She was always a performer, even at a young age, but she never thought of making a career out of it.

But now Vernon-born and Vancouver-based actress Hannah Pederson can乌鸦传媒檛 imagine life without acting.

Pederson, now a career actress, is steadily building her identity as a household name and has scored her first lead role in the form of Aimee Lee in Hallmark乌鸦传媒檚 Garage Sale Mystery: The Mask Murder, which is set to air on the Hallmark channel Aug. 12 and for release beyond the channel in the near future.

乌鸦传媒淭his was my first lead role in a Hallmark movie,乌鸦传媒� Pederson said, adding that her relationship with the company began early on in her acting career.

Filmed approximately five months ago over the course of a month in Vancouver, Garage Sale Mystery follows Lori Loughlin of Full House乌鸦传媒檚 Aunt Becky and 90210乌鸦传媒檚 Debbie Wilson fame as her character, Jennifer, unravels a mystery.

乌鸦传媒淢urders mysteriously continue to happen in front of her,乌鸦传媒� Pederson said of Hallmark乌鸦传媒檚 Garage Sale Mystery series.

Pederson first stepped into the TV movie series in 2015.

乌鸦传媒淚 booked a Garage Sale Mystery in 2015, but it was a super small role,乌鸦传媒� she said.

However, over the past three years, Pederson said she has continued to build that rapport with Hallmark.

乌鸦传媒淚 just felt like I connected really well with produces, with fans of the show,乌鸦传媒� Pederson said. 乌鸦传媒淚 feel like they kind of took me under their wing. It乌鸦传媒檚 been pretty consistent. I feel at home with them and their content.乌鸦传媒�

From the content to the producers and fan base, Pederson said it乌鸦传媒檚 a relationship she is happy to have cultivated.

乌鸦传媒淧eople meet me in real life and say, 乌鸦传媒榊ou are like a Hallmark movie,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒� she laughed.

Over the course of her career, Pederson has starred in several shorts, series and TV movies such as Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe, Summer Love, Every Christmas Has a Story and When Calls the Heart and has made appearances in several Vancouver favourites like The Good Doctor and Supernatural.

However, one genre that has consistently crept into her filmography was simply by chance: sci-fi horror.

乌鸦传媒淚n Vancouver, we do a lot of sci-fi, murder mysteries, we have Supernatural 乌鸦传媒� I think it just worked out that way. I want more Christmas movies,乌鸦传媒� she laughed.

Even though the genre she often appears in is a mere coincidence, she wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 change a thing.

乌鸦传媒淚 absolutely love doing it. It feels like something I connect with,乌鸦传媒� Pederson said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think I connect really well with emotional characters.乌鸦传媒�

And for Pederson, that connection is half of the fun.

乌鸦传媒淚 love to connect with new characters. You just learn what it乌鸦传媒檚 like to walk in other people乌鸦传媒檚 shoes. I really care about it and I really try to honour the characters. I think it乌鸦传媒檚 important to honour the stories,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淎ll these people are real in some way. Everyone can relate to the characters 乌鸦传媒� that乌鸦传媒檚 why we watch TV.乌鸦传媒�

While she has become fully enamoured by the craft, it was a career choice that almost didn乌鸦传媒檛 happen. During Pederson乌鸦传媒檚 high school years, she was an avid athlete and sports were her No. 1 priority until she decided to give acting a try. Pederson moved to Calgary for a theatre intensive and learned the Meisner technique at the Playhouse.

乌鸦传媒淲hen I first got there, I didn乌鸦传媒檛 really fit in,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭aking those courses and learning about acting truly swept me off my feet.乌鸦传媒�

After her two-year intensive, Pederson moved back to Vernon briefly before heading to the west coast.

乌鸦传媒淚 didn乌鸦传媒檛 know much coming here. I knew the film industry was booming at that time,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 just really amazing to come from a small town and have a city that has so much opportunity so close by. We乌鸦传媒檙e really fortunate for that.乌鸦传媒�

Pederson has seen success in her career in Vancouver but said she has started the process to break into the Los Angeles scene.

乌鸦传媒淚 have a family and mom who always told me to dream big,乌鸦传媒� Pederson said. 乌鸦传媒淚 just want to be a full-time actor. I would really like to be a series lead. Long-term, I just want to be a series actor and in a couple feature films.乌鸦传媒�

And, with a lead role Garage Sale Mystery: The Mask Murder under her belt, Pederson said that dream is closer than ever.

乌鸦传媒淚t was so exciting,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like tasting sugar for the first time.乌鸦传媒�

parker.crook@vernonmorningstar.com
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