Interview: Amanda Kloots Talks Returning to Acting In FIT FOR CHRISTMAS

Amanda Kloots stars in Fit For Christmas, the new CBS original holiday film, which she also co-created and executive produces.

It tells the tale of Audrey, an enthusiastic Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor at a beloved, financially beleaguered community center in quaint Mistletoe, Mont., who begins a holiday romance with a charming, mysterious businessman, complicating his plans to turn the center into a more financially profitable resort property.

Fit For Christmas also stars Paul Green, Rebecca Budig, Stephan Miers, Darryl Hinds, Liza Huget, and Barclay Hope. It premieres Sunday, December 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

BroadwayWorld caught up with Kloots to discuss how the tragic loss of her husband, Nick Cordero, inspired her to create the film, why fitness should be a part of the holiday season, and if she would ever return to Broadway.

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It's so exciting to see you return to acting. What made you want to take on this project?

Well, I created it! I'm a lover of Christmas movies. I've watched them for years and I was watching one in July of 2020 and it was on a night that I just could not sleep. I had little Elvis next to me and at the time they were playing Christmas movies in July to help people get through the height of Covid. Nick [Cordero] had passed about two weeks ago, so I just was in a hard place. I was watching this Christmas movie at 3:00 AM and I thought, "You know, they've never done a Christmas movie about a fitness instructor and I don't know why." So I was like, "I'll create one."

So I thought of an idea and I talked about it on a podcast and the podcast hooked me up with a writer. We became instant creative buddies and pitched it to CBS and they loved it and they said, "We wanna make this movie." It was a total Cinderella story. Dream come true.

Fitness in Christmas movies is such an untapped market. I love it.

That is what I'm saying. Well, I don't know why no one had done it before, but thank goodness they hadn't beause I did it.

So what was the process like getting to create it and then executive produce it through CBS?

It was so exciting because I didn't co-write it but I was definitely part of all of the creating of it and the characters and everything that we did. That was really fun actually. I'm so excited that I got to be a part of all that process because we started pretty quickly working with an amazing exec here and Anna White, the writer, and and Justin, the executive producer here, we were on Zooms pretty much all the time going through the movie, the script, rewriting the script, rewriting ideas, plot points.

It was extremely exciting to be a part of all of that and how it changes and the different script colors, et cetera. It was changing up until the day we started filming. So it was really, really fun. I loved being a creator and executive producer on my first film. It was just really such a great way to dive in and to learn on the fly what goes into making a movie.

We've mentioned your love of fitness, so what was it like getting to combine that with acting in the movie?

It was a dream come true, to be honest. My fitness company is the first company that I started when I decided to leave Broadway and to leave performing. My fitness business means the world to me and to see how it has grown over the years has just been thrilling. I love it. Fitness for me also is just such a positive force. I really have, especially in the day and age of like mental health and people living with so much stress and anxiety and depression, I think fitness is such a key part of healing that. To be able to be on set in this movie and be able to act and also share that passion of fitness, it was incredible obviously this character has a lot of me in it so it was really fun to be able to put myself into a lot of this character, but then also throw on the different things that make Audrey, Audrey.

What do you think lovers of Christmas movies will enjoy about this film?

I think that they will love Paul and I's chemistry. We have a really good chemistry, the two of us. He's my co-star, Paul Greene, he's a Christmas movie veteran. He's been in many of them. He was just so wonderful and gracious and just a joy to work with every day. We have a great bond and I think that'll come across on screen. I hope people take away the fact that fitness can be a part of the holidays. You don't have to wait until January 1st to make it your New Year's resolution. As you see in this movie, we work out to holiday songs. It makes you happy.

My biggest motto in my fitness business, and we say it in this movie, is that you need to be very grateful to be able to move your body. It is a blessing and it is a privilege. In this time of year where we are overwhelmed and we have a lot going on and you think you don't have time to go for a walk or go to the gym or go take a class, make sure that that's also top priority because your health is very important. Put on some Christmas music and dance around the living room and that's your workout.

I'm sure you guys also had a ton of fun filming the movie. How did you keep the holiday spirit on set?

It is not hard for me to keep the holiday spirit up. I have to say I was so happy being on set every day because everything is the ultimate Christmas tree, Christmas Village Christmas, hotel. The decorations are 110% better than you could ever do at your house. So you just immediately feel happy. It's like walking into Disneyland, you're just immediately happy. It was so fun and it was hot because it was August in Vancouver. But I have to say, the joy of just being around that Christmas atmosphere every day really just puts everybody in a good mood. It's kinda impossible to be in a bad mood on a Christmas movie set.

It only got me more excited for the season. It really did. I remember saying that on set like, "Gosh, I can't wait for it to be December. Like, I just want it to be Christmas."

Like I said before, it's exciting to see you acting again. Is there any chance that we could maybe see you back on Broadway in the future? Or could any musical in general be in the cards?

Oh my gosh, I never say never. I love Broadway. There is nothing like going to your Broadway show every night and being a part of the Broadway community. They are the most amazing people. I would love that opportunity. I love performing. There's nothing like being in a live show and having that around you every single day. It's so super special. So, I mean, I'd have to really get my dancing shoes back on and get the work but yeah, you know, you never say never.

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Watch the trailer for the new film here:

Photos courtesy of CBS