‘Truly, Madly, Sweetly’ Star Nikki DeLoach Chats Cast Chemistry, Favorite Scene

Nikki DeLoach is helping kick off Hallmark Channel’s Fall Harvest event on Saturday with her first movie of the year, “Truly, Madly, Sweetly.” She stars in the rom-com as Natalie, a baker who must work with Eric (Dylan Neal), a man she’s only just met, to renovate a bakery they’ve inherited.

In anticipation of the premiere, the actress opened up about her experience filming with her co-star Neal, her favorite “Truly, Madly, Sweetly” scene and what it was like getting back into acting after having her second child.

International Business Times: You and Neal have both done a few Hallmark movies, but this is the first time you’ve worked together. How was it working with him?

Nikki DeLoach: He was so incredible to work with. He was also an executive producer on this movie. So, I got to work with him, not just the actor Dylan but as producer Dylan, which both are such — he’s a tremendous human, but he’s also very smart, and he makes sure that you’re taken care of. He’s got such a vision, and he’s very specific about bringing that to life. He’s really great to work for. And then, as soon as you start production, he puts his actor hat on. It was just fun. It really was. I just sent him a text [Tuesday], basically saying [when] I was watching the trailer, “The trailer turned out so well. I miss it so much.” And he was like, “I know.” So, we really, really did have a great time. We had great chemistry. Both of us are very serious about our work. So, that’s always nice [when] two people come to set and they’re both very prepared. It makes for easier days.

IBT: With filming only lasting three weeks for this movie, did you and Neal have to do any bonding to enhance on-screen chemistry?

DeLoach: You hope that there is chemistry between you and the other person, and, sometimes, that’s not something that you can create. Sometimes that’s just something that is. And you also hope that the other actor’s going to be prepared, and there’s also nothing you can do about that, as well.

I’ve been very lucky because… specifically on Hallmark movies, I’ve worked with Luke Macfarlane, and I worked with Andrew Walker several times and Dylan Neal… So, I’ve been super lucky to work with men that are all very professional and really good at what they do. Also that there’s a lot of chemistry with [them]. I’ve been very, very lucky.

IBT: What was your favorite “Truly, Madly, Sweetly” scene to film?

DeLoach: I think if there was one scene that was probably my favorite to shoot, [it] was the scene in Natalie’s kitchen, where [Eric] comes over and he thinks he’s coming over for a date, and she really was just asking him to come over to talk about business. It’s a moment where the connection almost happens for them, and I think it’s the first time she really realizes that she really has feelings for him. So, it was fun to play because it was really binding both the worlds of comedy and drama into the one scene. She burns the bear claws, the flour on her nose — all those little romantic-comedy moments happen.

The whole [filming] experience was absolutely a dream. I was coming out of just — it was my first job back after having a second child. So, I was super grateful for just a really, really happy filming experience.

IBT: How was it jumping back into filming and having this be your first project?

DeLoach: The work is light, and it’s fun... Specifically, for me, with my second kid, we had to go through open-heart surgery, so it was really — I was coming off a very difficult experience and little-to-no sleep, and I knew that if I was going to do this movie, it was going to be an easy journey. That’s not always the case when you go back to work. With my first son, I went back to work, and I knew I was walking into 16-, 17-hour days. It was really difficult. With this, I knew that the days were going to be easy, and I knew I was working with Dylan, and I knew he was great. And I knew I was working with Ron Oliver, and I knew he was great. So, it was hard to be away from the kids. I would fly home every weekend, but the experience itself was — I’m super grateful for it being such a wonderful experience.

Catch DeLoach in “Truly, Madly, Sweetly” on Hallmark Channel on Saturday at 9 p.m. EDT. To see what she’s been up to during her time off-set, check out the online community she’s co-created, What We Are.