NICE BOY OF THE WEEK: Cameron Mathison

Cameron Mathison is the co-star of this weekend’s ABC Family holiday special, Holidaze. The movie is part of the annual 25 Days of Christmas event and it’s really a sweet film. Cameron and co-star Jennie Garth made a totally cute and believable couple from a small midwest town that is postcard sweet.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Cameron a little in a recent media junket and he’s so full of the holiday spirit that you couldn’t help but catch the fever. He’s a down home family guy who loves turkey, home and Elf.

Gentle readers, it is our pleasure to present this week’s Nice Boy, Cameron Mathison.

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What’s your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

It’s funny, because we’re a tradition overload kind of family, but most of them are in and around Christmas. I think our Thanksgiving tradition is the traditional Thanksgiving meal. It’s turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, but the little twist is that we always buy our Christmas tree the weekend that immediately follows Thanksgiving — so that we get to enjoy our Christmas tree for as long as possible without infringing on Thanksgiving.

What do you find most rewarding about acting?

I think what I find most rewarding is learning about myself through my characters and the experience.

The more deeply connected you are with the people that you’re working with the better the work and the character, and then I think that really translates to life. It will help you in life to be more grounded and genuine.

The more you can get out of your own way and remove the chatter in your head, the more the genuine character can come out and unfold in a spontaneous way. I think that’s also great in life to really focus on other people and cherish others, which I align with working as an actor.

I really feel that the best actors out there are very centric. They’re really connected. They’re not in a “what about me” state and I think that’s a good lesson in life. So I think those are the things that I’ve taken away from acting that are the most rewarding. There’s probably more, but those are the first that come to mind.

What is your favorite holiday movie?

Well, I’m just going to go back to a classic, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story are some favorites for me. The animated original version of The Grinch That Stole Christmas is a classic for me. But my modern favorite movies with my family -probably Elf. My kids love Elf. They just think it’s so funny.

What is your favorite thing to eat around the holidays?

It’s the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. We even have it every Christmas, too. It’s turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. That’s probably my favorite meal of the whole year.

Do you prefer to act in dramas or comedies?

I probably prefer comedy. Why? I’m not sure. I feel like the energy of a comedy is a better fit for me. I try to be a happy guy! It seems that most of my life has the energy more for a comedy than for drama. I’m grateful to do both, but I would have to lean towards the comedy side of acting.

Do you prefer acting on television or film?

The movies that I’ve been doing lately have been mostly for TV – so it’s sort of the same thing. I would say movies because you have more time and it feels less rushed. When you’re acting for TV, often the budget is more of a concern and you just have a crazy pace. But then again movies also probably shoot like that sometimes. I’m just happy to work!

What are your plans for this holiday season other than watching Holidaze with your family?

Of course! My family and my wife’s family alternate Christmas and Thanksgiving, so this year we’re on Thanksgiving with her family in California. My wife’s sister, Denise, puts on an amazing spread. We’ll spend Christmas in Colorado with my family. We’ll be skiing and it’s a beautiful place to celebrate Christmas – it’s very snowy and fits the holiday!

Are there any current projects that you may be working on?

I’ve got a couple of things going on! My main gig at this moment is contributing on Good Morning America. I shot a pilot in the summertime for Hallmark Channel and I’m waiting to hear if that gets picked up. It’s tough to do too much when you’re waiting to hear about a pilot getting picked up.

My whole family is going to be part of the Disney Christmas Special on Christmas morning, which I’m really looking forward to.

What do you like to do for fun outside of acting?

My number one thing that I do outside of acting and any work at all in my career is be with my family, be with my kids and my wife — just the simple things. I love to do school drop-offs and pickups, play basketball, run around in the yard, play with my dog—all that stuff is my absolute favorite thing to do.

The other thing I like to do is that I’m a big meditation practitioner. I love to meditate. I love to train my mind in love, generosity and compassion — I really practice those in formal meditation and in informal meditation. So that’s something a lot of people may not know or guess about me.
What is the nicest thing a fan has ever done for you?

I’m sure everybody that’s in the entertainment world says the same thing, but I have had such incredible experiences with the fans and so many nice elaborate gifts.

The nicest things that the fans have done for me – is usually when they do things for my kids or my wife. They’ve done things that have gone way out of their way. It’s just so generous of them to think of it. I feel like it’s such an act of extending themselves – it’s so kind.

Ultimately, though, the nicest things are just like support and saying kind words. Especially for actors, we really appreciate hearing those things!
What advice do you have for up and coming actors and actresses?

I would say – study, study, take classes, take workshops, do as much as you can, get involved in a theater project, just as much as you can to study the art. Volunteer in a theater, whatever you can do to train with people, train your voice, train for the physical training in improv. Do as much as you can even if you don’t think it’s going to be something that you’re going to want. It’s all going to help you so much.

I didn’t start in this business at all like that. I started in a completely different way and I really wish I had, which is why I’m so enthusiastic about it. That’s the number one thing that I would say to people.

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Don’t forget to tune in Sunday, Dec. 8th, at 8/7c for ABC Family’s Holidaze!