Hayley Orrantia Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of Christmas Is Canceled - Exclusive

The holidays are the most exciting time of the year. It's a chance to take time away from the day-to-day routine and spend some quality time with the ones we love most. 

However, imagine heading home for Christmas only to find that your widowed father is now dating your high school enemy. That's exactly what happens in the new holiday flick "Christmas Is Canceled" on Prime Video.

"I just thought it was such a hilarious concept," actor Hayley Orrantia, who plays Emma, told The List in an exclusive interview. "And the writing was just so good, so I was really drawn to it for that."

Obviously, this is a scenario we'd rather watch on our screens than live out ourselves. Yet, crazy enough, the premise of the film was based on writer Sara Endsley's firsthand experience. "And I think that's why it's so well done," Orrantia said. 

The actress also revealed a few more behind-the-scenes secrets from "Christmas Is Canceled."

In "Christmas Is Canceled," veteran actor Dermot Mulroney plays Emma's dad while Janel Parrish portrays her high school enemy, Brandy. Hayley Orrantia told The List that all the back-and-forth bickering between Brandy and Emma in the movie "was kind of difficult."

When she first met Parrish on set, she realized that the actor was the complete opposite of the character she was playing. Because of that, it was extremely hard to keep a straight face during the arguments that we see onscreen, Orrantia said. "There were times where we were having to be really mean to each other, but we were, like, holding back laughter."

The problem didn't end after they finished filming, either. When Parrish and Orrantia had to pose for promotional photoshoots for the film, they were asked to scowl at each other, which was no easy feat.

"We're like, 'We can't do this. We actually really like each other,'" Orrantia laughed. "But it was great to get to work with her."

In addition to portraying Emma, Hayley Orrantia got to play another important role in the film: She wrote one of the songs on the soundtrack. 

"As a songwriter and a singer, I sort of just mentioned to the director, Prarthana Mohan, and the producers that I did music, and I would love to just take a stab at writing something for it," she told The List. "Whether that's in the credits, or the trailer, whatever." 

After letting the team listen to her single "The Same Way," she was excited to find out that it would be included in the film. Funny enough, while the song references the holidays, Orrantia isn't a big fan of the season herself. So, she wanted to write a tune that could be relatable all year long. 

"It wasn't specific to all the details of the holiday, but it sort of had this metaphorical tie into Christmastime," she explained. 

Nonetheless, after a listen, the song definitely gets us into the holiday spirit — and has us in the mood to watch "Christmas Is Canceled."

"Christmas is Canceled" is available to stream now on Prime Video. Outside of the U.S., you can catch the holiday film on HBO Max and in theaters.