Don’t Purchase Into the Age Factor – Desires Evolve as You Do

Don’t purchase into the age factor. Desires evolve as you do. And… don’t hand over 5 minutes earlier than the miracle.

When you like mysteries (and comedy), I hope you’ll watch my latest TV thriller film. It’s referred to as One Dangerous Apple: A Hannah Swensen Thriller, and it premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, April 5 on Hallmark Thriller.

I’m so happy with this film and hope you’ll have as a lot enjoyable watching it as we did making it. That is the 9th film within the Hannah Swensen Thriller sequence (aka Homicide She Baked). It has been one in every of my fave experiences of my profession in each means. I play “Delores”, an opinionated, overbearing mom to Alison Sweeney’s “Hannah”, and our enjoyable and chemistry collectively on and off set is actually a dream come true. 

I nonetheless pinch myself that I get to do that loopy performing factor. I’m positive you’ve heard that while you’re an actress, you’re not alleged to be working a lot previous the age of forty. Nicely, I refused to purchase into that. Astonishingly, I’ve been blessed to work extra within the final fifteen years than I ever did earlier than! I at all times inform youthful actresses to not consider that message both. As a substitute, all of us have to get busy and out-create it by altering our attitudes, persevering with to develop our craft, and studying create and morph ourselves into fascinating characters. Extra girls than ever are directing, writing, and producing now too. We have now tales to inform, and we’re discovering methods to get them informed!

I owe a lot of my profession success over the previous decade to Hallmark and Crown Media – and to the unbelievable, loyal followers who watch what we create. (Thanks!) I name Hallmark the brand new “Hollywood studio system” as a result of they preserve us actors and actresses busy with varied roles and tasks all year long. I’ve now starred in two Hallmark sequence (Chesapeake Shores and Cedar Cove), 26 rom-com and Christmas films, and two homicide thriller wheels. Who knew that at this stage in my life, I’d nonetheless be having an absolute blast dwelling my performing dream?

I’ve wished to be an actress since I used to be 5 years previous. I keep in mind the precise second my dream began. It was throughout my kindergarten Christmas present. I keep in mind carrying footie pajamas, holding a teddy bear, and singing “Me and My Teddy Bear” with gusto, offkey. (I nonetheless sing with gusto, and I’m nonetheless offkey.) However most of all I keep in mind searching on the viewers and getting goosebumps. And you understand what? I nonetheless actually get goosebumps each time I step on a set and face a digicam or an viewers. 

In the present day I’m fortunate to have been dwelling this loopy dream for over 40 years! The roles have diverse all through the phases of my life. I performed glamorous younger ingenues after I began out, and as I realized my craft I obtained supplied extra and higher roles. I even obtained to play Marilyn Monroe in “The Rat Pack”, which was one of many items of my lifetime. These days, I play girls who’ve lived wealthy, full lives – as a result of, by the point you’re my age, all of us have a wealthy historical past of loves, losses, tragedies… and wondrous moments too. As actors, we draw from our personal private historical past to flesh out our characters. Every expertise provides a extra nuanced layer to our “instrument”, which permits us to convey a richer and fuller symphony to our craft. That sounds sophisticated, however it’s not. It’s merely that for those who haven’t realized any classes but, your work shouldn’t be going to be that fascinating.

For me, performing is a type of remedy. It permits me to attempt on issues and experiment with totally different sides of myself. Generally it feels proper to maintain and use it in my actual life. Generally not. However boy, that journey of making and dwelling by one other human being for some time is magical!

I study one thing from every character that I play. Part of them stays with me, lengthy after the director yells “Reduce” and the film is completed. Enjoying Marilyn felt like I had a kinship together with her, we share a whole lot of the identical vulnerability. I simply want I may have identified her and helped her. I performed Megan O’Brien for six seasons of “Chesapeake Shores”, and she or he taught me take duty and preserve preventing to heal myself and my household. After all, working with Deal with Williams will at all times be a spotlight for me. Our characters Mick and Megan got here full circle as a divorced couple, displaying it’s by no means too late to attempt once more.

Indisputably although, Delores Swensen is likely one of the most scrumptious roles I’ve ever performed. And he or she has taught me lots! Delores is like my alter-ego. She says and does issues that the majority of us would by no means do in actual life, and she or he does all of it with such ardour! When she commits to one thing, she follows by… and she or he by no means stops studying. She completely leads together with her coronary heart and needs one of the best for her daughters, however she typically horrifies all of them within the title of affection. (Sadly, my finest pal Sue says there’s a whole lot of Delores in me already. However that makes me cringe, so I hope that I’m not that embarrassing to my daughter Jess!) 

On this latest Hannah Swensen thriller, “One Dangerous Apple”, Delores decides to turn out to be a Personal Investigator and opens her personal Personal Detective Company. As regular, she goes at it 1000%. She has watched all of the previous black-and-white WHODUNNIT films and incorporates that into the type of outlandish sleuth that solely Delores might be. But though she’s obtained her personal means of doing it, she and Hannah uncover she’s good at it! 

So… the lesson I’m studying from enjoying Delores is that one isn’t too previous to cease rising and evolving into the subsequent factor. To dwell life full out, and never be afraid to face out. That it’s okay to be a bit of loopy and kooky occasionally. And that, irrespective of how previous you’re or the place you’re in your life, it’s by no means too late to go after your dream.

One Dangerous Apple: A Hannah Swensen Thriller premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, April 5 on Hallmark Thriller

Barbara Niven is an actor, creator, and speaker. She’s additionally a fierce advocate for human and animal rights. As a mom and grandmother, she is aware of there’s nothing extra vital than saving this planet and all of the beings that dwell on it. 

Throughout her four-decade performing profession, she has appeared in over 150 TV episodes and movies, and over 2500 TV and radio commercials. She additionally served three years on the Nationwide Board of Administrators for the Display screen Actors Guild.

Niven is at present starring with Alison Sweeney within the widespread Hallmark Films unique film franchise “Hannah Swensen Mysteries” (aka “Homicide She Baked”). She starred reverse Deal with Williams, Diane Ladd, and Jesse Metcalfe in six seasons of the #1-rated Hallmark Channel prime time sequence “Chesapeake Shores.” Niven additionally starred within the Hallmark Films & Mysteries unique “Crossword Mysteries” sequence, and with Andie MacDowell within the Hallmark Channel Unique Collection “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove.” Her efficiency as Marilyn Monroe in HBO’s “The Rat Pack” continues to garner reward as “one of many High 3 portrayals of the blonde icon in Movie & TV.” 

Niven has additionally gained worldwide acclaim as Hollywood’s High Media Coach and Video Advertising and marketing Coach. She created her Unleash Your Star Energy! system so she may train individuals hone their message, overcome worry, and use video and public talking to dominate their area of interest. 

Niven can also be a well-liked movie star speaker and best-selling creator. Enterprise and motivational matters embrace “Unleash Your Star Energy!”, “Turn into a Video Advertising and marketing Famous person”, “Stay Your Desires!” and “Consuming Problems & Pressures to be Excellent”. 

Barbara Niven is a large animal welfare advocate and is a Nationwide Ambassador for American Humane. She at present has three rescued canines named Norma Jean, Brando, and Tinkerbell, two rescued feral cat brothers named George and Henry (named after her father, George Henry), and Reba, an orange tabby named after Reba McIntyre who sang “I’m a Survivor”. (Aren’t all of us?)

Her motto? “Stay your ardour, hook up with your goal, make a distinction. And don’t hand over 5 minutes earlier than the miracle.” 

Written By: Barbara Niven

For extra info go to www.BarbaraNiven.com.

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