Exclusive Interview: Bestselling Author Teri Wilson On Hallmark’s ‘Royal-Ish’
Teri Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author behind such popular books that turned into Hallmark movies like Unleashing Mr. Darcy, one of the most beloved Hallmark movies ever made, as well as The Art Of Us, and Northern Lights Of Christmas.
Now, she has a new book adapted. Teri wrote the romcom that Hallmark has adapted and renamed Royal-Ish. This is the third of the Royal Weekends romcom trilogy that stars Nichole Sakura and William Moseley.
Although this is Teri’s first royal movie for Hallmark, she is an enthusiastic, longtime royal watcher. This talented author’s social media is filled with her royal escapades, including visits across the pond to royal watch. She has embraced her love of all things royal in her work and personal life including tiaras. Therefore, it seems inevitable that one of her novels would be adapted into a Hallmark Royal Movie.
TV Shows Ace thanks Teri Wilson for answering some of our most pressing royal questions including why all Hallmark viewers will enjoy Royal-Ish, what makes this Royal Romance so unique, and why she is so excited about this cast.
Teri Wilson On What Is Hallmark’s Royal-Ish About?
Teri, congratulations on your new movie Royal-Ish! Can you tell us a bit about this movie?
Thank you so much! Royal-Ish is based on my book Once Upon A Royal Summer, which tells the story of a theme park princess and an encounter she has with real-life royalty while on the job at her amusement park and the fun, romantic adventure that follows. Hallmark has given the movie the tagline ‘Love is just a walk in the theme park, ‘ which I absolutely adore. It’s perfect for this story.
Did Teri Wilson Help Write Royal-Ish Screenplay?
Did you have a role in the Royal-Ish script?
I didn’t, although I did hear from the screenwriter as she was starting her outline, which I really appreciated. I usually don’t have any input on my Hallmark adaptations, but I’ve always been really happy with the screenplays. I am not a screenwriter and would have no idea how to write one. It is much different than writing a book. I can tell that the screenwriters really do their best to honor the original source material, though. All the movie adaptations of my books have really stayed true to my original story, and I’m sure this one will too.
Teri Wilson On The Royal-Ish Cast
Royal-Ish has a fantastic cast. Do you care to comment on this? I know you love William Moseley!
OH MY GOODNESS. Has there ever been a better cast? I am just delighted to have William Moseley playing Prince Henry. I was a big fan of his show The Royals, where he played another heir to the throne––Prince Liam. He just has a lot of princely charisma (Is that a thing? ha ha), so I know he’ll be perfect in this role. And Nichole Sakura is such a great choice for Lacey because she has great comedic timing. She was on the NBC sitcom Superstore for years.
At its heart, this story is a romantic comedy, and the character of Lacey is endearing and also a bit awkward, so I think Nichole will do a great job bringing her to life. I’m also excited to see Francesca Europa as Prince Henry’s daughter. She’s been great in all the clips I’ve seen, and the bond between Lacey and the young princess is an important part of the story.
Are Royal Movies Polarizing?
Royal movies can be polarizing for some Hallmark fans. Why do you think these fans should tune in to watch Royal-Ish?
Are they really polarizing? I’ve of course seen people online say they don’t enjoy the royal movies, but I thought maybe that was just a few outliers? In any case, I think this is a great movie for the viewers, even if they don’t typically get excited about movies with a royal theme, because it’s a unique hook that hasn’t been done before: a theme park princess meets a real-life prince.
The qualities that make Lacey great at her job of playing Cinderella-like characters are what make her a breath of fresh air to the real-life royals she meets, and otherwise, I hope this means the movie will be a breath of fresh air in the royal romcom space.
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Teri Wilson On Being A Royal Watcher
You are a royal watcher. Do you have a favorite royal and what is your favorite royal watching experience?
Yes, I’m a big royal watcher. My sentimental favorite royal will always be Princess Diana. I was a kid when she married Prince Charles and watching their wedding in the wee hours of the morning back in 1981 is probably the moment I became a future romance author! I was just so swept up in the fairy tale aspect of it all.
My two favorite royal moments were recent, though. In 2022, I traveled to London with a group of royal-watching girlfriends for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and then again in 2023 for King Charles’s Coronation. We had the most marvelous time and got to see the royals in person, go to tea, visit palaces, and more. Those were the best girls’ trips ever!
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Teri Wilson On Unleashing Mr. Darcy
Unleashing Mr. Darcy is still a fan favorite. It has been nine years since Hallmark has premiered it. Do you have anything you want to share about this movie or how it really changed your career?
Unleashing Mr. Darcy will forever and always be so special to me. Not only did that movie change my career, but the story featured my real-life dogs Bliss and Finn. (They were played by Canadian actor dogs in the movie.) To this day, I still can’t even talk about that film without getting teary-eyed. It’s hard to overstate how much it meant to me.
The morning after my sweet Bliss passed away in 2020, I turned on my television and Unleashing Mr. Darcy just happened to pop right up. Hallmark was playing it that morning, and of course my TV was already set to that channel. I hadn’t watched it in a while, and I sat and watched the entire movie again that morning with such a grateful heart. The fact that Unleashing Mr. Darcy even happened is almost like a dream.
Upcoming Projects For Royal-Ish Author
Do you have any projects you want to tell fans about?
I have a new book coming out April 29 called Bluebonnet Season, and it’s part of a new romcom series called Comfort Paws that I’ve written about therapy dogs and the relationships that spring up around them. I hope people will check it out!
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Thank you to Teri Wilson for taking the time out to answer our questions and share some insights on her new movie Royal-Ish, as well as some lovely stories about her royal obsession and Unleashing Mr. Darcy.
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Hallmark fans don’t miss Royal-Ish premiering on Saturday, March 15, at 8 p.m., Eastern, on the Hallmark Channel. This movie will be available to stream on Peacock up to 72 hours after the premiere. Also, this Royal Weekends movie will be available to stream on Hallmark+ starting on Sunday, March 16.
