This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to actors Hunter King and Tyler Hynes, who are the stars of a new Hallmark movie called ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.’
In their interview with Easton Jr., King and Hynes explained the romantic story that the movie tells and talked about the inspiration they gained from the franchise and Chiefs Kingdom while developing their on-screen characters.
“I play Alana, and her family—they are the biggest Chiefs fans,” King said of her character. “They’ve had season tickets for multiple generations. It’s how her whole family met and began in the first place, and she wants to help them win the Fan of the Year award. Derrick is the Director of Fan Engagement for the Chiefs, and he’s new to the Chiefs, a little new to football, but definitely new to the Chiefs, and they meet, and they butt heads a little bit because Alana is not happy that this man who is new to the Chiefs is in charge of picking the Chiefs Fan of the Year.”
Alana, played by King, values a particular item from her family that they believe affects the outcome of Chiefs games. The holiday accessory is her grandfather’s vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat, which shockingly goes missing during the contest.
“So at first, they butt heads,” King explained, “and then with a little bit of a push and shove from her family, they help her recognize the spark that exists between the two of them that she’s been trying to ignore. They have a really sweet journey, and he helps her discover more things about herself, and she teaches him about the Chiefs and football and what it means to have tradition and superstition. We are excited for people to see it.”
Her co-star Hynes plays the aforementioned Derrick, who works in the Chiefs’ front office and is charged with judging the fan contest before meeting Alana and her family. The veteran actor described his process of researching the role and history with the Chiefs front office.
“The staff at the Chiefs, I had met a lot because I had done a promo with the Chiefs a year prior for the postseason, and that started my relationship with them,” Hynes said of his familiarity with the team. “So, I already knew some of the staff, and I had met more and were making the movie. I always tell them it’s a biopic about their story. Because this is a peek behind the curtain of their lives.
“We’re in a conference room in one of the scenes in the movie. In that same conference room where we shot, they decided to do both the promo and the movie, and they had all those meetings. We were in their world, and I was playing them in this movie. I’m sure they’ll all be disappointed.”
Assisting in her research for the role of Alana, King embraced the fans of Chiefs Kingdom, drawing inspiration to pour into her character’s dedication and love for the team.
“Everybody could not have been more welcoming to us when we came to Kansas City,” said King. “They welcomed us with open arms. Everybody was asking are you a Chiefs fan? What do you need to know about the Chiefs? Like very much they wore their Chiefs gear every day. I’ve never seen a city like Kansas City where it feels like a Hallmark movie when you step out of the airport and, like everyone at all times, are in Chiefs gear.
“It’s incredible. I love watching football; I have loved watching football since I was a kid. So, I definitely had respect for the Chiefs before filming this movie, and now, after filming this movie, I have a deep love and understanding of Chiefs Kingdom.”
Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story Premieres Saturday, November 30, 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.
