The protagonist of the new Lifetime holiday movie Writing Around the Christmas Tree is romance novelist Mikaela Leighton (Krystal Joy Brown). Looking for inspiration for her next story, Mikaela returns to her father Irving’s (James Black) snowy chalet in a picturesque lakeside town. There she meets handsome non-fiction writer Levi McGuire (Curtis Hamilton). And yes, sparks fly around the Christmas tree. Watch trailer below.
As an actor, James Black is known for his TV roles on All American (Reggie Cooper), Days of Our Lives (Luca), Anger Management (Cleo), Six Feet Under (Duane), and in movies including Out of Sight with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez (Himey), among others. That’s James fighting against George in jail in the clip below.
Before becoming an actor, James Black played professional football in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and was a star running back for the University of Akron. While his stay in the NFL was short — he played in two games for the Browns in 1984 — he did make history by becoming the first Akron football player to play in the NFL. James led the way for Akron alum quarterback Charlie Frye who also played for the Browns in 2005. In January 2020, Frye was named quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Writing Around the Christmas Tree premieres on Lifetime on Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25 at 8 pm.
