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WHEN CALLS THE HEART Cast Discuss ‘Heartbreaking’ Moment Between Nathan and Elizabeth

Photo from When Calls the Heart’s Instagram

WHEN CALLS THE HEART Cast Discuss ‘Heartbreaking’ Moment Between Nathan and Elizabeth

By Movieguide® Staff

Note: This story contains spoilers for Season 8 of WHEN CALLS THE HEART.

Season 8 of WHEN CALLS THE HEART already shocked fans, also known as Hearties, within its first two episodes.

Nathan Grant, a Mountie in Hope Valley played by Kevin McGarry, surprised both Elizabeth Thornton and viewers when he confessed his love for the school teacher, played by Erin Krakow.

In a recent interview, the two actors discussed the emotional moment on-screen.

“That scene was day one,” McGarry told ET. “It was certainly [Krakow and my] first scene back together.”

McGarry continued: “I’ve had scenes like that in the past where you kind of like to be on your own before you’re about to do a scene with a partner. [This one with Erin] didn’t really ask for it, for me, because I just had to be like, ‘Here’s my heart,’ so distancing myself from Erin at the beginning would not have helped me at all. If anything, I’m just trying to see [Erin] again and get back in the rhythm.”

Krakow added: “I’ve certainly done scenes over the years where it felt like it was useful to just take a little space to myself [before filming], but no, in this case, I think Kevin and I discussed the scene and what we wanted to get out of it.”

McGarry revealed that the biggest challenge was finding a balance in his performance.

“We were trying to find the right level because we didn’t want to go too over the top, and we didn’t want to make it too cool at the same time because it’s a journey,” McGarry said. “It was pretty intense.”

Aside from the scene’s emotional weight, Krakow noted that another challenge was the weather conditions while filming.

“We were just sitting in a tent together, trying to avoid the heat and the mosquitoes that were swarming us by the pond,” Krakow recalled. “We were even trying to get that scene out between airplanes flying overhead. There were some elements that were stacked against us a bit, but no, I think we discussed it, we spent the time together and it’s a very heartbreaking scene.”

Co-star Chris McNally, who plays fellow suitor Lucas Bouchard, also chimed in on the scene’s intensity despite not making an appearance.

“Oh man, that’s intense!” McNally said when he read the script, joking: “I imagined Nathan being Sean Penn in Mystic River but instead of saying, ‘Is that my daughter?’ he’s there saying, ‘I love you!'”

McGarry added: “I think Nathan is the Sean Penn of Hope Valley!”

Despite some of the challenges, Krakow believes that the scene came together to become a successful but heartbreaking scene.

“I think there’s a line in the scene, something like, ‘If I stay, it’ll only make things harder,’ and I think that was probably the mantra that was running through her head. That sense of, ‘This is an impossible situation — I’m just trying to follow my heart, my gut here, and make a decision, and and you are making it impossible,'” Krakow explains. “I think the goal there really was to just extricate herself, and even when I was sitting up on that horse and Kevin cried out the way he did, it was just heartbreaking. He did such a great job, and thankfully we were able to get the horse to cooperate.”

For the past two seasons, Nathan Grant was timid and shy—even McGarry was taken off-guard at his forwardness this season.

“I remember reading the first two [episodes] and I was like, ‘Wow, this is very out of his character, but it goes back to that point where his life kind of changed a bit at the end of season 7, where he’s really kind of re-organizing his priorities of what he wants and what he’s willing to give up to get it,” McGarry said. “It did make sense, it just did not go the way I think that he wanted it to go.”

What did you think of Nathan’s confession? Let us know in the comments!

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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.