Chord Overstreet is trading his guitar for some flannels and skis this holiday season. Well, not exactly, but he is starring opposite one Lindsay Lohan in the upcoming rom-com Falling for Christmas. But don’t expect the whimsical character you came to know and love in Glee.  

In Falling for Christmas, Overstreet plays Jake Russell, a blue-collar widower who’s struggling to keep the North Star Lodge afloat. As a single father, Jake is scraping together every resource he can, when an unlikely guest turns the lodge (and his life) upside down. Enter Lohan, who plays hotel heiress Sierra Belmont. How did a spoilt heiress and a humble small business owner end up in a whirlwind romance, you might ask? Well, as fate would have it, Sierra is left with amnesia after a ski accident, and only Jake can nurse her back to reality. Along the road to recovery, Jake and his family teach Sierra how to do basic chores like cleaning a toilet and making a bed, the true power of bacon and what it means to open up your heart to the unknown. 

Overstreet sat down with Tudum to discuss filming in Park City, Mariah Carey, and he also set one record straight: It’s never too early to start playing Christmas music. 

When it comes to Christmas decorations for Jake (Overstreet) and Sierra (Lohan), a limit does not exist. 

First off, welcome to the Christmas rom-com zeitgeist. We are thrilled to have you. What was it like filming Falling for Christmas?
It was just a bunch of fun. Janeen Damian the director, and her husband, Michael, and all the producers — they just had this energy and positive holiday vibe from day one. It felt like going to a camp for a couple of months and everybody was just in a good mood. 

And who doesn’t love Christmas? [The script] was a great, fun mixture of the rom-com feel. I’m a huge Overboard fan with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, and it had a little similarity to that script when I read it. I’ve always thought Lindsay was super talented and great, so it was kind of a no-brainer to jump onboard. 

Tell fans about your character, Jake. What did you like most about him?
One of my favorite things was playing somebody who has a kid, because I have no kids, obviously. I could weirdly see myself now having kids. My friends are like, “Man, it’s weird to see you with a kid. That’s an odd thing. Especially one who’s 10.” So that was an interesting hat to put on. 

Also, playing somebody who’s a lodge owner in the mountains. I grew up in the South on a farm raising horses, goats and all that stuff, so there’s a little bit of that similarity there.

What about the skiing aspect of it. Were you already a skier, or did you have to learn for the film?
I’ve been skiing since I was probably 2 years old. I switched to snowboarding at 13, but I go back-and-forth, depending on who I’m doing a ski or snowboard trip with. If they board, I board. I don’t want them strapping in that boot and awkwardly pedaling by themselves. 

Jake (Overstreet) strikes a few chords for Avy (Olivia Perez), Alejandra (Alejandra Flores) and Sierra (Lohan).

Well, apart from being a skier, you also come from a musical family and background. You wrote and recorded “Everybody Loves Christmas” for the soundtrack. What was that experience like, putting your musical talents to use for the film?
That was probably one of the cooler experiences. When I got back [from filming], I had just tons of Christmas inspiration. I probably wrote three or four Christmas songs with a couple of different ideas to see which one clicked. I was going around in February writing Christmas songs, and I’m sure everybody was burnt out and over it, and I was like, “I’ve got all this Christmas energy now.” 

I’ve never really written Christmas music, so it was fun to put that hat on and dive in. My dad’s a songwriter and he wrote a lot of Christmas songs that were originals. I picked his brain a little bit and went to work. 

Real talk: How early do you think it’s appropriate to start playing Christmas music?
As soon as eggnog is available, I think it’s probably the perfect time for Christmas music. But, if people start writing Thanksgiving songs, I think that would be my go-to as soon as Halloween’s done. [pause] No, I listen to Christmas music right after Halloween though, to be honest. 

What do you think are quintessential holiday songs? 
I think Mariah Carey’s, obviously. She has the best Christmas songs of all time. Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé. Kelly Clarkson’s got a great Christmas record. 

You can’t go wrong with Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree.”
That’s one of my favorites. “Underneath the Tree,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Let It Snow!”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.