The Christmas season is coming to CBS in a new way with Fit for Christmas, starring Amanda Kloots. The project is The Talk co-host’s very first holiday movie, and she was involved in it as more than just the leading lady. Kloots created the premise that incorporates her real-life love of fitness as she plays Audrey in the festive town of Mistletoe, Montana, and she spoke with CinemaBlend about finding her inspiration after losing her husband, Nick Cordero, in 2020.
Broadway alum Amanda Kloots reached many people in 2020 as she opened up about her husband’s struggle with COVID, before and after he passed away in July of that year. Now, with Fit for Christmas releasing to bring some holiday cheer, Kloots shared with CinemaBlend that she wanted this to be the project that brought her back into acting because she created it, then elaborated on how she found inspiration in a difficult time:
It was an idea that came to me back in July of 2020 on a sleepless night. I had lost my husband a couple of weeks before and could not sleep, and I woke up in the middle of the night and they were playing Christmas movies on the television at that time to make people happy during COVID. It was like the height of COVID, and so I'm watching this Christmas movie and I thought of this idea about a fitness instructor. I remember thinking, 'I watch so many of these movies, and there's never been any kind of fitness involved at all.'
Kloots continued to update well-wishers on how she and her son were moving forward after their loss, and summer Christmas movies brought her some inspiration for a kind of project that hadn’t been done before in the many holiday movies that so many people love. Now a celebrity fitness trainer as well as co-host of The Talk, who better than Kloots to create the Fit for Christmas premise and bring it to life as star? She continued, saying:
I was like, ‘I'm gonna create it,’ and so I was super excited about the idea. I got paired with the most incredible writer Anna White, and we fleshed out the concept even more. When CBS bought it, we were just absolutely thrilled. It was like a dream come true.
Anna White wrote a number of holiday movies for Hallmark and Lifetime before joining forces with Amanda Kloots, and the extended trailer is proof enough that they’re bringing a merry and bright project to CBS. The movie follows the story of Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor Audrey, whose holiday plans in Mistletoe run into some obstacles when charming and less-than-festive businessman Griffin (played by Hallmark legend Paul Greene) turns up with his own plans for the town. Can they find common ground, and perhaps something more together?
You’ll have to tune in to see what the holiday season holds for Audrey and Griffin on December 4, but playing this character meant that Amanda Kloots was able to bring her real-life fitness skills to the Christmas movie, which allowed her to do something that she already loved while also having fun on set as the star. When asked about her experience using her real-life skills in Fit for Christmas, she confirmed that it was “so fun," and explained:
Listen, one of my favorite things about fitness is showing people that fitness can be fun, and that fitness doesn't have to be this dark gym, you know, underground lifting weights or something. You can be smiling and excited and full of joy as you're working out and get an incredible workout, so it was really fun. It was really just joyful to be on set doing these fitness dances that I've taught in my real life for years, and showing people that you can turn on Christmas music and get a great workout at the same time. It was really fun to be with the cast and have them behind me dancing with me. Yeah, it was really kind of surreal, like your real life needs this alternate movie life.
As a fitness instructor, Audrey will manage to combine dance, exercise, and – of course – Christmas for workouts in Mistletoe, and Amanda Kloots didn’t exactly need to go to fitness boot camp to learn all the right moves! Of course, not every star of Fit for Christmas is a trainer when not starring in TV movies or co-hosting The Talk. When asked if her co-stars were able to keep up with her, Kloots shared:
Ah, no! [laughs] But that's okay. I've been doing this for six years, so I didn't expect them to. But they had a good time, and it was perfect for the movie because they weren't supposed to be good at it.
That had to be good news for the cast members who didn’t already have years of experience! All things considered, Fit for Christmas sounds like a merry way to get into the holiday spirit, and TV fans who know Kloots from The Talk can see a different side of her as Audrey. Be sure to tune in to CBS on Sunday, December 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET for the premiere of Fit for Christmas! You can also find it streaming after the premiere with a Paramount+ subscription.
You’ll also find stars like Liza Huget, Stephan Miers, Rebecca Budig, Barclay Hope, and Darryl Hinds alongside Amanda Kloots and Paul Greene, with Jessica Harmon (known for her roles in The 100 and iZombie) directing. If you’re already prepared to start planning ahead for the new year, be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
