Hallmark's David Gridley Had A Rough Time Filming Love In Zion National
David Gridley made his Hallmark debut with the 2023 flick "Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance." Gridley stars as Adam, a park ranger from the Pueblo Nation, while his co-star Cindy Busby, known as one of Hallmark's biggest outdoor stars, plays museum curator Lauren. The movie was filmed on location at the national park in Utah, with both actors being able to experience the beautiful scenery firsthand.
Even so, Gridley's filming experience wasn't without its obstacles, as the Hallmark star faced "gnarly" food poisoning early on in the process. "The first day of shooting, I'm just like trying to survive and, and put on a face because the night before I was sick all night," he told Just Jared. "That was a unique challenge, and was probably the hardest day on set. I think we had 10 pages [that first day], so it was just, you know, a ton of dialogue and, I'm just trying to push through."
While Gridley is a Hallmark newbie, you might recognize the actor from his many guest appearances on shows like "Army Wives," "Dynasty," and "The Last Ship." He's also landed recurring roles in the TV shows "Guidance" and "Team Kaylee." Even though Gridley had somewhat of a rough time filming his first Hallmark flick, we're glad he was able to make it out the other side with such a beautiful movie.
Utah's weather complicated the movie's filming
Hallmark star David Gridley experienced food poisoning on his first day filming "Love in Zion National," but the movie's run-ins with unfortunate weather were more long-winded. "A lot of the days we had got interrupted by snowstorms, which was crazy for this time of year," the actor shared with Just Jared. "Some of the locals were talking to us and saying they were just having unprecedented weather."
Based on Instagram photos shared by production designer Cameron Barrett, the movie was filmed sometime in March while its storyline is set during the summer. The actors had to dress for warm weather despite the cold, an experience that Gridley lightheartedly said connected him and his stars. "I think the intensity of shooting a 'Summer' movie with summer clothes in 18 degree weather helped bond us!" he told Survived the Shows.
This cold weather also lent itself to one of the most difficult scenes for Gridley to film, as the "Team Kaylie" actor explained that they filmed a scene in Zion's slot canyon following a snowstorm the night before. "We had to shoot in a wind tunnel with a T-shirt on," Gridley said. "Probably the coldest I've even been."
David Gridley appreciated the movie's beautiful setting
David Gridley may have hit some rough patches while filming his debut Hallmark movie, but that doesn't mean the experience was completely negative. In fact, the actor had plenty of positive things to say about the process, mentioning the movie's location as a particular highlight.
"One of the big things that, got me excited about the movie was the fact that it was shooting in, Zion," Gridley said to Just Jared. "I'd never been to that part of the country before, so that was a big, big draw for me." Though his co-star Cindy Busby was one of the many Hallmark stars to leave the network for the Great American Family channel, she had similarly positive things to say about the film's location before making her departure.
During a Hallmark interview, the "Toying with the Holidays" actor was asked about her favorite filming spots from the movie. "I mean all of them," she said with a laugh. "Once you see the movie you'll realize just how stunningly gorgeous Zion National Park is."