ABC Family’s “Chasing Life” returns next week for a holiday episode – and the star of the show is giving SpoilerTV a preview, along with sharing some of her own favorite Christmas traditions.
Italia Ricci (April Carver) tells us the Christmas episode was a lot of fun to shoot. She thinks fans will enjoy it. “We see this is the end of her chemo, the tail end of her chemo,” Ricci explains of April. “We see how it finishes and you get an idea of how she’s going to recover, if she’s going to recover and who’s going to be there with her during it.”
The episode begins right where the summer finale left off. That means it doesn’t actually take place over Christmas – it’s still springtime in the show. But April’s family decides she needs a little holiday pick-me-up. “Christmas is one of April’s favorite holidays. The Carvers decide to try and help her create Christmas in her hospital room to lift her spirits since she’s starting to lose her hair,” explains Ricci.
Losing her hair will prompt a few makeovers to test out new looks – including a short platinum wig. “The wigs were so much fun. I kept the blonde one but I haven’t worn it since. I want it just in case I ever feel like getting on a plane in a blonde wig,” laughs Ricci. “The episode was definitely fun because I got to see myself in all of those different hairstyles!”
This imitation Christmas celebration is full of real family dynamics. Viewers will get to meet even more Carver family members. “We meet April’s dad’s parents who come into town,” says Ricci. “They’re played by Marion Ross and Ed Asner who are just comedic geniuses. It was so much fun working with [them]. You get to see the dynamic with that side of the family and especially how they feel about Grandma who lives with us. It’s one of my favorite, favorite bits we’ve done all season. Fans can look forward to that!”
And viewers can also look forward to finding out what happens with Leo. “You will see whether or not he has the surgery,” says Ricci. If he does end up choosing the surgery, Ricci tells us that while April would be thrilled, it would also be scary for her. “He could die on that table. What happens is not something that anybody expects.”
Despite the fact this episode airs in the middle of the season, it was actually the last episode the cast filmed. “We filmed it in August,” says Ricci. “It got me prematurely in the [Christmas] spirit. I was humming Christmas carols when I was coming home and everybody thought I was a bit nuts. It definitely got me in the spirit a little too early.”
Not that she minds. Like her character, Ricci also loves Christmas. “I love just being home with my family. I’m from Canada, so I’m listening to non-stop Christmas music. Right now my favorite Christmas song of all time is ‘Carol of the Bells’ by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It gets me every single time. I have the remix as my phone ringtone.” She also tells us her favorite Christmas movies are the animated classics “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” since they take her back to her childhood.
When it comes to gifts, Ricci loves to give a good surprise. “I gave my fiancé (actor Robbie Amell) an awesome gift! I tricked him into thinking that we were going to Vegas to see a Cirque du Soleil show. He was going to be missing a Kings playoff game, so he was pretty angry about that. [Instead] I took him to a race track in Vegas and he got to drive nine supercars as fast as he could because he is a car freak. He was so ecstatic. I’ve never seen such joy on a person’s face. It was fantastic!”
Though she hasn’t thought about New Year’s resolutions just yet, Ricci says she did make a couple for this year that she was proud to keep. “This year was to get pretty good at a speed bag (a type of boxing punching bag), which is so random, but I did it. Also I said I would not eat McDonald’s all year because I am obsessed with McDonald’s. I love McDonald’s and I would eat it like four times a week. I haven’t had it all year. I’m pretty impressed with myself. [In less than a month now] I can have it. I am so excited. I’m definitely not giving up any sort of food that I love again,” she laughs.
As Ricci focuses on the holidays, she is thinking fondly back on her experience of filming season one. “I would have to say that the Christmas episode was the most fun. We had the amazing guest stars, but it’s also the looks and the fact that it was the last episode that we filmed. It was like school’s almost out for summer and the energy was really high. We were all so proud of all 21 episodes that we had shot. We were just so pumped that we got to do an extra one. It was so much fun.”
The Christmas episode of “Chasing Life” airs Tuesday, December 9 at 9/8c. After that the second half of the season returns on a new night Monday, January 19 at 9/8c.
How much are you looking forward to the return of "Chasing Life?" Do you think Leo will have the surgery? What would you like to see in the Christmas episode? Let us know in the comments below.
