‘I Love Pittsburgh So Much’: Mary Holland On Filming Hulu’s ‘Happiest Season’ In The Steel City

(CBS Local)– “Happiest Season” on Hulu has been one of the most popular movies of the holiday season and it was filmed right here in Pittsburgh.


The movie from actors and writers Clea DuVall and Mary Holland was filmed in the Steel City in January and February and stars big names like Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy, Alison Brie, Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen. The movie tells the story of a woman who plans to propose to her girlfriend over the holidays, but quickly finds out that her girlfriend hasn’t told her parents she is gay. This was the first time Holland acted and wrote a movie and she loved the experience of filming in Pittsburgh.


“I love Pittsburgh so much,” said Holland, in an interview with CBS Local’s DJ Sixsmith. “I had never been there before and totally fell in love with it. We were all staying in this apartment building with each other, which was really fun. There are so many amazing places. We lived right in the Strip District and there was lots of incredible food and we did every Escape Room that Pittsburgh has to offer.”


The film has received an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Holland has been so happy to see the positive response to her film. Holland and DuVall first met while they were both working on HBO’s “Veep.” Even though they didn’t have any scenes together, they struck up a friendship and that friendship helped make this movie into a reality. Holland is proud of what this movie has meant to the LGBTQ+ community.


“It was so important to me in the writing process that I fully support Clea’s vision for what this was,” said Holland. “This is inspired by her experiences and I was so honored that she brought me into this writing process with her. I think it was so important to Clea and to me to have a story that was really honest and authentic and representative. Then at the same time, we had a warm, happy and bright ending.”


“Happiest Season” is streaming now on Hulu.