“Nothing like shooting a Christmas movie in July,” according to Jenna.
Jenna Bush Hager is diving head first into her role in “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.”
The TODAY with Hoda & Jenna co-host, who’s making her acting debut in the forthcoming holiday movie with Hallmark and the Kansas City Chiefs, headed to Arrowhead Stadium on July 15 to film her part — and took TODAY.com along with her.
In between wardrobe fittings, running lines, hair, makeup and interviews with her co-stars, Jenna is able to turn her Hallmark filming experience into a childhood dream come true, hailing back to when she imagined playing Cosette in “Les Misérables.”
“As a little kid, I wanted to be an actress,” Jenna tells TODAY.com. “My mom actually would drive me to the Dallas Convention Center. And I would try out for musicals. But I can’t really sing, or dance, or act. So I never got the role.”
When Jenna walks onto the field for the first time, an actor dressed as a referee asks, “Is she an actress?”
Yes. Yes, she is.
Behind the scenes at ‘Holiday Touchdown’
The day starts bright and early, with a 7:30 a.m. arrival to Arrowhead. The temperature hits around 90 degrees, eventually reaching 100 while filming on the field.
“Nothing like shooting a Christmas movie in July,” Jenna says as she steps out of the car.
From there, it was straight to a wardrobe fitting, hair and makeup. It’s almost time for Jenna’s scene, which means putting on her costume: a cashmere sleeveless sweater and a wool coat.
Actors enter the set from midfield, walking through the 50-yard-line tunnel. “Backstage,” aka the Bud Light Locker Room Club, is where Jenna is able to catch up with some of her co-stars, including Kansas City Chiefs players Mecole Hardman, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and George Karlaftis, as well as Donna Kelce, the mom of NFL greats Jason and Travis Kelce.
Jenna and Kelce pose for a picture together before Kelce suggests: “You should write a note, and I’ll put it in Travis’ locker.”
So, grabbing a pen and paper, Jenna leaves a message for No. 87.
“Travis — You have made my girls’ love football! Thanks for all you do! Come see Hoda + me!” Jenna writes. “PS. Your mama is the coolest.”
Jenna also catches up with coach Andy Reid, who makes a cameo in “Holiday Touchdown.” Just days ahead of the Chiefs’ official start to training camp, Reid visits the field not for practice, but to shoot his bit in the movie.
The NFL coach tells Jenna while he hasn’t filmed many movies, he’s no stranger to acting in commercials.
“Just be yourself,” Reid tells her. “That’s hard — sometimes it’s hard to be just natural.”
By the afternoon, it’s time to film. A quick check of the weather app puts the “feels like” temperature at 102 degrees. After rehearsal and touch-ups of hair and makeup, the actors throw on their heavy winter coats. Moments before the director calls “action,” the clapperboard shuts and the cameras roll.
The production has plenty of secrets that Jenna and her fellow actors have had to keep — including details around Jenna’s role.
“I was nervous taking the script out to the (TODAY) set, because my colleagues try to get things out of me constantly,” Jenna says.
Looks like viewers will have to wait until “Holiday Touchdown” debuts in Hallmark’s 15th annual Countdown to Christmas to find out. As Hallmark’s senior vice president for programming, Samantha DiPippo, tells TODAY.com: “You can’t open your presents before Christmas.”
