#How James Denton Persuaded Teri Hatcher to Join Him in ‘A Kiss Before Christmas’ (VIDEO)

It’s true that Teri Hatcher and James Denton have played a married couple before: Their Desperate Housewives characters, Susan Mayer and Mike Delfino, tied the knot before the soapy hit series ended in 2012. So how challenging was it to play a wife and husband again in Hallmark’s A Kiss Before Christmas? “I think the chemistry and the camaraderie and trust between us never went anywhere,” Hatcher told TV Insider’s Jim Halterman. “It’s still at full-tilt capacity.”

For Denton, also an executive producer on the TV movie, working with Hatcher is “impossible to describe… It’s almost like a dream.” Sitting next to her during the interview, the actor — who recently wrapped a starring role on the Hallmark series Good Witch—also talked about why he felt Hatcher was the right person for this new role.

A Kiss Before Christmas focuses on businessman Ethan (Denton). After being passed up for a big promotion that would solve some money woes, Ethan shares his woes with a Santa Claus at an office party. He then wakes up to a life in which he’s more ruthless in his work but also more successful. The only problem is he doesn’t have his wife, Joyce (Hatcher), and kids anymore. Part of the fun of the film is Ethan having to convince Joyce in this new world that they actually are married in another world…which will completely disappear unless they share a kiss before Christmas.

“I love that kind of comedy, so that was really fun for me to get to come from the place where he has to win me over,” says Hatcher. Adds Denton: “Part of the fun of it is the audience loves to know more than the characters, so the audience gets to know what’s going on with Ethan as I’m trying to convince [Joyce].”

The pair also talked about being back on the cover of TV Guide Magazine for the Hallmark film and how long it’s been since they graced the cover for Desperate Housewives. Check out the interview above to hear more and see that iconic Housewives cover!

A Kiss Before Christmas, Movie Premiere, Sunday, November 21, 9/8c, Hallmark Channel