INTERVIEW: Behind the Scenes with Nikki DeLoach: Hallmark Stars Live Honors Its Dedicated Fans
07/25 @ The Palace Theatre, Albany
Photos provided
“We don’t have that as much – that family-driven night where we all come together. I’m just grateful to be a part of that.”
No two shows are the same — interactive and improvisational from the moment that the actors take the stage, Hallmark Stars Live’s inaugural two-week, multi-city event will arrive at the Palace Theatre on Saturday, July 25. Hosted by actress Nikki DeLoach, attendees will enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, have the chance to ask questions, and get to know their favorite stars.
“It is an extension of what the Hallmark family and brand have been doing for decades,” explains DeLoach. “It is a connection; it is a moment of saying thank you. For our fans, it just deepens that connection that we have with them.”
DeLoach is full of genuine excitement and passion, her face lighting up when asked about the friendships between actors and fans. It’s a busy, early-morning press day for Hallmark Stars Live, but DeLoach takes her time. This personalized attention is a major reason so many people resonate with Hallmark’s actors and films.
If you have ever received a handwritten card that made you feel special, that is the feeling Hallmark Stars Live is striving to recreate — individualized, meaningful, and, most of all, fun.
“That’s the magic of Hallmark. It always has been,” DeLoach affirms. “It’s really hard to explain unless you come and experience it for yourself, so you’re just going to have to come!”
Throughout our Zoom interview, ‘family’ is a word that comes up frequently. What better word describes the bond between actors who have both celebrated and grieved together or the fans who invite them into their homes every week, looking for comfort and a happy ending?
“What we get a lot is ‘your movies got me through fill-in-the-blank,’” she relates. “I have been that person going through the hard thing and waking up and reaching out for hope, for joy, for laughter, for something positive that can get me through whatever valley that I’m going through.”
One of DeLoach’s favorite compliments is hearing that people have watched these movies with their families, partners, siblings, parents, and friends all gathered together, sharing a communal movie night tradition.
“We don’t have that as much,” she acknowledges. “That family-driven night where we all come together. I’m just grateful to be a part of that.”
She compares the films to being a balm or a salve for people. Fans confide in her and her fellow Hallmark actors their family situations and health crises, heartbreaks, and nostalgic holiday memories — all their personal reasons that have made them find not only escapism through the films but also community.
DeLoach knows her fans by name, fondly mentioning a few right off the top of her head. “I can tell you their life journey,” she says, shaking her head in amazement. “How often do you get to say that or experience that with the people that are watching your movies?”
Routinely hosting the Hallmark Christmas Cruise and events such as Hallmark Stars Live has allowed these actors the unique opportunity to know their fans beyond a wave at arm’s length.
“When we did the cruise, we didn’t know what to expect,” she admits, before adding with a smile, “The way that I ended up describing it was a floating island of joy in the middle of the ocean! That’s what this tour is; we’re just bringing the floating island of joy to people’s hometowns with the Hallmark Stars Live tour.”
DeLoach is aware of how rare having a loyal fanbase like this can be in a tricky industry like film. Since she was three years old, she dreamt of performing, and by 12, she had become a staple on The Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling. She is proud to have been a working actress her entire life, calling it one of her life’s ‘greatest gifts.’
Her platform has allowed her to widely share what she considers most important to her: philanthropy. “Ever since I was a little girl, showing up for others has been an important part of my life,” she explains. Her deep faith since childhood is mirrored in her belief that life is meant to be lived in service and helping others.
DeLoach grows serious as the conversation delves into the topic of charity and giving back. “It’s the point of being in this world: to leave it better than when we came into it,” she muses. “For me, it’s one of the greatest gifts to be able to do that and to have a platform to bring attention to issues such as healthcare for children.”
After her son’s prenatal diagnosis with multiple congenital heart defects, she created Benny’s Bracelets with the proceeds going directly to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she is President of the Foundation Board of Trustees. “I truly believe there is no greater cause than saving the life of a child,” she firmly states.
To Deloach, one of her most special fundraising events is the Dance Party to End ALZ, a cause close to her due to her own family’s history with Alzheimer’s and dementia. She serves on the board of Mind What Matters and is a spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Our audience is a huge reason why we meet that giving goal every time we throw this dance,” she says with unmistakable love toward the fans who have made an effort to donate, whether it’s a few dollars or a significant amount to the cause. “The moment that you get out into the world and you begin to give back, it begins to give so much back to you.”
On the day of our interview, fellow actress and tour member Ashley Williams is coming over to help her plan the next Dance Party to End ALZ, a remark from Deloach that only further displays the authentic camaraderie between them.
“One of the questions we get asked the most is if we are as close in real life as we seem to be,” she emphasizes. “Closer. Even closer than we seem to be. We are a family, and we are tight.”
Hallmark’s tours and cruises have drawn the actors even closer together. Joining DeLoach over the course of this tour are her friends, Ashley Williams, Andrew Walker, Jonathan Bennett, Kimberley Sustad, Paul Campbell, and Tamera Mowry-Housley, with appearances varying by date and location.
DeLoach divulges that between films, they spend time together with backyard picnics, phone calls, and charity events — “I spoke to Andrew on the phone yesterday, multiple times!” she laughs.
She believes their off-screen bond is what audiences are responding to on-screen. “I think it is one of the reasons we have had success on the network and why these experiences have been so successful,” observes DeLoach. “The thing our audience taps into more than anything is authenticity. Authenticity in performance and authenticity in the experience of being a part of the Hallmark world.“
Embracing this bond, Hallmark Stars Live is designed as a gift to the dedicated fans who give so much back to the actors and brand. For the actors, it is equally meaningful to create lifelong memories and connections with them.
“It is such an honor to be in people’s homes and in people’s lives,” says DeLoach. “That is just something that I’ll never take for granted and will be grateful for the rest of my life.”
For more information, including ticket pricing and star appearances, visit HallmarkStarsLive.com and palacealbany.org.