Pat Monahan's Journey From Singer To Hallmark Star
In 2021, Pat Monahan brought the music of Train to our television screens with the Hallmark holiday movie "Christmas in Tahoe." While the pop rock band is most known for hits like "Hey Soul Sister" and "Drops of Jupiter," it also made quite the festive impact with its 2015 holiday album "Christmas in Tahoe," which served as the inspiration behind the titular Hallmark flick.
"Ever since having made our Christmas album, 'Christmas in Tahoe,' it's been a dream of mine to bring it to life on the screen," Monahan shared in a statement. "Hallmark has now made that dream a reality. I loved being able to not only act but also perform 'Shake Up Christmas' and our new, original song, 'Mittens,' in the movie" (per GoErie).
The movie follows Laura Osnes as Claire, a talent booker who must seek the help of her now-famous ex-boyfriend Ryan, played by Kyle Selig, to save her family's annual hotel Christmas show. Monahan plays Jackson, the hotel concierge and best friend to Claire, who performs in the musical show alongside Selig's character.
Monahan collaborated with Hallmark because of their holiday history
In an interview with People, Pat Monahan opened up about how his Christmas music went from album to movie in 2021, explaining that his management team came up with the idea a few years after the record's release. "They actually went to Hallmark right away because Hallmark rules Christmas," the singer said, adding that the project was a long time coming.
"It's just taken a long time, but [Hallmark is] so dialed in on how to do this that it just came together. And when it did come together, then it was fast," Monahan explained, which makes sense with what we know about how long it takes to actually film a Hallmark movie. "It was four years of waiting and then six months of, 'Okay, here's the script. Let's go.'"
The Train front man went on to add that "Christmas in Tahoe" differed from many classic Hallmark flicks because of its focus on music and its targeting of a slightly younger audience. Though it was a challenge for the channel, Monahan adds that he thinks the flick did a great job of incorporating more music while capturing the holiday spirit.
The singer talked about the details of his Hallmark role
Pat Monahan also talked about what it was like playing the sidekick role of Jackson in "Christmas in Tahoe," explaining that he had a great time with the part. "Once they put me in a purple sweater it was just like I can be whoever I want. It was the opposite of how I would ever dress for any humans to see me," the singer told Southern Living, adding that he thought the cast and crew got a real kick out of his "hideous" Christmas sweaters.
He similarly shared with People that he got some staging tips from his co-star Tom Butler, who plays Claire's dad in the flick. "He taught me how to walk away from the camera and walk to it," Monahan said. "He is pretty cool. He showed me how John Wayne used to find his place on the floor."
While "Christmas in Tahoe" was mainly filmed in Canada, its story was inspired by the titular California town, which was experiencing major wildfires at the time of filming. Because of this, Monahan pledged to donate 100% of his net profits to Keep Tahoe Blue: League to Save Lake Tahoe. Though the singer seemed to genuinely enjoy working on the movie, it also gave him an opportunity to give back to the community that inspired his music.