Christmas in Conway kicks off ABC’s holiday movie season on December 1. Hypable talks with the star of the film, Andy Garcia, about filming, the importance of actor collaboration, and romance!

Andy Garcia takes on a tough role for the Hallmark movie Christmas in Conway. When Duncan Mayor takes his wife Suzy (Mary-Louise Parker) home to live out her final days, he finds a unique way to cope with his unfortunate situation. Determined to give his wife one last romantic gesture, he embarks on the task of constructing a Ferris wheel in their backyard to recreate the moment he proposed.

Though the movie has some heavy moments, the nosy neighbor, played by Cheri Oteri, offers comedic relief with her preparation for the Christmas showcase, while Mandy Moore’s character brings a new love story into the mix.

Check out what Andy Garcia had to say about the film, the importance of bringing together great actors, and the holiday season below! (Prepare to swoon.)

What drew you to participate in this holiday special?

Well, I knew Mary-Louise [Parker] was involved and that was a great asset for me because I think she is a genius actress. We tried to work together before and it never worked out. So that was a plus. But, I was also struck by the story about a man building a Ferris wheel for his wife as a sort of last wish. She can’t leave the house, so he builds it in the back yard. It was the emotion inherent in that and also the humor inherent in it as well. I just thought it was a beautiful story.

Usually when you think of Christmas movies, you think of happy, upbeat stories. But this movie touches on a lot of sad moments. Was that hard to film?

Well, you know, you have to put yourself in the space of the loss of probably the greatest love of your life. Those things are not easy. They take a toll on you. But it is worthwhile to go through it.

Luckily, the story did not have a dark past on top of that.

Exactly. It was the comedic undertone that helps you recharge for the next moment where you are going to get hit on the head by a bat.

You interact with a bunch of other characters in the film, including Cheri Oteri and Mandy Moore. What was it like working with them on set as well?

Oh yeah, it was very easy. These movies are done very quickly. We shot this one between twenty and twenty-five days and there was no rehearsal. I got together with Mary-Louise on Sunday before we started shooting on a Monday with the director and we went through it all. But it was more of a chat. Then we went and executed it all.

You want to be involved with the best actors possible. We had a really great cast and everyone really got on and were very supportive of one another. The most important work for this film is done on camera with your fellow actors. So the better you can be on camera for them, the better they are for you. If you can create a nucleus of support for one another, then it can only be better. The better the parts, the better the whole.

Your character, Duncan, does one of the most romantic gestures in cinematic history. What is the most romantic thing you can think of doing?

I think when two people come together and they unite in love and start a family, that is incredibly romantic. Because, in that moment, you make a commitment to each other to create a family for a lifetime. To me that is an incredibly romantic gesture.

Christmas in Conway is set to kick off on December 1, which catapults everyone into the holiday season. Is there anything you look forward to doing every year around the holidays?

The important thing is to be with your family. We have four kids, my wife and I, and the important thing is that we are all together. The where is not as important as the being there together. But usually we are home setting up the Christmas spirit around the house with a fire and some decorations. Just getting that feeling going in the house. It starts very early in December and doesn’t come down until late in January.

We try to share it with friends. If we do travel, we travel to just another home. We don’t go anywhere that isn’t a home.

Be sure to tune into Christmas in Conway tonight, December 1 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.