Liza Lapira Shares The Many Gifts Of Starring In CBS’ ‘Must Love Christmas’ Movie; Watch The Trailer

EXCLUSIVE: The holiday season has arrived and Deadline has your exclusive first look at the trailer for Must Love Christmas , starring The Equalizer 's Liza Lapira . The CBS TV movie premieres on December 11.

From Mark Amato, Must Love Christmas follows a renowned romance novelist (Lapira) famous for her Christmas-themed books who finds herself snowbound in the charming town of Cranberry Falls. While there, she unexpectedly becomes involved in a love triangle between her childhood crush (Nathan Witte) and a reporter (Neal Bledsoe) determined to interview her to save his dying magazine.

"Working on this film has been a joy on so many levels," Lapira tells Deadline. "I'm such a huge fan of the genre, and with Must Love Christmas , I not only get to be in it but I'm playing the lead. That already makes me happy and excited. But then it's also so diverse, which is not something I saw growing up. There weren't people who looked like me in holiday movies. So to get to be the thing I didn't see is just another awesome layer. I try not to pursue art or try to pursue work super conscious of that because I just want to do a great job and be who I am; it's not about preaching or trying to send a message. But when I step back after production yells cut, I can reflect on how great this going to be not just for the kids who will feel represented but also for our elders. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family."

Lapira shares how much she enjoyed playing the character of Natalie in Must Love Christmas , one who is different in nearly every way from Mel Bayani in The Equalizer .

"I love that this character is so different from Mel," she says. "When the movie starts, Natalie is at a low point in her life. It's been years since a journalist humiliated her with a takedown story, and she's now a recluse. So by the end of the movie, in addition to the romance, there's this coming-of-age story in how much she's grown from her experiences and friendships along the way. She finally feels healed. It's never too late to come of age or recover from a mistake—and if she happens to fall for two very attractive men along the way, that's a bonus."

Watch the trailer above.