Cecilia Deacon plays Mary in the supernatural comedy-drama series Coven Academy, which is created by Tim Federle, and premiered on Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu last week, with Cecilia working alongside her on-screen daughter Briar, played by Malina Pauli Weissman, and Malachi Barton (Jake) and Tiffani Thiessen (Miss Graves). In this year’s Hallmark film The Love Heist, Cecilia played Vivien Blaise, and she joined Series 11 of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart as recurring character Jeanette Aucoin, which aired in 2024. Further screen projects for Cecilia include the TV movie Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom Com? – playing Sofia Munoz, Hallmark films A Timeless Christmas and Love at First Dance, and she has had guest appearances in shows such as So Help Me Todd and Riverdale. Upcoming for Cecilia will be The Best Is Yet To Come, a comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck, and alongside her acting career, she is a writer (having started as a ghostwriter) and a model for companies including L’Oreal and Redken. We caught up with Cecilia about playing Marie in Coven Academy, working on Hallmark projects including The Love Heist and When Calls the Heart and filming as Sofia Munoz in Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom Com?.

How does it feel now that Coven Academy has premiered on Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu, and who do you think the series will appeal to?

It’s so wonderful to finally have it out in the world. Up until something premieres, everyone who’s worked on it is sort of in a little bubble, so it’s a very special feeling to finally share it and see what resonates. Obviously, there is a lot of stuff in it for fans of the supernatural and fantasy genres, but at its core, it’s really about friendship, identity, and finding your place in the world. So hopefully, there is a little something for everyone.

Can you tell us about Coven Academy, and what drew you to the show, which is created by Tim Federle?

The show covers a fair bit of ground, but one of the things I personally enjoyed most about it is the magic and folklore elements. It’s all the stuff I loved as a kid and still have a real soft spot for. And Tim has such a wonderful skill for world-building that’s of nigh-on mythological proportions, but is still super grounded in the characters.

How was it getting into character as Mary, and what was it like filming your scenes?

I found Mary mostly through her voice. Personally, every character I work on has a different lynchpin, a go-to mannerism or quality that helps me find my way into them. For Mary, she sits at the lower end of my register, with a very grounded, warm sound. Whenever we’d come back from lunch or something, I could just sing a little in an alto register, and there she is!

How was it meeting and working with your on-screen daughter Malina Pauli Weissman (Briar) and the rest of the cast?

I really clicked with Malina right away. She’s such a darling, incredibly talented and has a very impressive work ethic. We just had a really easy dynamic from the start, which made it simple to play mother and daughter. Though, to be fair, it was a very easy group to get along with, and we had lovely times between takes. Chatting with Malachi (Barton) about where to get tacos, recipes with Tiffani (Thiessen), restaurant suggestions and artisanal pickle spots with the girls… There was a bit of a food theme!

What was the experience like being part of a new supernatural comedy-drama series?

It’s one of the great treats of being an actor, getting to play pretend in these truly magical worlds. It’s the kind of thing I was always drawn to growing up, so being able to do it for a living now, as an adult, feels like a huge privilege.

Earlier this year, you played Vivien Blaise in the Hallmark film The Love Heist; what was this like to film?

It was honestly very inspiring! Part of what made it so enjoyable was getting to work with people I’d worked with before but hadn’t seen in years. The director actually cast me in my very first Hallmark project, many moons ago, and a few people on the producing team had also worked on another project of mine, Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom Com?. The reason I say it was inspiring though is because it was such a great group that I came up with a screenplay idea while we were filming, which I’ve been working on since. So it ended up being creatively engaging in more ways than one.

How was it joining Series 11 of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart as recurring character Jeanette Aucoin, and what was the character like to play?

I absolutely adored playing Jeanette, although she’s not necessarily the most adorable character. One of our directors that season called her an ‘outdoor cat’, and I think that describes her pretty perfectly. She does things on her own terms, and if you expect her to do one thing, she’ll probably do the exact opposite just to keep you on your toes. Generally speaking, Jeanette was having a grand old time in just about every scene she was in, which was very fun for me… though that mostly meant the other characters weren’t having such a good time. But I do love playing people with a bit of an edge.

How was your time on set of the 2023 TV movie Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom Com?, in which you played Sofia Munoz?

Sofia was a wild card! She was funny and sexy, and she had this hilarious quality where the first thing that popped into her head was usually what she did, no matter how illogical. I really enjoyed that about her, and I just really enjoy doing comedy in general.

Previously for Hallmark, you could be seen as Eliza – 1903 in A Timeless Christmas and Adriana in Love at First Dance; can you tell us about working on both?

I love anything historical, and I haven’t had too many opportunities to work on period pieces. So putting on a corset in the height of summer for A Timeless Christmas was, strangely enough, a bit of a treat! Even if it was also very sweaty.

And Love at First Dance had some fun fashion moments too. I was trying on wedding dresses in one part of the film, and on the day of shooting, the costume designer essentially sewed me into that thing, boning and all. I was cut out of the dress at the end of the day. So, I have really fond memories of fluffy dresses for both of those roles!

What was it like having guest roles in So Help Me Todd as Elisha and Riverdale as Alice?

I came in right at the very end of Riverdale, so it was really special to be even a small part of this huge world that had meant so much to so many people. It was also a nice reminder to enjoy these experiences while you’re in them. The days can be long, everyone gets tired and cranky, but these projects don’t last forever. We do it because we love it, so it’s important to enjoy it while you’re there.

And So Help Me Todd was such a fun experience. I got to be a redhead with Hollywood waves and very Jessica Rabbit dresses. The hair and makeup took about three hours, so there were definitely days when I felt like I’d spent more time in the makeup trailer than on set. I don’t think I’ll ever look like that again, so I’m very glad there’s footage. And, of course, working with Marcia Gay Harden was incredible. She’s so fluid in the way she works, and she can take a line and add all these little textures and flavours to it. It was really lovely to watch.

How did you get into acting, and did you always want to do it professionally?

Funnily enough, I didn’t really have any interest in becoming an actor when I was a little kid. I wanted to be an anthropologist! I did a lot of writing and reading though so I was always interested in stories.

It was actually Shakespeare that eventually led me to acting. In Grade 2, we did a unit on Twelfth Night and Macbeth, and something about the language and storytelling burrowed into my brain. That led me to start getting involved in theatre, little class productions and community productions. By the time I was finishing high school, I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else. So I moved to New York to train, and now, years later, here we are!

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

I will watch The Mummy every day until the end of time. It’s the perfect mix of adventure, romance and comedy. And I’ve always loved ancient Egypt. My grandparents came back from Egypt around the time The Mummy came out, and they brought me a little cartouche with my nickname written in hieroglyphs. It sent me down quite the rabbit hole; I couldn’t get enough books about ancient Egypt, and I’d spend hours in the Egypt exhibit at the museum. So The Mummy is a big favourite for many reasons!

We understand you are also a writer; can you tell us about this side of your career?

I actually started out as a ghostwriter of books. It was a very separate part of my life from acting, but it was a really important outlet for me. I loved the research side of it and getting to really dive into subjects that I probably wouldn’t otherwise have had a reason to spend that much time exploring.

Initially, I didn’t really have a desire to write anything with my own name on it, but I think that was always bound to change eventually, and it did. These days, I’m focusing on transitioning my writing career more fully into screenwriting and finding ways to bridge my two worlds. It’s been really fulfilling to start combining the things I love about writing with the kind of storytelling I get to do as an actor.

What is it like being a model for brands such as L’Oreal, Redken and Cetaphil?

It’s always a bit surreal to see yourself in that kind of campaign. When I first started out, I remember calling my mom to tell her I’d booked my first big job and how exciting it all was. These days, I’ve been moving away from traditional modelling a bit and focusing more on acting and writing, but I still really enjoy doing creative shoots with friends when they come up. I think I’m more interested now in the creative side of making an image than in modelling for modelling’s sake. It’s been an interesting evolution, but it feels like a natural extension of what I really love, which is telling stories.

What do you enjoy doing away from your career?

I love to travel, and I’m very lucky to have friends in lots of wonderful places, so I get to indulge in that pretty often. England, Germany and South Africa are big repeats for me. But when I’m home, I’m usually reading or losing track of time in a bookshop or museum. As you may have gathered, I have a bit of a thing for history…

I also love art galleries and drawing. I actually sold a few pieces during the pandemic, which I’m pretty proud of. My little hermit heart also loves a night in with family and friends. Cooking and conversation with a glass of wine, or a pizza-and-movie night. I guess, in many ways, my idea of a good time hasn’t changed much since I was about 12. It’s hard to beat a good old-fashioned slumber party with takeout and a movie marathon.

But I suppose, in a nutshell, I enjoy being creatively engaged and exploring what piques my curiosity.

Do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about, and what are you hoping the next year brings you?

I’m really looking forward to The Best Is Yet to Come hitting the screen. It’s an upcoming comedy that reunites Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck for the first time since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s witty and warm, and I genuinely laughed out loud when we did the sound for it in the spring, so I’m excited for audiences to see it.

As for what I’m hoping the next year brings… let’s just say I’m working away at some new challenges and adventures on the other side of the camera. I’m very excited about a few things, so hopefully I’ll have more to share soon!

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