Naman Shrestha
The Marita Grabiak directorial, Lifetime’s ‘Laughing All the Way’ is a holiday rom-com film that follows Aubri Wilson, an up-and-coming comedian, and ghostwriter who is given the responsibility of taking charge of the Christmas variety show. Fearing that she might not be able to make it a success, she is filled with doubt as she stands at a make-or-break moment in her career. A few weeks prior to Christmas, she actively searches for a perfect headliner for the event. However, her search gets halted by the arrival of a renowned Hollywood comedian Mike Baxter, who pays a visit to the club that gave him the exposure and launched his career.
While Mike contemplates his career and rediscovers his roots, Aubri is determined to prove to the world that she has what it takes to become a widely recognized comedian. When their paths cross, both of them fall hopelessly and hilariously in love with each other. Given the backdrop of snow-filled streets and Christmas, the story unfolds in a variety of interesting locations, keeping the viewers wondering where ‘Laughing All the Way’ was filmed.
Laughing All the Way Was Filmed in Ontario
‘Laughing All the Way’ was filmed in Ontario, especially across Ottawa. As per reports, principal photography for the comedy film got underway in mid-January 2023 and continued for more than a couple of weeks, before getting wrapped up in early February of the same year. So, let us walk you through all the specific places that served as filming sites for the Lifetime production!
Ottawa, Ontario
The shooting for almost the entirety of ‘Laughing All the Way’ reportedly took place in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada situated in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Reports suggest that the production team took over a number of different establishments across Ottawa and turned them into film sets to tape various pivotal sequences. For instance, they were spotted lensing several scenes around Elgin Street, such as in and around The Waverley Elgin at 339 Elgin Street, Harmon’s Steakhouse at 283 Elgin Street, and Confederation Park on Elgin Street.
Moreover, the filming unit of ‘Laughing All the Way’ set up camp in ByWard Market at 55 ByWard Market Square and Eldorado Taco at 170 Preston Street, both in the city of Ottawa. While they utilized actual places for filming purposes, it is also possible that a few interior scenes were recorded on a sound stage of one of the film studios located in and around Ottawa.
As far as the exterior and establishing shots are concerned, they were taped on location with a number of local landmarks and attractions, including the Centre Block, the Château Laurier, the Rideau Canal, Laurier House, and the National Gallery of Canada, some of which might appear in the backdrop of several scenes. Apart from ‘Laughing All the Way,’ Ottawa has hosted the production of several films and possesses. Some of the notable ones are ‘Bandit,’ ‘House at the End of the Street,’ ‘Would You Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story,’ ‘The Most Colorful Time of the Year,’ and ‘On the Count of Three.’
Laughing All the Way Cast
In the Lifetime film, Paniz Zade dons the garb of Aubri Wilson, an aspiring comedian. Starting off as a background actress, Zade took on various supporting and minor roles early on in her acting career. Slowly and steadily, she leveled up and began getting major roles in numerous films and TV shows, such as ‘Dashing Home for Christmas,’ ‘Christmas in the Rockies,’ ‘Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For,’ ‘A Match for the Prince,’ ‘Slasher,’ and ‘The Wedding Planners.’ Portraying Aubri’s love interest and a well-established comedian is Jake Epstein.
Widely known for his role as Chuck Russink in ‘Designated Survivor‘ and Craig Manning in ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation,’ Epstein might seem like a familiar face to some of you as he also stars in ‘The Hardy Boys,’ ‘The Umbrella Academy,’ ‘The Wedding Contractor,’ ‘What We Do for Love,’ and ‘Eight Gifts of Hanukkah.’ Stepping into supporting roles in ‘Laughing All the Way’ are other talented actors, including Mary Walsh, Ish Morris, Paul Constable, and Candice Lidstone.
Read More: Where Was Lifetime’s A Christmas to Treasure Filmed? Who is in the Cast?
