B&B’s John McCook and Molly McCook Star in Candy Coated Christmas

The Food Network wants to be your destination for family feel-good movies this holiday season. The Bold and the Beautiful’s John McCook and his real-life daughter, Molly McCook (Last Man Standing), are set to appear in Candy Coated Christmas, the Food Network’s first-ever scripted feature.

John McCook And Molly McCook – Together Again For The First Time

The film stars Molly and actor Aaron O’Connell (The Haves and Have Nots) as Molly Gallant, a Beverly Hills marketing executive, and Noah Winters, a mint entrepreneur. John McCook (Eric Forrester) plays Molly’s movie dad Fred Gallant, who shares some news of financial woes with his daughter that puts a crimp in her plans to jet off to Hawaii.

Molly sets off to sell her mom’s childhood home in the quaintly named hamlet Peppermint Hollow to help get her and her dad’s finances back on track. There, she encounters the current renters of her mom’s home, including Noah and his family. Will Molly sell the residence out from under Noah and his clan — or will she and Noah discover a new way to make a “mint” with each other?

Holidays Dreams Come True

“It’s always been one of my goals to do a Christmas movie because I love them,” Molly McCook tells Soap Hub. “My character Molly had so much to learn. It’s fun for people to follow along as Molly, hopefully, learns what’s important in her life — which is family.”

“We were so excited because we knew Molly always wanted to do a Christmas movie,” John McCook says. There are a few versions going around as to how the actor got involved in this but the fan-favorite deadpans “the one I believe is that Molly said, ‘What about my dad? He’d probably do it if you asked him!’ She and I have been wanting to do something since she was 3-years-old.”

“I had never worked with my dad before like this,” Molly McCook says. (The actress did recur on B&B n 2010 as Hope‘s pal Margot). “Growing up, we’d work at the piano and he’d play where I’d work on my audition songs while he played. This was a whole different world to be professional together. It was meaningful and special. When he left Utah after he had finished, we teared up because we knew this was over.”

As for her Candy Coated Christmas leading man, Molly says, “Aaron is just so sweet, you almost want to go, ‘Are you really this sweet, kind, professional and warm?’ He made it really easy to develop our relationship on scene.” The two actors are planning on a double “dog” date with their spouses and respective four-legged loved ones.

Feel The Heat

Candy Coated Christmas takes place during the holidays but it was shot last summer, which required the actors to feel cold when it was hot! “It’s a wild experience to pretend to be cold when you’re sweating!” Molly says. “The advice she got from one of her friends who’s done these movies is ‘stay hydrated!’ You’re in 85-degree weather and knocking on a door that has a Christmas wreath on it!”

John McCook says that the holidays are the perfect time for feel-good, family movies, especially in light of what folks have been dealing with these days. “This climate craves that kind of easy, non-confrontational entertainment — especially ones with music in them. It’s just nice. It’s really nice,” McCook says.

Candy Coated Christmas premieres on Friday, November 19 on discovery+. The Bold and the Beautiful (BB) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Los Angeles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on B&B spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.