‘The Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond Dishes on Her Acting Debut: ‘I Have a Flirt Scene’
Ree Drummond knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be in a Christmas movie, even if acting isn’t exactly in her comfort zone. While The Pioneer Woman star loved her experience co-starring in the upcoming discovery+ movie Candy Coated Christmas she said she plans to “stay in my lane” as a cookbook author and Food Network host.
Drummond dished on her role in Candy Coated Christmas during a Sept. 15 interview with ET. The Pioneer Woman star plays Bee in the holiday movie and said she enjoyed the acting gig, especially since she’s not the star.
For Drummond, the decision to accept the role (which was written for her) was a no-brainer. “It’s definitely my first movie. I am not an actor, I am the host of a cooking show, but when Food Network asked if I wanted to participate in their first Christmas movie, I think I said yes in like .2 seconds,” Drummond said.
She put aside her lack of acting experience because it was just too juicy a proposition. “And even though I knew I couldn’t act and I knew I had no experience whatsoever, I just thought, ‘How could you say no to that?’” Drummond shared. “I mean, Christmas movies are just such a part of tradition and I have friends that are so obsessed with them, so I said yes and then I thought, ‘What in the world have I done?'”
The Pioneer Woman star had to work through her nerves but the film’s director was a huge help. “I was sent the script for the Christmas movie right off the bat, so I could read about my character’s involvement, and it is a small part which helps my nerves a little bit. I’m not carrying this picture by any means,” she explained.
Drummond shared that the writer/director went through the Food Network star’s lines with her on Zoom. “She really kinda coached me through the scenes and gave me things to think about and so when I landed here in Utah, I kinda had that moment where I thought, ‘There’s literally no going back now,’ and I’m actually gonna have to act.”
The Pioneer Woman star also revealed some of the fun she had playing the character. “Here’s a little scoop for you — I’m supposed to flirt with somebody next to a Christmas tree… I have a flirt scene.”
Drummond said that being on a movie set was an interesting departure from what she’s used to doing. In one scene where she had a basket of treats, someone held the basket for her when she wasn’t filming. She was floored. “My cooking show, I don’t do all the work but I don’t have someone to hold things for me, so it was kind of nice,” Drummond noted.
As for her family, they were supportive of her move into acting. “My girls were saying, ‘Go Mom, you’ve got this, slay queen,’ and my youngest said, ‘Go Momma,’ and Jamar was encouraging. And then Bryce, my 18-year-old, said, ‘Don’t say anything cheesy, please,’” she explained. “So that was like the last message I received from my supportive family.”
Will she take on more acting roles? Drummond joked that she’s ready for her Oscar, adding, “I’m going to stay in my lane with my cooking show. I’m not going to pursue a career in acting, but if another Christmas movie pops up, I would love to hop in.”
