Kimberley Sustad Opens Up About Acting, Writing with Paul Campbell, and More

Kimberley Sustad has starred in some of Hallmark’s most beloved movies, co-written several of them, and somehow managed to do all of it while battling the kind of anxious inner monologue most of us keep to ourselves. In this conversation with Megan and Wendy, she is refreshingly honest about the mental gymnastics of interviews, Instagram, and making a sequel that lives up to the original. She also shares how she and Paul Campbell went from co-stars to writing partners, and why a good Hallmark movie absolutely has to make you feel something.

Behind the Scenes with Kimberley Sustad - in this exclusive interview with Girls Gone Hallmark Kim talks about her acting origin story, her writing process and her favorite kinds of roles to play.

Listen to Girls Gone Hallmark’s Interview with Kimberley Sustad

Who is Kimberley Sustad

Kimberley Sustad is a Canadian-American actress and writer based in Vancouver. Hallmark fans will recognize her from A Bride for Christmas, Christmas by Starlight, The Nine Kittens of Christmas, and the Three Wise Men franchise.

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Photo Credit: Hallmark Media

Her talents don’t end there! Kimberley is also a writer who co-writes filmes with Paul Campbell. They got their start pitching Christmas by Starlight purely on spec! (That means that they wrote the script before the network had purchased it and just crossed their finger it would sell!And pay close attention to the spelling of her name.

“The mental gymnastics in my brain that begin to happen are never worth it… I regret that or I don’t even think I answered a question or finished a thought or did I sound remotely smart at all.”

Kimberley Sustad in an interview with Girls Gone Hallmark

Our Favorite Moments from the Interview

The Instagram Reel saga — She called Tyler Hynes multiple times on vacation to get step-by-step help making an Instagram reel. When he finally commented “giddy up” on it, she knew he had seen it and was proud. (“He’s on vacation sometimes and I’m calling him going, ‘Okay, how do I put music to the things?'”)

“I’m wildly insecure, so… every time you go to post something, there’s this wildly insecure thing that always pops up. I go, ‘Oh, that’s so dumb. Like nobody’s going to think that’s cool.'”

Kimberley sustad in an interview with girls gone hallmark

The Susstuds — A Facebook group member named Mike started calling Kimberley’s fandom the “Susstuds.” This was brand new information to Kim.

The Cheesecake Factory origin story — She was working at the Cheesecake Factory in “pleated khaki pants and my white oxford shirt and my anti-slip shoes” before getting her first film role. Her quote: “Kill me now.”

“My very first line was ‘white wine, please.’ That was it. I, by the time I got to that audition, I was so worked up and so nervous… My leg was shaking so fast. My hand, like the paper in my hand was doing this. And that was the beginning of my career.”

Kimberley Sustad in an interview with girls gone hallmark

The cue cards — She and Paul Campbell still block out every single movie using physical cue cards, scene by scene, stuck on a wall. She mentioned tilting the cards during the interview so fans couldn’t screenshot and zoom in on her current project’s cards.

Paul Campbell: Hallmark’s Writing and Acting Double Threat

Kimberley Sustad’s Hallmark Filmography

Watch the full Kimberley Sustad Interview on YouTube!

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