Janel Parrish & Parker Young Honor Military Families in Hallmark’s ‘Christmas on Duty’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Plus, the duo dish on the film’s ‘enemies-to-lovers’ vibe!
When it comes to holiday romance, is there anyone out there who does it quite like Hallmark? This year, their annual Countdown to Christmas lineup is as exciting as ever, and one of the films we’ve been anticipating most is Christmas on Duty, starring Janel Parrish and Parker Young, premiering on November 1. In an exclusive chat with Woman’s World, Janel and Parker dish on the chemistry between their characters and honoring service members and military families through this film.
Janel Parish talks ‘Christmas on Duty’
In this exciting new film, Janel Parrish brings life to Blair while Parker Young plays Josh, two members of the military whose rivalry dates back to their basic training days. Fast forward a few years, the duo cross paths at a holiday party, resulting in a large spectacle that lands them both on Christmas duty. Working together for 24 hours straight, things get complicated when a snow storm prevents the base from receiving any Christmas presents—forcing the unlikely duo to step up and save the holiday.
According to Parrish, as far as the “enemies-to-lovers” connection goes, she finds that’s “what makes it so fun.” She continues, “You meet these two in basic training, and there’s a little bit of chemistry. Something happens, they’re a little bit too competitive, and suddenly, they are now rivals.” Once they’re forced to work together as punishment, “Everything that happens after that is just so much fun. There’s so much tension, there’s some fun bantering, there’s some really fun action sequences that we get to do together, and yes, ultimately, some romance.”
“It was also just a fun script,” shared Parker. “It was a really fun romantic comedy.”
‘Christmas on Duty’ is a love letter to those in the military
For both Janel and Parker, portraying service members was an honor, and an experience that’s personal to the both of them. “Parker and I both have loved ones that are in the service,” she shared. “My sister is in the service. She was so proud that I was playing a service member and representing the military, something that I’ve never played before. I very much felt like, wow, that’s exciting, but I want to do it right, and I want to represent authentically.”
Parker shared those feelings, telling Woman’s World, “It’s such an honor to get to play a service member, and I feel so privileged every time I get to put on some fatigues and some combat boots and represent this community that’s very near and dear to my heart.”
This duo recognizes that it isn’t just the service members they’re representing, but their families as well. “I think that’s the important part here is that the mom or dad may deploy, but it’s the other spouse that’s stuck at home, picking up the slack and taking care of the kids on their own, and the kids are growing so much of the time without their mom or dad, and that’s incredibly challenging.” He continued, “It’s incredibly challenging, and I don’t think we as Americans appreciate and realize all the sacrifices that are made, not just by the members of the military, but the entire family, the familial unit. And so this is our love letter to the service members and to their families.”
Tune in to Christmas on Duty on November 1 at 8/7c on Hallmark!
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