Are you looking forward to the many Christmas specials airing this season on TV? Here’s a movie you won’t want to miss! Did you know we have an actor right here in Geauga County who will be appearing in one beginning the 1st of December?
Most of us are familiar with Hallmark. We all know of their greeting cards, but many have also come to know and love their family friendly movies. December is packed with their wonderful films about the season which can be found on the Hallmark Channel website.
Jim Kisicki of Chesterland has been in the acting field for over 35 years and is one of the nation’s premiere voice talents and actors. He has been heard and seen on national TV and radio commercials. Jim has had roles in over a dozen movies including The Shawshank Redemption as the bank manager; Renegade Force, an HBO Movie, as Frank; Telling Lies in America as Cecil Simms; Centennial (TV Mini-Series) filmed in Cincinnati as Rev. Fenstermacher to name a few.
On December 1 at 8 p.m., “The Christmas Spirit” will be premiering on the Hallmark Channel starring
Nicollette Sheridan as Charlotte Hart; Olympia Dukakis as Gwen Hollander; and Bart Johnson as Daniel Huntsman.
Most of the movie was shot in Lebanon, Ohio. It is a mix of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Christmas Carol.” Jim plays Alan Gottlieb, the editor of a big New York newspaper. He has three scenes in the movie. The first is right at the beginning, the second is about 22 pages into the script and the third comes near the very end of the movie.
About the Movie
Charlotte Hart (Nicollette Sheridan), a distinguished journalist, is spending time with her family over the holidays when a real estate developer approaches their small town with quite an offer. Skeptical and looking for the real scoop, Charlotte drives to see the real estate head honcho to question him. While she’s en route, she gets into a terrible car accident and wakes up in the hospital only to realize that her body is in a coma, but her spirit is very much awake. She meets another spirit, who just happens to be the greedy developer. It turns out that he was on the other end of the accident and he too is in a coma. With only a few days left before the town votes on the development, Charlotte must try to change the minds of the developer and the town, but that is no easy task when no one can see or hear her. Will her voice be heard?
I guess we’ll have to watch and find out!
It was back in 1977 that Jim decided to seriously pursue acting as a career. He auditioned at both the Cincinnati and Cleveland playhouses on the same day. It must have been the right decision because he was offered two jobs at each of them! After that, the Cleveland playhouse offered him a position in the resident acting company where he spent eight years involved in the playhouse productions. He then expanded his career and has enjoyed a variety of roles in well known movies.
When casting for minor roles in these movies, the casting director will send out descriptions to agents located near the filming site. The agent will then recommend those who ‘fit the bill’ for the director. An audition is held, in this case in Cincinnati, and decisions are made. Jim received a call back – a good sign! – and was offered the role as Alan Gottlieb.
Jim and his wife Debbie, a speech pathologist at Lindsey Elementary School, have lived in Chesterland since 1989. They have two daughters Kate and Rebecca. He has been involved as a member of the Chesterland Rotary Club since 1991, a choice that has enabled him to offer hands on help and touch people’s lives individually which he finds very rewarding.
This December, pick a night and sit down with the family around the Hallmark Channel to watch “The Christmas Spirit.” And when you see Alan Gottlieb, you can casually say, “That’s Jim Kisicki – I know him! He lives right here in Geauga County!”
Check the Hallmark schedule for daily showing times after the premier on December 1 at 8 p.m.
