Tyler Hilton on CBS’ ‘When Christmas Was Young’ and Why Holiday Movie Roles Are His Favorite (Exclusive)

CBS is getting into the holiday spirit with its own original Christmas films this year. And they’ve got some big names attached to this year’s lineup. Music legend Sheryl Crow executive produces and writes the title song for When Christmas Was Young, a Nashville music-themed movie from a script by screenwriter and bestselling novelist Robert Tate Miller. The story follows a headstrong music manager (Tyler Hilton) in desperate need of a hit song for his last remaining client, who finds himself falling for a gifted singer-songwriter (Karen David) with abandoned dreams of making it big, as he attempts to secure the rights to a Christmas song she wrote years ago. It’ll surely put a smile on viewers’ faces and a song in their hearts.

Ahead of the film’s release, Hilton spoke with PopCulture.com about why Christmas movies have become his favorite genre to film and what ingredients make this particular movie a standout. He also dished on his hopes for a One Tree Hill reunion, and gave his first public opinion on the latest Elvis Presley biopic after playing the King himself back in 2005’s Walk the Line. 

PC: Congratulations on When Christmas Was Young. I can watch all the Christmas movies all year long, so this is a fun interview for me. But this movie combines your two loves of music and acting. And you throw in Christmas is even more magical. Was this a no-brainer for you to participate in this film?

TH: Oh yeah, totally. I would do a Christmas movie every year. I would only do Christmas movies. I love them. I totally love them. And I’m going to be honest: People get jaded about them, and I know a lot of actors aren’t into them. It totally shocks me. I’m so into the whole genre, love the vibe. But this one, in particular, was something super, super special. A lot of these movies get just printed out. And they’re kind of cookie cutter, and there’s like a thousand of them a year. I think CBS must have been really picky because this movie was one that felt like a movie that should have been in theaters – at least to me when I read it. I was obsessed with it, and I thought the writing was really good and nuanced, and it got me. And I teared up and stuff.

And I’m not just saying this, I went along for the ride. And so I was kind of like, “I will absolutely do this.” And then, not to mention Monica Mitchell was directing it, who’s a friend of mine, and I think she’s very cool, just a cool person. And so before I even read the script, I was like, “Oh, for sure, this would be really fun.” And then I read the script, and I was like, “Wait, is this real? Is this for real? Because this movie’s incredible.” 

And then, not to mention, Sheryl Crow was a labelmate of mine on Warner Bros. for years. I know her and like her, and we worked together a few times. It was as if somebody packaged the perfect movie for Tyler Hilton to do. This is totally my film.

PC: Now, you spoke about how if it were up to you, you would do Christmas movies all day long. What differences in feeling do you find filming Christmas movies versus other genres?

TH: It’s a good question because the thing is, I know it’s true, and I haven’t really articulated even to myself why until recently. I love rom-coms. I love the romantic genre. I love seeing meaningful relationships come together, couples come together. And Christmas has this, or the holiday season, in general, has this magic to it, this je ne sais quoi that you just can’t quite put your finger on.

And I don’t know if that has something to do with the winter solstice, the darkest part of the year, if it’s something like witchy and astrological, or if it’s just the natural pause in the year. And when everybody takes a break from work, or school and usually goes home to see their family, or that’s kind of the cultural thing to do. I don’t know what it is. It’s not like summer vacation or spring break is famous for everybody going to spend time with their family. People aren’t like, “Oh man, it’s spring. Let’s all go ahead hang out with our families.” 

But at Christmas, people go hang out with their families. And there’s the hard stuff and the great stuff that come along with it. But either way, we’re returning home in our heart, either physically, or whatever. And relationships that happened around that time just take on a certain kind of something, a different kind of importance.

So when you have that in a movie, when you have two people falling in love and usually finding themselves or returning to themselves in some way, man, you have a recipe for magic. For me, that’s what I’m looking for. Not to be whatever, but I’ve always been bored of car chases and action movies and have always been a sucker for this kind of movie for real.

PC: And you spoke about how Christmas brings about the opportunity for people to spend time with their families. And I think the great thing about Christmas movies is that it becomes a tradition to watch your favorite films year after year. And you are part of that tradition with this film and other holiday movies you’ve done in previous years. What about this particular film do you think makes it great to re-watch?

TH: The music is going to be particularly cool. I hope one of the reasons people return is they like seeing Karen David and I hang out with each other, which we did. And we loved bantering and playing off each other and pushing each other’s buttons on screen and just had a wonderful time together. So I hope that’s something that people like and relate to.

It’s a little harder for me to be objective about why people might like me in it. But the thing is, the music is so good in it. I mean, Sheryl Crow is one of the best songwriters ever, one of my favorites. But the musicians they get in this movie are awesome. Karen was an artist and signed and toured around. And Hayley Sales is another great artist that’s in the film and sings. And there’s a couple other guys too that are great, that are Canadian country singers.

So it’s got a lot of great music. And I think if you’re into that kind of thing, if you’re into Nashville, if you’re into Southern culture, which I am – I lived in Nashville for a really long time and spent a lot of my career working there – I think you’ll dig it. It’s like that show Nashville, if that is your kind of vibe. This seems like a Christmas movie for you.

PC: Now, what are your plans for the holiday season?

TH: Well, I think we’re just going to be hanging in Canada. My wife and I moved to Canada at the beginning of the pandemic where she’s from in London, Ontario, because we had a little baby. And after my record came out in 2019, I toured right up until we had the baby. And then I planned on taking a couple years off anyway just to do the dad thing.

And I’d been kind of touring since I was 15. So I was just ready to, I don’t know, be a dad and just chill. So we decided to come up here and do it. We had her family nearby, and we love Canada. We love the weather up here. And so I think we’re just going to be hanging here. We did have plans to go to my sister’s in Seattle, but we were just there for Thanksgiving, and all of us got real sick. So we’re going to see if we can be well enough to travel. I’m feeling we’re just going to be staying local. But my daughter’s three. And so she’s just at the age where she’s stoked that Christmas is coming. So I think this one is going to be particularly special.

PC: Now, switching gears a little bit, you reunited with your One Tree Hill co-stars on their podcast earlier this year. And I have to wonder, did it make you want to return for a reboot? Since all of our classic nostalgic ’90s and 2000s favorites, they’re all reuniting for either a reboot or some type of reunion special or even a one-off. Have there been talks about that?

TH: Yeah, there are talks about it all the time. And sometimes it gets close, and I’m so far down the pecking order. Honestly, actors, in general, are. I don’t know what happens. I call it the adults. I feel like when you’re asking your parents if you can spend the night at someone’s house and you’re telling your friend when you’re a kid, you’re like, “Ooh, the parents are talking, I hope it happens.” That’s what this is like.

It’s like all the suits, the executives, they’re like the adults. I don’t know what the adults are up to, but Chris Keller was one of my favorite parts to play. I’d play him for the rest of my life if I could. Just a total hoot. And those kids on the show, I met them when friends matter more to you than family or significant others that age. When you’re (in your) late teens, or early 20s, friends are the best thing, the most important thing to you. And we did the show for nine years, and we continue to do these reunions. The fans had stayed so into the show. It’s so crazy. I mean, the show started in 2003.

I mean, we do these conventions that they keep asking us to do every year. And I’m shocked that there are enough people that want to do conventions. There’s thousands and thousands of kids, and I swear to God, they stay the same age. It’s just like that quote, it’s like we keep getting older, and these girls are still in their early 20s, late teens, watching this thing. It’s amazing. And the fans originally of the show bring their kids, and it’s magic.

I don’t know why. I’m so grateful that it’s that show that I’ve done that’s stayed around so long because it means I get to see these people all the time. And I’ve gotten to work with a lot of them in other projects as well. Hillary Burton and I have worked together on three or four other things. So they’re some of my best friends, our families are friends, and it’s beyond special. I can’t believe it’s worked out that way.

PC: Well, we’re always praying for something like that. You also portrayed Elvis in the Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line. I’m wondering, what did you think about Austin Butler’s performance in the new Elvis movie since you had some experience playing the King yourself?

TH: No one’s asked me that yet. And I’ve been meaning to make an Instagram about this because…So here’s the truth. Truth is, I didn’t really want to see it. Because a lot of times, music biopics to me are lame. I don’t know, there’s just something about them that are just so dumb. And I’ve also lived it. And so much of the time, it just feels like a bunch of outsiders wrote this, and it’s what they think the music business is like or what they think happens. And it’s all just like, “Oh, let me guess what’s going to happen.”

And then when this movie came along, I was like, “Oh God. Elvis is my favorite person ever. I know everything about his life. I’ve been obsessed with him since I’ve been a kid, and they’re going to make some dumb over-the-top movie about him.” And I remember on a plane, I was like, “All right, I’m just going to watch two seconds of it.” I watched two seconds of the middle of it, and I immediately turned it off.

It was some big musical number. And I thought, “This is a total mockery. They’re making it a Broadway musical.” I was not into it, not into it. And then I was on another plane, and I was like, “Oh my God, just watch it. Start it from the beginning. Let’s see how far you get.” So I started from the beginning. I swear to God, I was obsessed. I was moved, moved, and I was so ready to hate on Austin Butler and be like, “Yo, (he’s) some random young kid, not going to like (him,) whatever.” I was like: “Damn, this kid killed it.” Killed it. And the story was so good. And the way they shot it was good. And the music was good. I would’ve said all the things are good, except maybe the music kind of stuff. No, I mean, they killed it. I keep meaning to do a post about it because it’s so shocking to me. But I’m like, “Damn, y’all knocked it out of the park.” Really, really, I loved it.

When Christmas Was Young premieres Sunday, Dec. 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on CBS.