(L) Danny Pellegrino and Ashley Greene.Photo:Roy Rochlin/Getty; Unique Nicole/Getty
Roy Rochlin/Getty; Unique Nicole/Getty
Danny Pellegrinoisn’t afraid to take notes from millennial icons likeAshley Greene!
In an exclusive sit down with PEOPLE, theEverything Iconichost, 39, opens up about his Hallmark debut withDeck the Wallsand working with seasoned veterans like Green andWes Brownon the LGBTQ+ rom-com he wrote, produced and starred in.
“I absorbed a lot from them. Ashley is such a great dramatic actress,” he says, recalling how he’d pay close attention to her performances. “I would pick her brain afterwards and say, ‘Okay, were you listening to music before? How did you get in that zone?'”
“Just whoever would give me any sort of tip, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to write that down or remember it,'” he adds.
Danny Pellegrino.Hallmark
Hallmark
According to the film’s official logline,Deck the Wallsfollows the story of Rose (Greene), a “Chicago-based interior designer, whose brother Sal [Pellegrino] is responsible for a Christmas Charity House Flip back in their suburban Ohio hometown.”
“When a budget crisis puts this important project in danger, Rose reluctantly returns during the holidays to try to save the day,” the synopsis reads. “Not ready to face the ghosts of her past, Rose’s plan is to get in, get it done, and get out ASAP. But before she knows it, she is face-to-face with Brysen [Brown], her brother’s best friend, contractor and who just so happens to be the bane of Rose’s youth.”
Along the way, Rose “discovers unexpected love and deeper purpose” with the help of her family and friends.
Danny Pellegrino (right).Hallmark
Pellegrino tells PEOPLE, that he was “over the moon” when he learned that Greene would be attached to the project. Not only was he thrilled because of his “millennial connection” to the actress’ iconic performance asAlice Cullen in theTwilightmovies, he also says, “I just was so excited to see what she would bring to the role.”
“When they told me Wes Brown was playing the other male lead, I was thrilled because, as a Hallmark movie junkie, I know that he’s the cream of the crop for the Hallmark hunks,” he smiles. “And so, I knew that he was going to bring something special to it.”
The podcaster also admits he was “worried” about “keeping up” with Greene and Brown on his “first big” acting role.
While working on set ofDeck the Walls, Pellegrino recalls growing emotional as he saw his passion project come to life,
“In-between shots, I would just start crying,” he laughs. “I know that makes me sound so crazy, but I would get so overwhelmed looking around because the sets, what the crew does to these sets is unbelievable.”
“There was one scene on a porch where I was acting alongside Wes Brown, and in the scene, we’re wrapping lights around the porch. It felt like I was living in a dream,” he gushes. “To be alongside this guy who I’ve watched inHaul Out the Hollyand all these other Christmas movies … I can never really properly express how trippy it was, but in the best of ways.”
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Deck the Wallspremieres on Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark.
source: people.com
