled.
In 2022, Polaha talked to People about what it was like to work with Markle on the Hallmark film. He said they filmed about six months before she met Prince Harry.
“We were good friends,” he said. “She texted me when she met him, she was like, ‘I just met somebody.’”
In a 2023 interview with TV Insider, Polaha said her relationship with Prince Harry really helped the movie get popular.
“We didn’t understand what Hallmark was at the time, neither one of us,” he shared. “And then of course, Meghan met Harry later that year and the entire Commonwealth watched that movie over and over and over again.”
Comments
Kristoffer Polaha Reveals Secret to His Hallmark Magic