‘Trivia at St. Nick’s’ Behind the Scenes: Filming Locations & Cast Stories

Hallmark/Heavy "Trivia at St. Nick's"

The Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas movies continue, and this time with “Trivia at St. Nick’s,” which premieres on Friday, November 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Tammin Sursok and Brant Daugherty. Read on to learn all about where it was filmed and the cast involved.

‘Trivia at St. Nick’s’ Was Filmed in Connecticut

According to IMDb, “Trivia at St. Nick’s” was filmed in Mystic and New London, Connecticut. Many Hallmark movies are filmed in Canada, but this one is an exception.

According to Norwich Bulletin, Connecticut College in New London was a main filming location for this movie, with “Hallmark worthy” locations including Shain Library, Fanning Hall, the Science Center, and the Arboretum.

Mia Penasa, an extra on the movie, wrote about the film: “I not only gained an inside look at the College’s newfound claim to fame, but also found myself immersed in the process behind creating a large-scale production, witnessing every element from blocking to rehearsal to the grand finale.”

CTVisit.com included the movie in a list of films shot in the state. Some of the other movies filmed here include “Where Are You, Christmas?” and “Mystic Christmas.”

A user named OctobersDaughter on Reddit commented: “So many good movies this year! I’m excited for many of them. I feel like a few of them highlight the struggles some may be going through this time of year and will be far more relatable. I like the direction Hallmark is taking. A lot of sugar and some spice as well.”

Meet the Cast

Hallmark’s synopsis reads:

When students all flee an elite university in Vermont for winter break, the locals and faculty hunker down for their favorite time of year – the annual Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament! For Celeste (Sursok), a Type-A astronomy professor, this event combines the magic of Christmas with her greatest comfort in life: knowing the right answer. But when her colleague drops out of the tournament to do a month-long lecture tour in Asia, Celeste’s team must adopt Max (Daugherty), the football team’s new offensive coordinator. To Celeste, Max seems like nothing more than a grown-up class clown – though he brings an undeniable knowledge of sports trivia (a category their team has always fallen short in). Initial clashes between the two eventually turn into mutual appreciation as the team enjoys scavenger hunts on campus, decorating the international house with Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies, and advancing toward the championship trivia game. Celeste can’t help but delight in Max’s infectious enthusiasm, love for all things Christmas and perhaps most importantly, his comfort with the unknown. And after a romantic wintery night at the campus observatory with Max, Celeste starts to wonder if being open to life’s surprises is more important than knowing the answer to everything.

Tammin Sursok is Celeste. According to her bio, she’s an actor, singer, and producer best known for her roles in a number of popular TV series.

In “Home and Away,” she played Dani Sutherland, which earned her a Logie Award (an Australian TV industry award). She gained international fame for her role as Jenna Marshall in the teen drama “Pretty Little Liars.” She also appeared in other TV shows, such as “The Young and the Restless.”

Sursok also has a music career and has a platinum selling record with Sony/BMG, and was once called Australia’s Sexiest Woman.

In 2019, Sursok became an American citizen.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to Australia with her husband, Sean McEwen, and their daughters after accepting a film role in Brisbane in 2021. She shared in a March 2022 interview on The Morning Show that she had “accidentally” moved back to Australia.

Brant Daugherty is Max. According to his bio, he gained a lot of recognition for playing Noel Kahn on the teen drama series “Pretty Little Liars.” He also starred in “Army Wives” and appeared in “Days of Our Lives.”

Beyond TV roles, Daugherty has appeared in movies such as “Fifty Shades Freed,” where he played Sawyer, a security guard and bodyguard in the “Fifty Shades” franchise. He also competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2013, where he finished in the top ranks.

Daugherty is married to actress Kim Hidalgo, Country Living reported, and together they frequently share updates about their family and creative projects on social media.

Also starring, according to IMDb, are:

• Devin McCarthy (college student)
• Brian McCarthy (Nick)
• Amelie McKendry (trivia player)
• Ashley Weismantel (Ginger)
• Ricardo Alzate (Gedeon)
• Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone
• Bekah Zornosa (Ruby)
• Kara Toni (bar patron)
• Benjamin Mogel (roadside mechanic)
• Violet Bernice Gernhard (coffee shop customer)
• Charles ‘Buddy’ Buder (award presenter)
• Dennis Daniel (bartender)
• Vasilah Ellison (bar patron)
• Stephanie Miller (teacher)