Skyler Samuels Was ‘Terrified’ Doing Aurora Teagarden After Candace

Skyler Samuels he knew he had big shoes to fill Aurora Teagarden Mysteries after Candace Cameron Bureout – but he was ready to try.

“It was really a surprise when they came to me Aurora restart,” Samuels, 30, was told exclusively Us Weekly on Tuesday, August 6, while promoting his new Hallmark rom-com, My Dreams About You. “I was happy because I like the challenge, but I was also scared because I understood that this fan base has been there for a long time.”

Samuels knew there was a “deep bench” for the Hallmark Mystery Franchise because Cameron Bure, 48, played auteur sleuth Aurora Teagarden in 18 films before Samuels took over in 2023.

Samuels said that when he started playing a younger version of the title character he “started to rethink Aurora in a way that didn’t sound like I was imitating or copying” Cameron Bure’s style.

“I wanted to have my Aurora but honor the Aurora that people knew and loved before,” he explained. “And I think that our director, my dear friend and user, Jessica Harmonyou’ve done a great job of coming up with a voice that sounds fresh and familiar at the same time. I think we put that together well.”

Cameron Bure first portrayed the librarian-turned-hangman in 2015. In April 2022, he announced that he was leaving Hallmark Media to act and produce projects for Great American Media. The news shocked fans, as Cameron Bure has been named the “Queen of Christmas” by many viewers for her holiday hits on the Hallmark Channel.

Hallmark relaunched Aurora in March 2023, revealing that a version of Samuel would be leading the franchise, chronicling the early adventures of Aurora.

“I think some people were really excited for me right off the bat and some were like, ‘We’ll see, like, we’ll bring the product and we’ll go in,'” Samuels said. Us of his composition.

Although the Scream Queens The alum said he tries to “not focus too much on commentary,” preferring to prove critics wrong about him first. Aurora the movie.

“It was actually the most visible comment when people said, ‘I wasn’t sure about Skyler when they cast her. I had a lot of doubts. But I really love this and it’s so much fun and I’m totally in,'” Samuels continued. It was the kind of people who thought, ‘OK, I might have changed some minds. , maybe, make people happy or make them rethink something they already knew and loved, like, that was such a win.’

Samuels is “very grateful” that fans have “accepted” him over time, which has led the network to greenlight several more mysteries.

“At the beginning of this year, we made 2 and 3 films Aurora series and very sweet,” he quipped. “They’re very interesting and the more films we make, like, that’s when we get some of these interesting backstories that we have with Arthur. [played by Evan Roderick] and Aurora and … the [will they]won’t they play.”

While there are no official release dates for the next two Aurora prequel films, fans can see Samuels in his first network rom-com. My Dreams About You premieres this weekend and follows aspiring writer Grace (Samuels) as she tries to find the man of her dreams, Michael (Kapil Talwalkar).

After meeting at Dream Central, Grace tries to find Michael in real life and soon discovers that he has no clue about their dream romance. The truth, however, does not mean the end of their possible love story.

“We all don’t have a crystal ball, do we? There is no way of knowing how this will go,” said Samuels Us when talking about the film’s basic message of dreaming and taking risks. “You don’t want to fall flat on your face, but you don’t want to wonder what you’re going to do if you don’t try.”

Throughout the film, Grace has to step out of her comfort zone for her creativity and her heart – which Samuel applauds. “I hope people will feel inspired to have the courage to just do it, even if it seems crazy,” he explained.

Samuel teased that Grace and Michael “really understand where the other is working” and “encourage and support each other.” In this film, Grace wants to write, and Michael wants to continue his music and the two are at a crossroads.

“I think what makes them a good fit is why it’s hard for them to find their way in film because they’re both emerging artists,” added Samuels. “Michael is a singer, Grace is a writer and I think they understand the pursuit of others and not everyone.”

My Dreams About You begins Saturday, August 10, at 8 pm ET.