Skyler Samuels in ‘Aurora Teagarden Mysteries’. Photo credit: Sven Boecker, Hallmark Media.
Actress Skyler Samuels spoke about taking on the role of Aurora Teagarden on Hallmark’s hit mystery series “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New.”
Jessica Harmon directed the film from a script by Teena Booth.
Skyler Samuels stars alongside Evan Roderick, Marilu Henner, and Madison Smith. It will premiere Friday, June 9 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Stepping into the role of Aurora Teagarden
On playing the titular role of Aurora, she said, “It’s been a lot of fun being Aurora, we’ve had a great time filming. It was a great group of people, from our crew to our cast. It was fun.”
“I think it was a fun challenge to be able to play a character that already exists, but to reimagine it in a completely different way. I was able to bring to life elements of a character that people already know but infuse new elements into that character. I think the new Aurora will feel new to the audience,” she explained.
“It was great working with Madison Smith, he’s very good at this. Madison has such a great role in this, and he was great to work with,” she exclaimed. “Marilu Henner was amazing playing my mom, and Evan Roderick was just the best, especially coming into the Aurora and Arthur dynamic. I loved working with them.”
Background to ‘Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New’
Synopsis: After college, young Aurora Teagarden (Skyler Samuels) finds herself back home with her mother, Aida (Marilu Henner) in Lawrenceton to earn her graduate degree.
Working as a teacher’s assistant in a crime fiction class, Aurora is struggling to decide on a thesis. To support her studies and her life, Aurora also works as a waitress at the local diner at night, where she shares her love of investigating true crimes with her soon-to-be-married friend Sally and police officer Arthur ( Evan Rodrick).
When Sally’s fiancé fails to show up at the wedding rehearsal, bridesmaid Aurora asks Arthur to help her find him. When a body is discovered, everyone assumes that he is Sally’s late boyfriend, but when it turns out to be someone else, Sally’s fiancé becomes the prime suspect for her.
“I hope the new ‘Aurora Teagarden’ is family-friendly, as it is exciting for the original audience, who were very loyal and loved the original ‘Aurora’ films. I also hope that our reimagining and taking on the new Aurora and the whole world of it, which is very different from the original movies, also opens up an opportunity for a whole new audience, a younger generation of people. I hope that we can reach a wide audience with this film,” she explained.
digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, Samuels said, “I guess it’s a bit overwhelming. It’s great that we can do so much remotely, but it does have its drawbacks. The digital age has its pros and cons, it is a double-edged sword”.
Advice for acting aspirants.
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to “stay in school if you can.” “Have an education that you are passionate about, whether it is in school or in a hobby outside of acting. That brings a lot of depth to who you are as an actor and a lot of peace as a human being when you choose to be an actor for a living,” she suggested.
“It was really important for me to finish college, it took me eight years because I was working as an actor and paying to pay for my studies, so I couldn’t finish in the traditional way, but I managed to finish. Committing to it and having that happen alongside a growing career really made me feel like I could achieve anything. It was really empowering,” he acknowledged.
stage of his life
About the title of the current chapter of his life, Samuels said: “Farm Life”. “My fiance and I just bought a house. I grew up in Los Angeles and lived in the city my whole life, but I bought a little farmhouse in Georgia, so when I’m not working I live on my farm. It’s a very funny and strange new chapter. I’m learning a lot of new things, but it’s been great,” he explained.
Success
“In the beginning, for me, success meant achieving what I set out to do,” Samuels said. “Success is continuing through something, even when it’s challenging, so now it’s much more process driven than product driven. It’s about committing to stick to it, whatever it is.”
“One of my favorite mottos to live by is from Jamie Lee Curtis. She taught me nearly a decade ago: “when in doubt, deal with something challenging, stay light and polite, and I really like that one, especially because it rhymes,” she said.
To learn more about actress Skyler Samuels, follow her on Instagram.
