Most Hallmark viewers know Jessica Lowndes as an actress and musician. But the 90210 star is also a writer. In February, one of her scripts is coming to the small screen on GAC Family.
Lowndes talked about writing Harmony From the Heart more than four years ago during an interview with GAC Family’s CEO Bill Abbott.
An avid reader, she turned to writing during a relatively quiet point in her career.
“I forced myself every night to write for an hour,” she said. “Then it evolved into writing every day from 9 to 5.”
She finished several scripts. In 2019, Hallmark Channel produced one of them, Over the Moon in Love, and cast Lowndes and Wes Brown in the lead roles. Another script is now being brought to life by Bill Abbott, who started two new networks after leaving his job as CEO of Crown Media Family Networks in 2020.
The movie follows a woman named Violet (played by Lowndes), who is studying to become a music therapist. But her dream job is put in jeopardy when her professor tells her she has two weeks to get a patient at the local hospital to speak again. Violet has only until Valentine’s Day — two weeks away — to achieve her goal. One of the biggest obstacles she faces is the patient’s skeptical physician, played by Jesse Metcalfe.
Inspired by Mom
Lowndes said she got the idea for the story from her mother, who is a piano teacher. When she asked her mom if there were any other jobs she would like to have, her mother mentioned she was interested in music therapy.
“I started researching it, and I was just so blown away at the power music has to heal people and touch people and to transport people back to these different times in their lives,” she said.
She wrote a script and then, in her words, put it away on a shelf. Fast forward to last year, when Abbott approached her to work on his new network.
Lowndes agreed to appear in several movies for the network and gave Abbott the script for Harmony From the Heart to read.
During their interview, he called her writing remarkable.
“When I read the script, I had hardly any changes,” he said. “It was just so well done.”
Part of the future
Born in Vancouver, Lowndes got her start onscreen in the television movie Saving Milly. She appeared in the series Greek, and then in 90210 as Adriana Tate-Duncan, a troubled former child star who developed a drug addiction.
She has made several movies for Hallmark Channel, including Merry Matrimony (2015), A December Bride (2016), and Her Magical Christmas (2017).
Lowndes also has a successful career as a musician. One of her singles was included in the 90210 soundtrack.
Both Abbott and Lowndes talked during the interview about working together again.
“I am so excited for this network and for everyone to find a new home,” Lowndes said. “I think everyone’s going to love it.”
“You’re a huge part of our future,” Abbott said.
Harmony From the Heart will premiere on GAC Family on Saturday, February 12 at 8/7c.