Kate Moyer can be seen starring as Eden Edwards in the new feature film Children of the Corn, which was released earlier this year after filming entirely during the COVID lockdown in 2020, with the film based on Stephen King’s 1977 short story of the same name. In 2018, Kate began her regular role of Heather Hobbie in the children’s television series Holly Hobbie, playing the character throughout all five series of the show alongside a cast including her on-screen sister Ruby Jay as Holly, with the series airing in the United Kingdom on CBBC. Most recently, Kate has been filming for two upcoming projects – Series 2 of Reacher for Amazon, and the screen adaptation of Out of My Mind for Disney+. Last year, Kate played Rose (daughter of Travis Fimmel’s character) in the feature film Delia’s Gone, and her previous acting work has included Apple TV+ anthology series Circuit Breakers, TV mini-series Station Eleven, the When Calls the Heart spin-off series When Hope Calls, the Series 3 finale of The Handmaid’s Tale and Lifetime TV movie A Christmas in Tennessee. For her first acting job, Kate played Becca in the 2018 horror film Our House, which saw her work opposite Percy Hynes White and Thomas Mann, and she has been nominated for a number of awards during her career so far, including at the Canadian Screen Awards. We talked to Kate about starring as Eden Edwards in Children of the Corn, being on set of Holly Hobbie as Heather Hobbie and her upcoming roles.

In the new release of Children of the Corn, you play Eden Edwards, can you tell us about the character and what was she like to play?

Well, Eden is a strong and independent 11 year old. She has had a very difficult life as she has grown up in an orphanage and the adults who she believed she could trust betrayed her. And all has affected the way she looks at adults or just older people in general. So, during the events of the film, she takes on a leadership role with the kids of the town to help fight for what she believes in, which is saving the corn. Playing Eden was an amazing experience because I was only 11 when I booked the role and Eden was almost like playing an adult. When I was reading through the script for the first time, I was a bit nervous because Eden is a leader and has control over all the kids, I didn’t know if I would be able to play the role and make it believable. But, as filming progressed, I kind of fell into the role and it actually came really easily to me. Eden helped bring out this confidence in me that wasn’t there initially and I am forever grateful that I was able to create and become this character.

How was it filming during the COVID lockdown and how does it feel now Children of the Corn has been released?

The night that I left for Australia, COVID actually shut down everything. Literally as my mom and I were going to the gate to our Australia flight, they told us we had to quarantine. We were the first production to actually film during the beginning of the pandemic, and our lovely safety coordinator John Heaney helped to create a lot of the guidelines and protocols for our set, and basically create the instructions for other productions when they started to run again. The whole cast and crew were all bubbled in a hotel, so it was like living with everyone for three months. That actually helped to make all of our relationships (between the cast) more real. It feels amazing now that Children of the Corn has been released because it’s great to look back on and it’s amazing to see all of the hard work that everyone put into the film, and it shows up on screen.

What was it like working with the rest of the cast and filming for a Stephen King screen adaptation?

Working with the rest of the cast was super fun! Because of COVID, we all had to quarantine, and for our production we all actually quarantined together in a hotel. So, we were all able to get really close, because we were seeing each other on set every day and off set every night. I think that it helped to convey the relationship between all of the kids, like they all really live in this small town together and have known each other forever. Before I booked the role, I didn’t really know what Children of the Corn was or what it was about, but my parents filled me in and I found it really intriguing. I was excited to play someone creepy and violent, but at the same time, I felt a bit of pressure, because I know how well-loved the original Children of the Corn is from 1984 and I didn’t want to disappoint people who love the original film.

Can you tell us about the feature film Delia’s Gone, in which you play Rose, and what was it like to be part of it?

Delia’s Gone is about a man named Louis, who is trying to find out the truth behind his sister’s death. I play Rose, who is the daughter of Travis Fimmel’s character, Stacker Cole, who has knowledge about what happened to Delia and how she died. Even though I wasn’t on set for very long, it was still fun to be a part of. The cast and crew were incredibly kind and everyone was working so hard. It was fun to be a part of a thriller, which I hadn’t really done before so it was a new experience for me.

You played Heather Hobbie across all five series of Holly Hobbie, was there anything that drew you to the show and how was it on set?

Holly Hobbie will forever hold a special place in my heart because I basically grew up on the show, starting when I was only ten. What drew me to the show was the comedy and the story, I felt that every character was interesting and all of the writing was really amazing. I loved the messages that each episode was trying to put across. I especially loved playing Heather because I felt like she was really close to how I am in real life, and playing her was just like being myself. Being on set was like being with a second family. I spent so much time with everyone that we were all very close, we all felt comfortable around each other, and it just made for a more enjoyable filming experience.

What was Heather like to play and how was it being in the cast?

Playing Heather was like playing myself. She and I are very similar in the way we speak and our interests, that it wasn’t difficult to fall into character. I would read scenes and I could already hear the way I was going to say it on the day before even saying the lines. As the years went by, it just became easier and easier and I felt that I really got to build who Heather was becoming.

How is it seeing the worldwide fan response to the series and your portrayal of Heather?

It’s amazing to see how people have reacted to the show and my character is really gratifying. I’m so grateful for everyone’s great response and the people who have really connected to Heather, who get her. I’m glad that people can see themselves in each of the characters. Being able to connect to people through the show, even after it finished filming, is really rewarding.

How was your time playing Haley Butterscotch in Station Eleven?

Playing Haley Butterscotch was amazing for many reasons. The setting was this post-apocalyptic world and all of the sets and costumes, and even just the story is so intriguing, and scary because it was sort of like COVID. I remember my costume being made out of wires and pop tabs and I just thought that was so cool because everyone had something specific or special for their characters. It was also so fun to work alongside such an incredible cast of actors and the wonderful crew. Everyone was so welcoming and so amazing at what they did, and it really shows in the series.

We understand you have filmed for an episode of Circuit Breakers as Genesis, what can you tell us about this and what was it like to film?

Filming for Circuit Breakers was so fun. I was really interested in the story because each episode is different, but they’re all connected in some way, and there is some sort of sci-fi element to each one, making it really cool. It was described as a sort of Twilight Zone sort of show, which I thought was just so intriguing. In my episode, Genesis is a young girl who feels invisible, she’s constantly being overlooked or ignored, and one day her neighbour gives her an invisibility belt, and craziness ensues. It’s a very light-hearted show and I think that message in each episode is really important.

What was it like working on the TV series When Hope Calls as Sophia?

Working on When Hope Calls was so fun, specifically because I had always heard or watched shows that were like it like When Calls the Heart, and I was so excited to actually be a part of one myself. The whole cast and crew were amazing, I was especially close with all of the kids. One of my favourite things was the costumes and sets. The costume and sets departments worked really hard to build the early 1900s world around us. I loved all of my dresses and I really enjoyed having a whole town set that we could play around in.

In 2018, you played Becca in Our House, what are some of your favourite memories from filming with the cast and playing Becca?

Our House was my first job, and I loved every minute of it! I was only eight at the time. One of my favourite memories was filming a scene in a van, with Percy (Hynes White) and Thomas (Mann), and we were backing out of a driveway, when the car suddenly stopped and Percy just flew into the seat in front of him. I couldn’t stop laughing. Another fun memory was actually on the last day, when there was a waffle bar on set for lunch, and Percy and I covered our waffles in sprinkles. Everyone who worked on Our House was so sweet and I will always look back on the filming process fondly. Sometimes while working on other projects today, I run into someone from the cast or crew from Our House and it’s always great to see them. Usually they think I am ‘Kate’s older sister’ because they are shocked at how much I have grown since I was eight!

Do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the role of Becca for your first major acting role and what did you enjoy most about being on set of a horror film?

My parents actually have a video of me when they told me I had booked the role. I just jumped up and down. When I first auditioned, I felt a really strong connection to the movie and just hoped that I would land it, and when I did, I couldn’t have been happier. Filming a horror movie as an eight year old was daunting at first, but the filming process is a lot different than the final result. It isn’t even a little scary filming when you are surrounded by cast and crew members that you see every day. I spent a lot of my time laughing on that set instead of screaming!

How is it being nominated for awards for your performances and can you tell us about some of the other projects you’ve been part of over your career so far, which have included The Handmaid’s Tale and A Christmas in Tennessee?

I couldn’t even believe I was nominated for awards at first, but once I finally realised it was real, I just felt so grateful. Being able to actually attend the Canadian Screen Awards and just be nominated in the first place was a great honour and an amazing experience.

Being a part of The Handmaid’s Tale was intimidating at first because it seemed like a really serious show, but it was the exact opposite on set. Everyone was so incredibly kind and welcoming to me and I was so glad to be a part of it, and being able to work and watch Elizabeth Moss up close was an eye-opening experience that I will always remember.

A Christmas in Tennessee was too fun for me for two reasons: #1, I love Christmas and had always wanted to do a Christmas movie, and #2, I just love this story! This was another great experience because everyone on the cast and crew worked really hard and the entire cast was so kind to me. And even though it was an EXTREMELY cold sometimes (Winnipeg in February and March), it was still really fun to film.

How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do?

I have been performing since I was three. I did competitive dance for almost seven years and I loved to sing. And my parents decided that maybe I should try acting, and so I did. We found an amazing acting coach who really helped me learn and grow as a performer. When I started booking roles and started to understand how working on a set really was, I just fell in love with it. I loved being a part of a production and seeing all of our hard work up on the screen. I always love acting as an outlet to express my creative side.

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch and how do you like to spend your time away from acting?

When I’m not acting, I’m usually at school. And if I’m not at school, I’m either swimming in my pool, at taekwondo class, or crocheting. And if I’m not doing any of those, I’m watching TV and movies. I think it’s important as an actor to watch movies and TV shows to see how other actors perform, but also to help with pop culture or acting knowledge. Some of my favourite movies are Avatar and any Avengers movie. And my favourite TV shows are Full House and Stranger Things (Best show!).

Do you have any upcoming projects that you can tell us about and what are you hoping 2023 brings for you?

It is a bit of a unique year with the industry and ongoing strikes, so 2023 threw a bit of a curveball, but I still managed to shoot a couple of cool projects and have some exciting upcoming releases! I just wrapped work on Reacher Season 2 for Amazon, and I am very excited that a movie I did called Out of My Mind, based on the book by Sharon Draper, will be released on Disney+.

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