Patsy Tuba appearing on screen in her role as 'Kimberly' in Jingle Bell Run. (Photo submitted/Patsy Tuba)

By Nick Nielsen

Entertainment

Prince Albert actor Patsy Tuba appearing in Hallmark Christmas movie

Nov 21, 2024 | 5:00 PM

The name Hallmark is synonymous with the Christmas season with annual sentimental movies that flood television screens when Christmas time comes around.

During this Christmas season, central Sask residents can keep their eyes peeled for Prince Albert local Patsy Tuba for her role in ‘Jingle Bell Run’, a Christmas movie that’s already airing on the Hallmark Channel as well as a number of streaming services, or on the W Network here in Canada.

The movie stars Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker who become partners on a Christmas-themed reality competition similar to the Amazing Race, and after butting heads with each other initially, a budding romance starts to form between the two despite some challenges throughout the show. Tuba plays a car rental agent named Kimberly who helps them get the last rental car available.

“I am the car rental agent that helps the two main actors get the very last car rental to extend their journey. They are in a race and that’s why it’s a Jingle Bell Run because they’re on almost like a reality race and they’re against other teams, and if they don’t make it to the next spot, they’re going to be eliminated. So during this during this incredible race that they’re on, they have to solve puzzles to locate the place that they’re going to. So I just play a little part in there and it’s actually a big step for me being in a Hallmark movie. I got to be in the background and now I got to actually speak, so I was really looking forward to that.”

Jingle Bell Run hit the airwaves and streaming platforms last Friday for the first time, and it will be airing again this Friday at 9:00 p.m., and again at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday November 26 as it continues to cycle all the way until Christmas with the final currently scheduled run (according to Hallmark Channel’s website) at 1:00 p.m. on December 14.

Milestone anniversaries

Parkland Ambulance turns 50

18h ago

Court proceedings

Woman involved in death of Saskatoon mother, handed 18 year prison sentence

23h ago

Brunch n' Lunch

Eggsmart: The new take on breakfast

23h ago

Her experience working with director Lucie Guest as well as the two stars of the show is one Tuba won’t forget anytime soon.

“She was wonderful to work with. She’s so much fun on set. She made things feel very welcoming, as did Ashley and Andrew, they are the two that I shared the scene with and they’re the two main characters in it.”

Tuba grew up in Prince Albert and is part of the Lac La Ronge Cree Nation. She moved to Victoria when she was young to pursue her acting dreams but took a break to raise her kids. In 2013, she starting acting again and has had a number of roles in short films and background roles, including a recurring role on Alaska Daily.

“They shoot a lot of Hallmark movies here, and I had the opportunity to be in the background of some of those. Also on the island, they’ve shot my very first TV series, The Resident Alien. They shoot that out of Lady Smith here on Vancouver Island, and that was the very first background role that I got and it’s quite nice there. They’re doing their fourth season, so I’m hoping they’re coming back to the island.”

Along with the speaking role in a Hallmark movie, Tuba is also active on stage as an actor, and she’s excited for a chance to be performing in Saskatchewan soon. From February 27 – March 9, Tuba will be playing a role in ‘The Unplugging’, a play directed by Roxanne Dicke where two women work together to survive after being exiled from a society where the world’s technology has stopped working and the two women are deemed useless since they cannot bear children.

For Tuba, the play offers a unique opportunity to showcase her acting skills close to home. It’s been about five years since the last time she performed in Prince Albert, but she did put on a play in Winnipeg that eventually came through Prince Albert later.

“Actually the last time I was out in Winnipeg was my last play and we did Red Sisters, which was also production that was in Prince Albert as well. I got to redo that play and it was wonderful, but that’s a couple of years ago now. That was out in Winnipeg at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Company.

In Canada, you can watch Jingle Bell Run on the W Network, and tickets for The Unplugging are on sale now at the Burnt Thicket Theatre in Saskatoon for their shows starting February 27.

—

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com