Johnson Production Group
Press Kit
One-Liner
As friends, Taylor and Luke have always bonded over Christmas, but now realize that their
biggest wish is to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives.
Synopsis
My Grown-Up Christmas List is the story of Taylor Nichols and Luke Malone, and the special bond that
grows between them over the course of five Christmas’s that they spend together and apart. In the
passing years their warm friendship blossoms into a budding romance—Luke in the military, Taylor as a
journalist—as together they work to overcome the challenges to making the most important wish on
their Christmas list come true: to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives.
Producers
Executive Producers
TIMOTHY O. JOHNSON
DAVID GOLDEN
ANDREW C. ERIN
JEFF SAGANSKKY
Co-Executive Producer
JOSEPH WILKA
Producer
HAYDEN BAPTISTE
Supervising Producer
OLIVER DE CAIGNY
Associate Producers
THOMAS STANFORD
TIM SPENCE
Key Cast
CHARACTER
Taylor Nichols
Luke Malone
Charlie Malone
Peggy Malone
Grandpa Frank
Bonnie Curtis
ACTOR
KAYLA WALLACE
KEVIN MCGARRY
LINDSAY MERRITHEW
SUSAN HAMANN
JAMES M. JENKINSON
CORY LEE
Key Cast Biographies
KAYLA WALLACE
Kayla Wallace is a Canadian actor, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her
work on The Magicians (2020), ABC's The Good Doctor (2017), and her role of
'Fiona Miller' on Hallmark Channel's When Calls The Heart (2019- 2021).
Wallace was born in Victoria, British Columbia where she later attended The
Canadian College of Performing Arts upon completing high school. She was
heavily involved in theatre, dance, singing and piano throughout her childhood
and developed a strong passion for film & television. Wallace's professional
debut was her role in Disney's Descendants (2015). She is also known for her
work on Ice (2016), Hallmark's Once Upon A Prince (2018), Netflix's
Counterfeiting in Suburbia (2018).
KEVIN MCGARRY
Kevin McGarry was born in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. His career in acting
started with a happy accident beginning as early as his freshman year in high
school. Mistakenly entering a 12th grade theater class, McGarry suddenly
discovered a love for acting. Kevin went on to attend George Brown College
where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in Creative Writing. He also studied
Theatre Arts at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario and later studied at the
Pro Actors Lab in Toronto.
Kevin began his career in 2006. He went on to land his first major television role
as Dr. Timothy Hudson in Open Heart (2015). During the 2010s, Kevin also
appeared in Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010) and landed numerous television
roles including his role as Mitch Cutty in Heartland (2007) and as Nathan Grant in When Hope Calls
(2019) and When Calls the Heart (2014).
LINDSAY MERRITHEW
Lindsay Merrithew was born on February 21, 1964 in Woodstock, New
Brunswick, Canada. Lindsay is an actor, known for Business Ethics (2019), Claws
of the Red Dragon (2019) and Fenced Out (2021). Lindsay has been married to
Moira Stott since August 20, 1988. They have two children.
SUSAN HAMANN
Susan is most recognized for her role as Mary-Kate Sinclair on Degrassi: The
Next Generation. Her career in the film and television industry also includes
several years of working behind the camera as an assistant director while a
member of The Directors’s Guild of Canada (DGC). Susan holds an Honours
Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction (Drama Specialist) degree from the
University of Toronto and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in
New York City, as well as various acting institutions in Toronto including Equity
Showcase, Second City, and C.A.S.T.
Susan has dual citizenship Swiss & Canadian
JAMES M. JENKINSON
James M. Jenkinson retired from dental practice nearly ten years ago and has
taken numerous acting and coaching programs ever since as well as acting in
commercials, corporate films, short films and television series episodes. He
generally plays authority figures (fathers, doctors, lawyers, cops, school
principals, etc.) although he has also done some light comedy. James has
appeared in the TV Mini Series, Winterbourne: A Horror Anthology, as well as
several TV Movies including The Lakehouse Murders, Christmas CEO,
Galentine's Day Nightmare and The Sanctuary.
CORY LEE
Cory Lee was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to a
Chinese mother and German father. She grew up immersed in a musical
environment. At age 15, Lee turned down an offer from Sony Hong Kong to join
the short-lived girl group Ris-K. Eager to explore her Chinese roots and to see
the world, in 2002, Lee joined another group called NRG performing in Hong
Kong. When the SARS outbreak hit China, Lee returned home to focus on her
solo career. Lee aligned with Vancouver-based Hipjoint Production, and
achieved "indy-cred" with her debut album What a Difference a Day Makes. Its
flagship single "The Naughty Song" was initially released through the club scene,
which, in addition to the Juno nomination, scored nominations for a 2006 Indie
Music Award for Pop Artist of the Year and 2 Canadian Radio Music Awards. Cory Lee is known for her
work on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star and has appeared in several episodes of
Matchmaker Mysteries. Most recently she has appeared in several TV Movies including A Wedding Ring,
The Evil Twin, Deadly DNA, Pretty Cheaters, Deadly Lies, Books of Blood, Flawless, Grand Theft Auto
Girls, A Merry Holiday, A Very Corgi Christmas and Home for Harvest
Production Credits
Full Cast
Casting
RON LEACH, c.d.c
Composer
RUSS HOWARD III
Costume Designer
ANNALISA FERRARA
Editor
JENNIFER ESSEX-CHEW
Actors
KAYLA WALLACE
KEVIN MCGARRY
LINDSAY MERRITHEW
SUSAN HAMANN
JAMES M. JENKINSON
CORY LEE
COLTON ROYCE
TONJHA RICHARDSON
JOHN KOENSGEN
ANDREW BALL
JANET RICE
Role
Taylor Nichols
Luke Malone
Charlie Malone
Peggy Malone
Grandpa Frank
Bonnie Curtis
Captain Adam Kerney
Barb Barrett
Colonel Clay Murphy
Nathan
Annie Grantham
Production Designer
JOEY GUNN
Director of Photography
WILLIAM SMITH
Written by
BRYAR FREED
SHAWN RIOPELLE
Directed by
ANDREW CYMEK
Full Crew
"Grown-Up Christmas List"
Performed by Amy Grant
Composed by David Foster and Linda Thompson
Published by Peermusic III Ltd. (BMI), Linda's Boys Music (BMI)
Appears courtesy of A&M Records c/o UMG Recordings
All rights reserved. Used by permission
Producer Biographies
TIM JOHNSON – Executive Producer
Tim Johnson is among the most active and reliable producers in the business thanks to top rate
productions and global distribution appeal.
Johnson is also responsible for producing the international hit series, DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN for
CBS for over 5 seasons. During his 100-episode tenure, he also developed and produced the original
docu-drama COLD CASE for CBS network, which was the very first program to integrate television with
the Internet.
Johnson has produced over 150 movies, 15 globally released series for every major US network -
including ABC, Disney, CBS, NBC, Netfly, FOX and Sony.
JOHNSON PRODUCTION GROUP
The Johnson Production Group contracts globally to produce television content for international
networks, studios and distributors. Based in Los Angeles and Vancouver, British Columbia, the company
manages production, facilitates development and financing, procures distribution and guarantees
quality and timely execution of its programs. While costs have gone up, so has the demand for quality.
No longer is good enough, good enough. Johnson Production Group serves that segment when a show
needs to be "A" quality, but produced efficiently enough to meet a locked budget. JPG specializes in
value, protection of creative elements, and delivery of a quality finished product.
DAVID GOLDEN – Executive Producer
As a writer and producer, David Golden has worked on more than two dozen television movies. His
producing credits include the award winning Love Finds You in Sugarcreek for UPTV, with Tom Everett
Scott and Kelly McGillis, as well as the other films made from the series of books, Love Finds You in
Charm, and the upcoming Love Finds You in Valentine. Other producing credits include The Music in Me
with Debbie Gibson, and Paper Angels, with Josie Bissett. Most recently, he was Executive Producer for
the Hallmark movie Family For Christmas, with Lacey Chabert. Golden’s writing credits for Hallmark
include Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle, with Doris Roberts and James Van Der Beek, Oliver’s Ghost,
with Martin Mull and Rhea Perlman, and Kiss at Pine Lake, with Barry Watson. Other writing credits
include Personal Effects, with Penelope Ann Miller and Casper Van Dien, Nightmare, with Haylie Duff,
and Time and Again, with Brooke Burns.
ANDREW C. ERIN – Executive Producer
Andrew Erin is a Canadian Writer/Director making a big splash in the US, and has produced, written and
directed numerous commercially successful films. His directorial debut, SAM’S LAKE, was an official
selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and did an excellent theatrical run in select theaters around the
country; distributed by Lionsgate Films. Andrew also wrote the script for the film. Andrew’s directorial
credits include, SIMPLE THINGS, produced for Screen Media Ventures and Universal Studios. Besides
winning The Bob Clark Award for Best Director at the California Independent Film Festival, the film was
commercially received. Andrew has worked continuously as a writer/director, building a strong library of
films in the Thriller/Horror genres with: Embrace of The Vampire, The Clinic, Final Sale, Confined and
Toxic Skies.
JEFF SAGANSKKY– Executive Producer
Jeff Sagansky is presently Chairman and CEO of Diamond Platinum Eagle Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq
listed special purpose acquisition company (from March 2019) which in December of 2019 announced a
three way business combination with Draft Kings, a U.S. based digital sports entertainment and gaming
company and SB Tech, a global leader in omni-channel sports betting and gaming. Mr. Sagansky is the
former Chairman and CEO of Platinum Eagle Acquisition Corp. (December 2017-March 2019), a Nasdaq
listed special purpose acquisition company which in March 2019 completed a business combination that
resulted in the creation of Target Hospitality Corp. He served as Chairman and CEO (August 2015-
November 2017) prior to the Business Combination. Mr. Sagansky previously served as President of
Silver Eagle Acquisition Corp. (July 2013-March 2015), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition
company that invested in Videocon d2h, a direct-to-home pay-television service provider in India.
JOSEPH WILKA – Co-Executive Producer
Joseph Wilka is the Head of Production for Johnson Production Group. Los Angeles-based, Joseph had
already produced and directed several feature films before serving as the senior marketing executive for
Gravitas Ventures. While at Gravitas, Wilka helped pioneer new distribution models for independent
films including day-and-date theatrical releases. It was also at Gravitas where Joseph first worked with
Johnson Production Group to facilitate the release of their films to the worldwide Video On Demand
audience. After serving as the Director of Distribution and Production for Viva Pictures, where he
produced English-language versions of foreign animated titles for DirecTV, Wilka officially joined
Johnson Production Group. As Head of Production, he oversees the development, production, and
distribution of films from multiple production units for release on broadcast and streaming platforms.
HAYDEN BAPTISTE – Producer
Hayden Baptiste is a Producer and Development Executive with The Mob Entertainment, an LA Based
production company with a Canadian office in Ontario. After spending nearly 15 years working as an
Associate Producer for The Johnson Production Group and working as an Independent Producer in
Toronto and Vancouver, Hayden has evolved into a well rounded producer who understands all aspects
of production from development to delivery. Hayden has produced films for various networks including
CBC, Bravo, The Hallmark Network, UP TV and Lifetime Network. His films have been selected for film
festivals around the world including the Montreal World Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, Screamfest,
Catalina Film Festival, National Screen Institute and Chicago International. In addition to his extensive
production experience, Hayden is a screenwriter and composer. Hayden has studied at the Canadian
Screen Training Centre, and completed the summer intensive screenwriting program at UBC.
OLIVER DE CAIGNY – Supervising Producer
Oliver De Caigny is a Canadian producer originally from Belgium, his background in financing,
production, and post production makes him a well-rounded producer for any type of production. His
experience in financing and production agreements (film and TV series and movies-of-the week),
distribution agreements (both domestic and foreign) as well as international co-productions, Canadian
tax credit, Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund incentives provides him with a well-rounded
background in development, production and distribution for motion pictures, television series and
productions.
Billing Block
Hallmark Channel Presents in association with Johnson Production Group
“MY GROWN-UP CHRISTMAS LIST”
starring KAYLA WALLACE KEVIN MCGARRY LINDSAY MERRITHEW SUSAN HAMANN
JAMES M. JENKINSON and CORY LEE Casting RON LEACH, c.d.c Composer RUSS
HOWARD III Costume Designer ANNALISA FERRARA Editor JENNIFER ESSEX-CHEW
Production Designer JOEY GUNN Director of Photography WILLIAM SMITH Associate
Producers THOMAS STANFORD TIM SPENCE Co-Executive Producer JOSEPH WILKA
Supervising Producer OLIVER DE CAIGNY Executive Producers DAVID GOLDEN
TIMOTHY O. JOHNSON ANDREW C. ERIN JEFF SAGANSKY Produced by
HAYDEN BAPTISTE Written by BRYAR FREED and SHAWN RIOPELLE
Directed by ANDREW CYMEK
The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
© MMXXI Grown Up Xmas Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved
Meta Data
LONG (max 3000 characters) synopsis
My Grown-Up Christmas List is the story of Taylor Nichols and Luke Malone, and the special bond that
grows between them over the course of five Christmas’s that they spend together and apart. In the
passing years their warm friendship blossoms into a budding romance —Luke in the military, Taylor as a
journalist—as together they work to overcome the challenges to making the most important wish on
their Christmas list come true: to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives. (548)
MEDIUM (max 500) synopsis
There is a special bond that grows between Taylor Nichols and Luke Malone over the course of five
Christmas’s that they spend together and apart. In the passing years their warm friendship blossoms
into a budding romance —Luke in the military, Taylor as a journalist—as together they work to
overcome the challenges to making the most important wish on their Christmas list come true: to spend
every Christmas together for the rest of their lives. (499)
SHORT (max 100 characters) synopsis
Years apart make Luke and Taylor wish to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives (100)
5 KEY WORDS
Military, journalist, Christmas, Romance, friends