BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Matt Anspach’s acting life came full circle Friday night when he traveled to the Regal Edwards Bakersfield to see the feature film “All Is Merry & Bright.” The Bakersfield Christian graduate recalls how when he was young, he saw the Will Ferrell movie “Talladega Nights” at that same theater and knew at that moment he wanted to be an actor.

That wasn’t just the whimsical thinking of youth but the start of Anspach’s career path that resulted in his acting in numerous TV and film roles. One of those roles is in “All Is Merry & Bright.”

“It’s always, I think, going to be just a pinch me thing,” Anspach says of seeing his work on a hometown screen. “I never want that feeling to go away. And so, when I saw the movie for the first time at Edwards here in town, I couldn’t help but think of that feeling I had that has been 15 years now in the making.”

Anspach points out the new holiday is the second his work has been shown on a local screen. He was in the 2021 film “God’s Not Dead: We the People” but that production only played for three days.

“All Is Merry & Bright” will complete its week-long run in Bakersfield on Thursday night. If you can’t get to the theater before it departs, the film will be available through streaming services in December.

The film focuses on Jessica Tannen’s (Emily Rose) whose plans for an ideal family Christmas are about to get laughably out of control. In what may be the last holiday with the family all together, Jessica strives to pull off a perfectly jolly Christmas. A never-ending task list, a sibling grudge reigniting, and mounting mishaps, makes the holidays less jolly.

Anspach plays Nick Tannen, her young son. The cast also includes Eric Close, John O’Hurley, Sally Struthers and Doug Jones.

Anspach describes his own family holidays as being a little more laid back, but he could relate to the chaos in the movie. He has 11 cousins on both sides of his family.

“I come from a very traditional family. The movie actually kind of reminds me of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ where just everything’s so out of control,” Anspach says.

Anspach’s journey to the acting world started when he was young. While at Bakersfield Christian he split his time between athletics – being part of the football and baseball teams – and theater. He eventually opted for the stage over the diamond and began landing big roles in musicals such as Conrad Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie” and Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast.”

Once he left home to attend Cal State Northridge, Anspach opted to be a music industry major. He does have a musical background with his country-rock/pop musician band.

He loved that “All Is Merry & Bright” gave him the chance to do a little singing. The ideal acting job for him would be one where he could both act and perform music. If those types of opportunities don’t come along, Anspach will be content to focus on acting.

Along with his current film, Anspach appeared in three episodes of ‘S.W.A.T.” plus roles on “Young Sheldon,” “Grown-ish,” and “Middlehood.”

His chasing of an acting career has had to deal with some major hurdles such as the COVID epidemic and numerous strikes. Those have been frustrating but not deterred him from the acting world.

“I’ve been able to do some really cool projects since I was 18 years old, but once you get the job, you’re back to auditioning and you’re trying to fight every other actor for the next role too,” Anspach says. “That’s just the name of the game.

“It’s not handed to you. Right now, I’m auditioning for a lot of good stuff. But it’s not guaranteed. Nothing’s guaranteed in this industry. You get the role, and you really soak it all in.”

Anspach has seen how tough the battle for acting roles can be as performers can be rejected for the most illogical reasons. He knows the one thing he can control is the work he does, and he wants to make every performance as strong as possible.

And when he isn’t working or auditioning, Anspach returns home.

“I come straight back to Bakersfield because it keeps me grounded,” Anspach says. “I go do the job and then come back and live a completely normal life because I can’t control whatever else happens after I go do the job.”

Having “All Is Merry & Bright” in theaters – especially one in his hometown – has a massive impact on Anspach when he begins to feel the first pangs of frustration. He describes being able to see himself on the big screen as giving him the fuel he needs to keep going.

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