Scott Michael Foster on Paris is Always a Good Idea, Greek & Why Good Stories Never Go Out of Style

To speak with Scott Michael Foster is to speak with an actor who loves his craft.

The actor has been a Hollywood mainstay for over two decades, bringing grounded warmth and congeniality to his many roles in some of television’s most beloved series.

Having previously worked with Hallmark, Foster returns in the new limited series Paris is Always a Good Idea, joining Hallmark favorite Lacey Chabert for a soul-changing adventure across breathtaking Europe.

Foster is no stranger to playing a dashing leading man.

For four seasons, he was the effortlessly charming, if not a tad bit unserious, Cappie, Kappa Tau Gamma president and all-around good guy with a heart of gold.

After Greek, the talented actor stepped into roles on shows like Chasing Life, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Once Upon a Time, and YOU, cementing himself as a reliable actor whose on-screen presence and abundance of charisma made each role memorable.

With his Hallmark Channel limited series set to debut, we talked with Foster about what drew him to the project, as well as what it was like teaming up with the Hallmark Queen herself, Lacey Chabert, and some of his other passion projects.

Plus, we just had to ask for his thoughts on one of the all-time television pairings, Cassie and Cappie. Would they still be together in 2026? Hint: Foster sure thinks so!

I wanted to talk about Paris is Always a Good Idea because everybody loves a Hallmark show. This premise sounds like a really fun one. Can you tell us a little bit about the series and about Jason Knightly as well?

Sure, absolutely. It’s a classic Hallmark feel-good story.

Obviously, there’s a love story element to it, but at the end of the day, it’s really a show about family, connections, and what-ifs. There’s a sliding-door element to it. What would Chelsea Martin, who’s played by Lacey Chabert, what would her life be like if she had taken different paths?

By revisiting these different paths, she guides her life moving forward. It’s a really great project. I play Jason Knightly, Chelsea’s head-butting coworker who helps her on her journey in Europe. 

And there’s a little bit of a… how do I say? Not a spark, a friendly chemistry, but also a rivalry. It’s a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

Awesome. A little rivals-to-something-more dynamic, which everyone loves.

Exactly.

You mentioned family, among other notions. Are those some of the themes that attracted you to this project and to the role?

Yeah. For me, I’ve worked with Hallmark a couple of times now. When they called and said, “Hey, we have this great show,” I read it and really liked the way it approached family dynamics.

Not to get too heavy here, but I also lost my mother, and Chelsea’s character loses her mother in the show. So, there was a connection that I immediately understood right away.

The family dynamic is something that I’ve lived with. I’ve lived through having lost a loved one. I felt a connection right away.

But it’s also well-written, and Hallmark is really good at making their movies. I was excited to jump on a limited series, something that I haven’t done with them before.

Since this is based on the novel, are you somebody who dives into the source material, or do you prefer to go with the screenplay and develop the character that way?

From what I was told, it was similar, but different enough that the adaptation, the series, was a standalone.

I know it is closely rooted in the book, but I have not read it. But the writing on this was so good that I felt taken care of with the scripts that they provided. It was really written very, very well.

And you’ll see that, when you see the show, it ties together nicely. So maybe I should go back and read the book. I’ll have to see how it compares.

There you go. The trailer is stunning. Beautiful locations. What was that filming experience like for you? And did you have a favorite place you got to shoot at?

Yeah, so we did two weeks in Paris to start, all exteriors for the show. We were on the streets of Paris, in front of the Eiffel Tower, on the Eiffel Tower, below the Eiffel Tower, at the Trocadéro, and at the Arc de Triomphe. We were all over the place.

And it was really special to be shooting on location in Paris, the City of Love. I mean, it was absolutely gorgeous.

Every day you woke up, and we were shooting at a new place, and it was really special. But then we went to Spain, spent two months there, and got to shoot all over the Basque Country, which was stunning in its own right.

So to be able to go and have these great locations…not only was it great for me to be able to shoot in places I’d never been before, and I got to experience different cultures and food and things like that, but it was also really good for the show.

You’re going to see it on the screen. As you can see in the trailer, it looks incredible. 

The locations are real. It’s all very authentic. And I think one of the biggest draws of the show will be the beautiful locations.

Absolutely. Hallmark does that so well because there are so many Christmas shows and everything looks so adorable. You want to go visit everything.

Right.

It’s like a good travel ad or something.

Absolutely.

You’re starring opposite, as you said, Lacey Chabert, who is affectionately known as “The Queen of Hallmark.” What was it like working with her? What do you think she brings to a project like this?

It was great working with Lacey. She’s, like you said, the Queen of Hallmark. She’s such a pro. She brings a level of professionalism to the set that we all admire.

It starts at the top. She sets the tone. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: she has a kindness and a way to her that puts everyone at ease.

And I think that’s great. It starts at the top, and if your one is doing that, then it trickles down. She set a really good tone for the set.

I think for this show, she’s perfect for Chelsea Martin. I mean, she’s driven and committed, just like Chelsea. At the end of the day, the show wouldn’t really be a show without her. So kudos to her.

Do you have a favorite memory from filming in any of the locations or a fun story?

So when we were shooting on the Eiffel Tower, Lacey and I were both so excited because it’s pretty rare. Not a lot of people get to shoot on the Eiffel Tower.

We were so excited. Because it was a night shoot, we were like, “We’re going to be up all night on the Eiffel Tower. We’re going to take so many photos, and it’s going to be so fun.” 

Of course we get there, and it’s freezing and raining, and then it starts snowing on us. This is supposed to be a summertime show. So we’re in light shirts, and she’s in a dress, and we’re absolutely freezing, standing on the observation deck.

And we’re trying so hard to look comfortable. But then, the minute they yell, “Cut,” we rush into the only heated place, which is the bathroom.

We’re huddled up in the bathroom waiting for them to bring us back out again.

Part of me was like, man, I wish we could have had such good weather where we could really enjoy the space.

But I will say that it’s absolutely not forgettable now. Not only because it was beautiful, but also because we have a fun story to tell about it too.

Yeah, it’s a memory you’ll have forever, right?

I was a big fan of Greek back in the day, and you’ve been on several series that continue to have really dedicated fan bases even years after they’ve ended.

Greek, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Once Upon a Time, Chasing Life. What do you think it is about these shows that have remained so beloved years after they’ve ended?

I think it’s because I’m in them.

Well, I mean, besides that. That’s a given.

I’m just kidding. I’m totally kidding. That’s a good question.

I’ve never really thought about that. I thought I was just lucky to get on really good shows. Yeah, I don’t know what it is. There’s a part of it that I don’t want to get too deep into the state of the industry, but shows were really crafted.

As a showrunner, there’s a level you have to hit to be able to run a good show. Maybe people are nostalgic for the way shows were made previously, and maybe we’re getting away from that.

I’m not entirely sure, but I just know I was super lucky and fortunate to be on some really well-written shows run by really talented people.

So, I don’t know, I could just say I’m fortunate, but I think there’s a desire to go back and watch shows that have done well in the past.

A buddy of mine’s like, “I just re-watched The Sopranos. It’s so good.”

And there’s a desire to go back and watch stuff from the heyday of television. And not to say that any of my shows were part of the heyday of television, but there is a level of caliber of writing talent that took place at those times.

But I don’t know. I could just be lucky. Just lucky to be on good shows.

I’d be remiss not to ask if you think Cappie and Casey would still be together and thriving in the year 2026?

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, for sure. They’re probably running a taco stand in Baja, California, living on the beach.

Enjoying life.

Sipping coronas and enjoying life.

I love that.

They’re probably living their best life, if I had to guess.

Good. I love to hear it.

You’ve also expanded into producing. When you’re looking and mapping out what potential projects you want to take on, what kind of stories are you most interested in telling?

It’s a good question. I’ll be honest, I love working. I love being on set.

And so during the pandemic, it was tough because everything contracted. Everything pulled in. And then the writer’s strike — everything stopped.

For me, I don’t like just sitting around waiting for the next gig to hire me. I want to make my own stuff. So, I make whatever excites me.

I’ve written comedies; I’ve written horror. I produced a short film my buddy wrote, a drama about facing your family at your funeral and talking to them about all the things you’d want to talk about with them. And it’s great. 

I’ve never felt more sure of where I am than when I’m on set, whether it’s acting or producing. It feels right. It’s like when people say, “What would you do if you weren’t in this business?” I’m like, “I have no idea. I feel so right at home here.”

When it comes to producing, it’s like I’ll tell any story that gets me on set because I love it so much. Horror, comedy, drama, thriller, whatever, I’m down to do it all.

Since you’ve been in the business so long, for over two decades now, what still excites you about acting and the creative process? But it sounds like everything.

Yeah. It’s so funny because I’m going to direct my first short film this fall. I’m in pre-production for it now. What I really like about this business is you get to work with people, all sorts of people, that you wouldn’t necessarily work with.

Sometimes, if you’re in a, I call them regular jobs, you work with the same people or a very limited amount of people, but I meet new people all the time.

I have this friend who’s 26, and he’s going to DP my short, and he’s got a whole new perspective on the industry and art than I did or do. 

It’s like you get to work with people who have different ideas and perspectives, and you get to be creative with them. That’s such a special thing: you get to explore art with so many other people.

I don’t know if that answered your question or not, but this industry is unique in that you can be creative with a whole handful of people that you wouldn’t necessarily speak to or know otherwise.

In that vein, have you ever gotten a piece of advice from anybody over the years or something that you’ve taken with you throughout your career?

Well, yeah, one comes to mind just because I feel like I’ve talked about it a lot recently.

I remember when I was on Greek, early days, probably season one, one of our guest directors was like, “Hey,” because we were 21 at the time, 22.

He was like, “You have got something really special here. This doesn’t come along for everybody. You should really know that this is very special.”

At the time, we were kids, and we were like, “Yeah, whatever. We’ll get on another show at some point if this doesn’t go.”

And then looking back, you’re like, “We were on an incredible show for four years, and we made lifelong friends.”

Like Jake McDorman, who played Evan, he’s my best man in my wedding coming up. It is very special what we had.

I think the lesson to take from that is don’t take anything for granted. Everything you have is a gift, and I’m appreciative of it every day. I understand that lesson more the older I get; it really was very special.

Absolutely.

Our site is really dedicated to the love of television. We were talking earlier about how there are a lot of shows you might go back and re-watch.

So what are you currently watching? And then what is your all-time favorite comfort show?

Oh, that’s tough. My fiancée and I are, we’re currently re-watching, although she has never made it this far. So I’m re-watching, and she’s watching for the first time, Arrested Development, the original three seasons. It’s hilarious. And it just made the careers of so many people.

I don’t know about a comfort show. Not right now anyway, but for a long time, Carson and I would watch Friends.

If we’re not doing anything, we’d pop on Friends just because; to me, I grew up with that show. It was on when I was a kid. I remember watching the finale when I first moved to LA in 2004. I watched the finale the week I got here. And so, to me, that will always be a comfort show.

Awesome. I always say everybody needs a ’90s sitcom that they can go back to because they were so great.

Absolutely.

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Paris is Always a Good Idea premieres on Thursday, July 30, with the first two episodes, followed by a new episode every Thursday through August 27, exclusively on Hallmark+.