Amanda Wong was waiting for just the right time to tell her mother about her new job. The Canadian actress had landed the role of Mei Suo on Hallmark’s longest-running original series When Calls the Heart and she wasn’t sure exactly how to tell her mother and her grandmother. She filmed the entire season before her mother’s best friend stepped in and told Wong’s mother all about it.
“Her best friend comes up to me,” Wong said, “and she goes, ‘Your mom just asked me if you were on a show….I panicked and I said yes.’”
Wong told the story during an appearance on a new show launched by Edify Films, a Christian distributor of When Calls the Heart DVDs and merchandise.
The Edify Show was inspired by the kindness of the When Calls the Heart fans, according to a post on the Edify Films Instagram page.
“We wanted to create a program unlike anything that’s been made before,” reads the post. “But more importantly, with so much bad news being reported, it’s about time to have a reliable source for good news and positive stories. We’re working hard to bring you just that. We hope you love it.”
When Calls the Heart
Hallmark released the first episodes of When Calls the Heart in 2014. Produced by Michael Landon Jr., the show was based on a series of novels by Janette Oke. The series quickly became an international success, launching a spinoff show and inspiring an annual convention.
Amanda Wong joined the cast in Season 9 as pharmacist Mei Suo, who rode into town surrounded by mystery.
In her interview on The Edify Show, Wong talked about filming her first scene with series regular Kevin McGarry.
“I was a little intimidated,” she said.
She soon found out that McGarry, who plays Mountie Nathan Grant, has a great sense of humor.
“It’s 3 in the morning and this guy is cracking jokes….It’s just wonderful,” she said.
The Edify Show
Edify Films produces merchandise celebrating When Calls the Heart and distributes DVDs of the series that include behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.
The first episode of The Edify Show featured a conversation with Wong and interviews with three people involved in a heartwarming true story. A post on Edify’s Instagram page described it as, “An incredibly heartfelt story of uncommon generosity when a woman loses her great grandmother’s wedding ring in the Atlantic Ocean, and the extraordinary measures taken by a complete stranger who drives 2 hours and sleeps in his car to help her find her ring. You won’t want to miss this story. It’s beautiful.”