How Autumn Reeser Gets Paid to Say Anything on Hallmark’s Junebug

Autumn Reeser‘s Junebug the character, Juniper, loves the movie Say Anything – but the actor wasn’t that familiar with the ’80s classic.

“The strange thing is that I actually didn’t see it until I was preparing for this [Hallmark] film,” said Reeser, 43, only to be told Us Weekly for his connection to the rom-com. “I just thought I had it because the boombox scene is amazing. I thought I had seen it when I was a child or teenager. So I started watching it with my kids and realized I had never seen this movie!”

Reeser noted that it’s a choice worth respecting Say Anythingwhich had a star John Cusack again Ione Skyeit was because of the writer Summer of Isreal Johnsonmovie love. “That was his personal touch,” she said.

At Hallmark’s Junebug, premiering Saturday, August 3, Juniper (Reeser) is at a crossroads as she approaches her 40th birthday. When her parents deliver her childhood wish box, Juniper is magically reunited with her 8-year-old self (named Junebug and played Mila Jones) – who is not happy that the adult version is giving up his dream of writing his books.

Say Anythingon the other hand, he came out in 1989 and followed Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) in his quest to make high school valedictorian, Diane Court (Skye), fall in love with him before they go to college.

Although the movies are different, Reeser’s Juniper is on the same journey to find herself and along the way maybe the right romance.

During the first incident JunebugJuniper finds out that her boyfriend plans to give her a pen on her birthday … minutes before she cuts the day short without dessert.

“I gave you my heart and you gave me a pen,” Juniper replied, nodding to the memorable line from her “favorite movie”. Say Anything.

Elsewhere in the Hallmark movie, Juniper wonders why she doesn’t have “a guy in my life holding a boombox to cheer me up” like Lloyd does in the rom-com.

Like Lloyd before her, Juniper attempts an act of love in one of the key scenes Junebug – and according to Reeser it’s not as easy as it looks.

“The first time I tried it, two pieces of it fell off,” Reeser said Us of lifting the boombox over his head on the set. “I almost broke our key prop. I’m sorry! They had to fire the boombox together because the end pieces come off and turn into speakers.”

The OC alum revealed that he had no idea the boombox’s end could move. “Obviously, I’d never owned a boombox in my life,” he teased, admitting that he learned about portable speakers shortly after they “disintegrated in my hands!”

In addition to the nostalgia of Say AnythingReeser recalled having a great time filming the throwback scenes as he shared it with his 8-year-old son.

“There are lots of slices of Raspberry Swirl ice cream, and I didn’t hate that,” she said, referring to her child’s love of the flavor. “That was a happy childhood every time it happened. And some of them, I don’t even think they made it to the screen.”

Another scene that made the cut was the rosé float debacle, which Reeser described as “eating Raspberry Swirl ice cream in rosé”. “That was really fun,” he said with a laugh.

While Junebug silly at times, Reeser hopes viewers will take home the most important message of self-love after watching.

“One of the reasons why I fell in love with this subject is the deep concept of healing the inner child,” she said. “That’s the kind of work that can lead to great emotional freedom and freedom when you’re willing to do that kind of work to bring more love to these parts of yourself. And that really resonates in the story.”

Reeser, who is also an executive producer on the project, added: “It’s very exciting because I’ve been there from the ground up.” I feel proud of what we’ve all created together, and that’s my favorite way to work.”

Junebug premieres on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, August 3, at 8 pm ET.