WHEN CALLS THE HEART, AcTING, HALLMARK
Welcome to this behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of ‘When Calls the Heart’ with the delightful Amanda Wong! In this candid and insightful Q&A, Amanda, who portrays the beloved Mei Sou, takes us on a journey through Season 12, sharing her experiences, thoughts, and behind-the-scenes secrets. From the heartwarming moments with her fellow cast members to the emotional depth of Mei’s storylines, Amanda reveals the magic that makes Hope Valley so special. Get ready to dive deep into the heart of the show as we discuss everything from wedding traditions and comedic mishaps to the poignant themes of community and acceptance that resonate with ‘Hearties’ everywhere. Plus, Amanda is dishing on the episodes ahead!
Q: We know that Mei joined us in Hope Valley in Season 9, and for reasons that we won’t go into, things did not work out with the Mountie, but there was some spark that worked with Mei and Mike. So, would you say that it was one of those situations where the writers or those producing saw something between Mei and Mike, or was it like, “Hey, let’s dream up this idea and see if there’s anything there?” What do you think?
A: I had no clue. Ben, who plays Mike, saw it from a mile away. It happened at a gathering, like a barbecue, during tug of war. Mike and Mei were on the same team. Then, at a picnic, we sat next to each other, both disappointed about the Mountie spending time with Dr. Faith. I think the writers saw an opportunity to pair up the solo people. They saw these characters going in a different direction. Mei was serious and reserved, while Mike was unlucky in love. What brought them together was the singing moment in the choir, where Mike was confident and secure. He wasn’t chasing a crush, which made him more desirable.
Q: Mike and Mei hit it off quickly, had a short courtship, and a gorgeous wedding. Can you talk about your input in celebrating Mei’s heritage?
A: For the dinner scene, I had input on the outfit, a traditional Chinese dress. My grandmother helped with the dress, ensuring the flowers were appropriate. Barbara sent photos, and my grandmother approved. I wore a mint green dress. Set deck did a beautiful job with the lanterns. For the wedding, we had the same lanterns, drums, and traditional dresses. I had some input, but the team was excellent. They hired a wedding specialist. I sent them a picture of my great-grandmother’s wedding dress, which was a white gown. I opted for a red dress and no white veil. Our hairstylist, Sandy, put a lotus in my hair, a beautiful detail. It was harkening back to my great-grandmother’s name, or something like that. So I was like, that’s such a small, beautiful detail that I would never have thought about. I told the writers that if we had time, I’d love to show the fun Chinese wedding traditions, like games the bridesmaids make the groom play. But with Mike disappearing, a quick wedding was perfect to gather everyone and bring Mei’s brother, Beau.
Q: The wedding was beautifully executed, especially when Mike brought the community with drums. In the next episode, Nathan says, “We march to our own drum,” referring to him and Elizabeth. Was that a callback to Mike and Mei?
A: Honestly, I like to think it was. The writers sprinkle these things in. When Mei and Mike saw each other, Elizabeth and Nathan exchanged a look, feeling secure in their relationship. It could be deliberate.
Q: Will that comment, “We march to our own drum,” come back up later in the season?
A: There are no drums being beat towards the end of the season, I don’t think. But who knows, maybe next season we start a band.
Q: Mike and Mei come back to Hope Valley in Episode 2, and we hear about their honeymoon in Chicago. With Mei’s history, did you find that interesting?
A: That is a very interesting point, and funnily enough, I didn’t even think about it until you brought it up. I didn’t really know where we went. I just knew we went somewhere, and it was bad, and then later on, it was not bad because we were dancing there. That’s when I realized we were actually in Chicago. I think the reason why Chicago is because, firstly, Hope Valley is elusive. We don’t even know where it is geographically. But wherever it is, it has to be close enough to San Francisco, to Toronto, to Chicago, to Union City, to Cape Fuller, Hamilton. So I think the reason why the writers had written that we went to Chicago is because it has to be somewhere that’s accessible in 1920 by train. And sure, there was a history there, but I think there was probably nowhere else these two probably could go. And hopefully, Jeffrey Lewis, Mei’s fake ex-husband, is off somewhere else with his other fake wives.
Q: Mike and Mei are also individually good friends to the people around them and we were pleasantly surprised in Episode 5. When Fiona came back to town. And we got to see that really neat moment where she’s sitting alone. And here’s Mei and Faith coming, and just that special time where they were able to be together. So what was that like?
A: Oh, I think that scene, even though it was scripted, felt very real for the three of us. For Season 10 and a portion of 11, but especially Season 10, Faith, Mei, and Fiona spent a lot of time together. They were roommates, they had ‘girl chats,’ and they often talked about things other than Nathan—though, it’s funny, they did talk about him too. Fiona and Faith are probably Mei’s best friends in that universe, and certainly in Hope Valley. This is evident in their frequent heart-to-hearts. Whenever Mei has a problem with Mike, she turns to them. It’s interesting; she seems to discuss romantic matters primarily with Faith, while interpersonal relationships are often explored with Fiona. For instance, when Mei felt she didn’t belong or didn’t know how to navigate the face mask situation because she felt inadequate and unsure how the tourists would perceive it, it was Fiona who comforted her. Individually and together, the three of them have shared many deep conversations, fostering a strong bond. So, when Fiona returned to town, it mirrored how we feel about Kayla, who is now pursuing other opportunities and isn’t in town as much as we’d like. We want her to fulfill her potential; she’s a rising star. Even in the script, we acknowledge she’s destined for greater things. While there’s a tinge of sadness that she’s not with us all the time, we also feel immense happiness and hope for her.
I think Fiona and Faith share a beautiful connection, especially when discussing the unnamed man. Mei, now married, observes that married life, particularly with an unnamed man, might not be Fiona’s true destiny. However, like many friends, we offer our opinions, but ultimately, we respect their choices. We don’t dwell on it or make them feel bad. We support them and deal with the situation at hand. So, when Fiona decides to get married, despite Faith’s visible hurt, Mei congratulates her. ‘If this is truly your choice,’ she says, ‘we’ll support you as best we can. We’ve shared our thoughts, but ultimately, it’s your decision.’ Then, in the barbershop scene, where Mr. Winkler has sold the shop, Mei grapples with her own feelings in front of Fiona. Before entering the shop, she has to compose herself and be happy for her friend. Similarly, during the phone call, she processes her emotions. But once the decision is made, the shop is sold, and there’s nothing to change it. Mei puts on a happy face and says, ‘Well, a new chapter begins for you.’ This reflects the dynamics of real friendships. It was easy to play these scenes because we genuinely feel those things for each other, especially for Kayla.
Q: Mike and Mei forgot they were on duty at the cafe, and you guys kind of mumbled and faked your way through it. Can you talk a little bit about that?
A: Yeah, we totally forgot. Ben and I were on a funny tangent. We really love making the crew laugh. It’s Ben’s favorite thing. His goal is to get as many laughs as he can, even by repeating the same things. Sometimes, during rehearsals, the crew would laugh, and I’d look over, and he’d say, “I live for this.” It gives him so much joy. His idea when we were coming in was to ad-lib different things each time. Sometimes I’d say random things, like “500,000,” and he’d ask, “What is that even about?” He said something like, “No, you’re cute,” which ended up being used. In another version, he asked if we could eat ice cream, but the director said no. We first walked in and did a rehearsal, but we took it too far, so the director told us to dial it back. We realized the scene wasn’t about us; we were just comedic relief. We tried to make the best of the situation with pickles, old bread, and chicken.
Q: When they deliver the food, they set a lit candle down on the table. Is that standard protocol for a cafe dinner at night, or were Mike and Mei picking up on something between Edie and Lucas?
A: It’s not standard protocol. In any other scene at the cafe in the evening, there are no candles. To think they had that much awareness of the situation is giving them too much credit. They were just scrambling, grabbing anything from the back. If the candle had knocked over it would have been disastrous. I don’t even know why they brought in a candle. It could have been like we’re having a picnic.
Q: So we’ve been through 9 episodes so far this season. What would you say has been your favorite moment for Mei?
A: There was a choreographed dance that Mike and Mei did that was cut out. That was probably one of the highlights. I also think the other dance scene with Elizabeth and Rosemary was really fun. Any scene with Kayla has been enjoyable. “The Importance of Being Earnest” was super fun because we had a lot of the cast members together. In the first half of the season, we didn’t have as many group scenes, so to have everyone together to eat popcorn outside and have meals together again was reminiscent of Hope Valley and what we like to do.
Q: You’re an actor on the show. But I imagine you’re a fan as well. So do you have a favorite storyline that’s maybe not Mei’s that you’re enjoying this season?
A: I feel like watching the Canfields this season has been heart-wrenching. Their scenes have been so deep, loving, and fun. I’ve been really enjoying the dancing. It’s just really touching for me to see, especially since I love the family. That storyline, while difficult to tell, has been executed very beautifully. It’s a tough topic to talk about Angela’s disadvantages being blind and her wanting to break free and be an independent person, and Minnie’s struggle with that. It’s something many people relate to when the children leave the nest. That’s one of my favorites. I also really love a good masquerade or fake identity story. So when they went to that Gatsby party, I just loved that. And the way it was shot was so cool, and it was all in the church.
Q: We’re excited to see that Hope Valley has certainly had an impact on Mei. What would you say has been the biggest way the town has changed her?
A: I would say it all started in Season 10 when Fiona and Mei had that conversation about her being accepted as she is. That was the first moment she started to let her guard down. When she first came in, she was guarded, mysterious, and reserved. Then her insecurities and vulnerabilities started to creep out, like with the face mask, not feeling Asian enough, and performing in front of everyone. The biggest change Mei has experienced in Hope Valley is this acceptance. I think that’s why a lot of us are fans of the show. It makes us feel like there’s a place where we belong and a community we belong in.
Q: We know that “When Calls the Heart” is great at incorporating actors’ real-life skills. Are there any interests or skills that you have that Hope Valley has not tapped into that you would like to see integrated into Mei’s storyline?
A: I always try to develop skills that Mei be of use one day to them. I did a lot of martial arts when I was young. I don’t think we’re going to fight anything. However, I just started this new thing where I’m spinning like a staff, like a really long stick, and I can twirl it. I can do some figure eights. I can roll it over my hands now. I can swap hands and flick it into my other hand and catch it and stuff. So I just started that it’s only been a month, and I think it’d be fun if we could incorporate that if I got to a point where I was good enough. I just imagine a situation where I think there’s a robber, and then I grab the staff.
Q: Now we know that Mei and Mike have to make a mad dash out of town. Are we gonna get any more Mei on a horse?
A: No, but I wish. I want to do more horse stuff. We do see us leaving the town, and we do come back. But I am not on a horse. I’m on a train, I believe, an overnight train.
Q: Rosemary’s got a great radio show going on right now, and we know that Mei dabbles in a bunch of different things. If Mei had a segment on Rosemary’s radio show what would her segment be called, and what would she talk about?
A: I’ve been really enjoying what they’ve been doing with the radio so far. I think that the baseball thing that hasn’t happened yet? I think that also “The Importance of Being Earnest” was a very fun storyline. What would Mei talk about? Well, she used to like to read. I think that’s one of the things that Mike and her bonded over. Maybe she would have the first audio book, like late night reading a novel. I feel like talking about the pharmacy or ice cream or face masks is not really like a hit topic.
Q: We know that Hickam and Mei are throwing a harvest festival for the town on Sunday night. Is there a significance behind this? Or is this more of a longstanding community tradition, like a Thanksgiving that we would do here in the States?
A: One of the things that the writers and I spoke about was they were asking me what kind of holidays and things we celebrate. And one of the big ones for us is Chinese New Year. And it’s not even the day that’s the most important. It’s the Eve. That’s most the day or the day after. It’s not a mandatory dinner, but the Eve is the mandatory dinner at my house, and so we would take all of the tables in the family house and make one long table that stretched from the kitchen to the dining room, and then we’d get all the chairs from all over the house. So you know, at some point you’re pulling out the piano bench and the step stools and and the swivel computer chairs and the ottomans, and everyone’s sitting on mismatched chairs, and our family has grown quite a lot. So we usually have about 35 people at dinner. And yeah, usually it’s my grandmother who makes the dinner. And now it’s my grandmother and my mom who makes it. And there are always specific types of food that we eat. We eat prawns because prawn in Chinese or shrimp in Chinese is ha! Which is like a homonym, for like laughter, right? So like ha, ha! So you eat like shrimp. So you’re laughing into the New year, you know. So I had told them about our Chinese, New York traditions. And they’re like, do you do it in the fall? And I was like, well, no. Do you do anything in the fall? And I said, Well, there’s like a mid autumn festival, and then you eat like moon cakes and we look at the moon. And around harvest time everyone celebrates a harvest together with people.
Q: That’s episode 10. And in Episode 11, we know that little Jack falls ill, and that Hickam, and Mei have a special part to play in that, and that they race to secure medicine. Does Mei immediately know what will help little Jack?
A: Mei is a pharmacist. The reason Mei goes is because she has read about it in one of the pharmacy journals. It’s very new. What’s really lovely is that it was actually invented by two people in Toronto. So, that story is timely in the Hope Valley timeline, which isn’t common. You know, there are wars and things we don’t discuss. But this one, we do discuss. It’s also timely in the sense that it’s something we still deal with today, which is cool. Mei reads about this in one of the academic journals. It’s very new. At the time, the illness little Jack has could be a life sentence. It’s life or death. Everyone is incredibly sad about that, obviously. We, I think, in “When Calls the Heart,” don’t touch on many serious topics, because our audience enjoys relaxing with the show. Sometimes, serious topics can be the opposite of that. But I do think this is a strong and important storyline. Mei reads about it, and this thing she reads about isn’t really spoken about. It isn’t something we know about. It’s new, and it’s the only thing that gives everyone a little bit of hope. But as the person bringing everyone hope, you don’t want to disappoint anyone. So, Mei experiences a lot of weight from being the bearer of the news, and also having to execute and bring whatever it is back.
Q: So episode 10 is the Harvest festival and then 12 is the graduation. So, I’m assuming there’s some sort of a time jump.
A: Yes, there’s a time jump. We go from fall to spring. They just needed some time to pass. I think. They wanted the season to have the beginning with Mei and Mike and the continuation of Nathan and Elizabeth’s relationship, of course, but they also wanted there to be a graduation. So I think that’s why. I think they wanted to probably end the episode somewhere where it can go somewhere else for the next hopefully season 13.
Q: So who is someone that you would say in these last 3 episodes is really going to be impacted?
A: Well, I mean, the obvious answer is, Elizabeth, she’s going to be impacted. I think the Canfields will also be impacted. But I think that the most impact obviously would be with Nathan and Elizabeth, and probably with Angela and Minnie and Joseph, and figuring out what’s going to happen to Angela, and whether or not she’s going to go to the Schwartzman school.
Q: So you likely know how the season ends. What is going to be our reaction to the last 2 min of the finale?
A: I think I think that there’s going to be a few emotions that kind of are stirred up in the last episode. I would say, there’s going to be some feeling of content. There’s gonna be some uncertainty. And then, of course, you know, “When Calls the Heart” likes to leave things on a little bit of a cliffhanger. It’s not going to be like last year…it’s not that dramatic. There’s definitely some things that have to be figured out by Elizabeth.
Q: So if we get a season 13, do you have any hopes or ideas for Mei?
A: I really appreciate that Mei and Mike maintain their professional lives alongside their relationship. I’d love to see Mei’s friendship with Faith continue, and potentially develop a dynamic with Lily, especially since they’re all living upstairs together. It would be fun to explore the comedic possibilities of that living situation, like imagining Lily as Mei and Mike’s roommate. She’s such a sweet and inquisitive girl. I also adore Chloe, and I’d love to see Mei interact more with the children of Hope Valley.
Eventually, the question of children will likely come up for Mei and Mike. It would be interesting to see how they interact with kids and explore that aspect of their relationship. Mei’s interactions with children have been limited, mainly with Lily and Allie, and a brief moment with Cooper and Angela.
Beyond that, I’d be curious to see how they rebuild their lives after the apartment is fixed. Do they move? Do they renovate together? There’s a lot of potential for both comedic and heartfelt moments in exploring those scenarios.
Q: When you’re in between filming seasons, what is something you’re always eager to get back to when production starts again?
A: Oh, I just love seeing everyone. I still see some of our ‘When Calls the Heart’ people. Natasha, Andrea, and I are planning a hangout when Andrea gets back from her birthday celebration. I saw Rothgar recently, and I see Viv, Natasha, and the Leacock kids for holidays, birthdays, and movie nights. I really love seeing our people. That’s what brings me the most joy. It feels like going to the same summer camp every year, like in ‘The Parent Trap.’ You spend so much time with the same people and look forward to going back. The environment is great, the crew is the same, and it’s a wonderful place to work. We all genuinely look forward to coming back and spending time together.
Q: Ben has recently been bragging about how good he is at fixing grilled cheese. Have you ever had one of Ben Rosenbaum’s grilled cheese sandwiches?
A: I didn’t even know he was good at making grilled cheeses! I’ll make him make me one. It’s funny, because we had a grilled cheese truck on set, and those were phenomenal. I can’t imagine Ben making a better one, but if he says he can, I believe him. He has impeccable taste. He always recommends great coffee shops and restaurants when I travel. I’ll usually try to go to at least one. He’s really good at finding nice places to eat or get coffee. I believe him. And his style is impeccable. We don’t see Mike Hickam’s style like we see Ben Rosenbaum’s. He’s a very stylish man. We saw that a bit at HFR, where he made sure we all followed him for a grand entrance. Ben just owned the runway aisle. He embraces the attention, too, and he’s like, ‘I’m going the other way, too!’ We made a big loop, which we loved. We all stopped and said hi to people as we were exiting, which was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed meeting everyone, taking pictures, and answering questions. It’s very fun—how could it not be? We get to talk about the work and the people we enjoy, with people who enjoy what we do. And it’s very nice.
Q: If you could come up with a word to wrap up the end of the season, what would that word be?
A: Nerve-wracking…but life.
I hope you enjoyed this in-depth look at Season 12 with Amanda Wong. Her insights into Mei’s journey and the behind-the-scenes stories offer a unique perspective for any ‘When Calls the Heart’ fan. As we look forward to what’s next for Hope Valley, we appreciate Amanda sharing her experiences. Stay connected for more exclusive interviews and updates, and join the conversation in the comments below. What were your favorite moments from Season 12? Comment below and visit Instagram Stephanie_Heartnmotion.
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