Jana Kramer Talks New Lifetime Movie, Overcoming Acting Heartbreak & What’s Next

It’s a busy time for the One Tree Hill actress, Whine Down podcast host, and country singer. She recently sat in the director chair for the first time on the set of Love Song for My Texas Ranger. Along with starring, she also performs original songs.

Here Kramer opens up about her recent career moves and how she overcame past acting heartbreak.

Where the Heart Lands had to be fun for you given your affinity for horses.

Jana Kramer: I love working with horses. They are so beautiful. They are so intuitive. It was so fun working with them. They were legit Keeneland race horses. They were wonderful. Just being in the beautiful backdrop of Kentucky was stunning. The farm, the land we shot on was beautiful. Just being around horses and seeing how beautiful they are and working with Haylie Duff, who is an incredible director. It was a lot of fun. 

How was it building that onscreen chemistry with Tyler? 

Tyler was great. We didn’t know each other going into it. He was great to work with as was everyone. They were lovely. It was amazing working with John Schneider. I hadn’t worked with him before. He was actually supposed to be my grandpa in the movie. Right when I was about to call him my grandpa, I kind of looked at him and thought, “He is not old enough to be my grandpa..at all. Not even in movie age.” I know we age ourselves down, but he is absolutely not. So, I walked over to Haylie and said, “Can he be my dad instead of my grandpa because this feels a little weird.” She is like, “Yeah, that makes so much more sense.” I walked up to him and asked, “Will you be my dad instead?” He was totally fine with that. He was like, “Yes, thank you.” He was really funny. I had a great time working with him. I’d worked with Charlene before, and she was lovely as always. 

Were you a fan of Dukes of Hazard or other stuff he had been in? 

My mom was! She used to have his posters on the wall. I may or may not have FaceTimed my mom with him. 

You talked about Haylie Duff. Women directing is still not prevalent. You had the experience recently. What did you take from working with her? 

She was honestly who encouraged me and inspired me to try directing. I loved watching her command the set with how she managed it all including her shots. The creativeness that goes into all you have to do, even before the day starts. Directing just really got me intrigued watching her. She was so supportive and happy when she found out I was able to direct my latest film. She is great. I learned a lot watching her. I love the support from women in films I’ve been receiving. 

What do you love about playing Charlie?

She is a horse trainer. In that field, there aren’t many women. That seems to be true today. The first female horse trainer just won the Kentucky Derby, Cherie DeVaux. That is incredible. For my character Charlie, she wants to be respected and taken seriously. There is a lot at stake for her. I love playing a character that has some layers and struggles and that pull. I feel like it’s fun as an actor to play and fun for the audience too. 

You’ve built a nice relationship with Lifetime over the years. How is it for you to see these films find second life and top streamers? 

I’ve been in partnership with Lifetime for 10 plus years. They’ve been incredible partners. I’m so thankful. I love the women who are behind the scenes at Lifetime. The people who are running the ship are wonderfully, powerfully, beautifully boss women. I love that so much. They are so creative. They want women driven films. I’m so appreciative of their partnership. Not many people may have Lifetime, but there are so many streaming platforms. It’s great they have struck that deal with Netflix and half of their movies make the Top 10. Two of my Lifetimes movies have been Top 2 or Top 1 on Netflix movies. That shows they make good movies. And people want to see it. It’s great Netflix is acquiring a lot of these movies and giving it a broader audience. It’s great. 

How was it directing Love Song For My Texas Ranger? 

We just wrapped a couple of weeks ago, and it was an incredible experience. I enjoyed every second of it. I was acting and also singing in the movie too. There were a lot of different hats, but I thrived under the pressure. It was so fun. 

And you got to perform original songs. 

It was an organic piece of it. I will never make music the way I did in the past when I was full-force on a record label and touring and all of that. Now it’s a piece that helps the wheels spin. I get to use it in movies like the one I just did. It’s an asset to have, but it won’t be the frontal of my career. Mom is Number 1, and acting is Number 2. It’s fun. I get to sprinkle in pieces of other things I love along the way. 

What was it like working with Daphne Zuniga again and having that One Tree Hill reunion of sorts? 

She is great. I was thinking who would play a really great aunt figure. I’ve always wanted to work with Daphne in some fashion again in a more loving way. Our characters didn’t really get along on One Tree Hill. It was fun to have that reunion. I brought in another friend Tammin Sursok who is incredible. She was in Pretty Little Liars. She was lovely. It was just fun. I wanted to bring in people that would just be like a family on set, and it really was. 

What have you heard about this One Tree Hill revival? 

I’ve heard people talk about it. I’ve heard it might happen or not. I’m just like wherever it ends up or if it happens, I’d love to revive my part. I loved playing that character. She was so much fun. So TBD. 

How do you look at the landscape of these shows today? 

There are so many platforms and ways to watch things right now. I think it’s great because people can fill their cup with whatever genre or type of show they want to watch. It’s a great thing and helps shows get created. Sometimes overconsumption is too much. At the same time, I look forward to the new shows created and what people come up with next. Then hopefully, I can be in one of them. 

How do you think the storytelling on One Tree Hill would have played with today’s audience? 

One Tree Hill definitely stretched the limits on a lot of things, but I love that. So many people have these One Tree Hill conventions saying how this show saved them or helped them in a certain way. That’s what I like as a viewer. I like to watch and relate to someone on a TV show. I think it’s great when people push boundaries and talk about things that may be uncomfortable. In the end, if it can help someone, I think it’s worth exploring the topic. 

Do you want to do more TV? 

It’s always what I want to be back on. I’m begging Lifetime to get a TV series back up. I’d love to be in a good drama. 

Was there a show you wish you could have spent more time on? 

I remember shooting A Cowboy Christmas Romance. That was a Lifetime original movie that went Number 2 from Lifetime. I remember sitting on set and thought it would be a fun TV show. The family dynamic, the running the ranch, the drama with all of that. We all got along so well. It was such a fun cast that I would give anything for Bruce Thomas to be my dad again. It was the best. I didn’t want that to end. 

You also got to work on Grey’s Anatomy, Entourage and Friday Night Lights. Any of those? 

Friday Night Lights broke my heart. The writer’s strike took my character out. I was in my big recurring spot. I had a handful of episodes and the writers went on strike. Then they didn’t bring me back. They just started Season 3. It broke my heart. They fast-forwarded a couple of years, and my character was gone. That was my first kick in the teeth with the business for sure. Like well that stunk. 

Everything happens for a reason. 

It does. I ended up getting One Tree Hill, and it was great. 

You really found success with your Whine Down podcast. How proud of you of the show’s lasting popularity and longevity? 

There are so many podcasts now. Anyone can find one and listen to it. We’ve been doing ours for eight years now. We’ve been around from the very beginning. What I love about the show is it keeps evolving. We’re just keeping it as topical as topical can be. Like when my ex-husband [Mike Caussin ] was on it, he was my cohost, and we talked about infidelity and affairs. Now it’s like me and my girlfriends and we talk about motherhood or our highs and lows and what we are struggling with. I think for those who are moms and going through it, it’s a great platform where I’m not alone in this. That is why I keep going with it. Any time I think I don’t want to do it anymore, I’ll get a message from someone saying a particular episode helped them. It fills me with so much joy and keeps me going. 

Is there a bucket list guest or someone you really want on with you? 

I would really love to have Brené Brown. I think she is a great speaker and great with trauma stuff. 

What do you want to say to viewers before checking out When the Heart Lands? 

I would say If you want to watch something that will tug at all your heart strings and make you laugh, cry, and hope this is the perfect movie for that. And enjoy the artful backdrop of Kentucky along the way. 

When the Heart Lands premiere, May 30, 8/7c, Lifetime

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