For our first digital cover of December 2025, we spoke with Madison MacIsaac who stars as Zoey alongside Alexandra Breckenridge (Virgin River) and Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam) in the new Netflix holiday rom-com, My Secret Santa.

The film, which premiered on December 3, follows a single mom (Breckenridge) desperate to secure a job so she can afford her daughter’s (MacIsaac) snowboarding lessons. When a nearby ski resort puts out a call for a Santa, she jumps at the opportunity and disguises herself as an older man in order to get the job.

Exclusive Photos for Popternative Magazine by Bren MacDonald

What was it like reading the script for My Secret Santa for the first time?

Madison: I really didn’t know what to expect, because I had never been part of a Christmas movie like this, especially one for Netflix. So, to get to see some really good writing in such a fun script with such an interesting and fun concept was so exciting to me.

What can you tell us about working alongside Alexandra Breckenridge and Ryan Eggold?

Madison: At first, I was a little nervous because I knew that they were so established and well loved and so talented, which can be intimidating when you’re young and at the beginning of your career and hoping to continue to work with such interesting and awesome people. But they were so welcoming and so kind, and I felt like I could take risks and ad-lib and ask questions. They were never closed off. To me, it was a lovely experience.

When you arrived at the ski resort for the film, did you instantly feel a Christmas vibe?

Madison: A part of me started to get into the Christmas vibe when I was on my way to the resort because it was the first snowy day in Vancouver, and we drove right through a blizzard on the way. That kick started my Christmas excitement. But then, getting to resort and seeing all of the Christmas decorations and the big cozy fireplace, everyone skiing and on vacation with their families, that’s when everything really started to sink in.

Is your character in My Secret Santa different or similar to past ones you’ve played before?

Madison: Very different. With my past characters, I’ve been edgy, I’ve been dry, I’ve been bubbly, a total ditz. And in this one, I was just a girl with so much love for her mom, and they didn’t have much, and so finding myself within that character was the biggest goal for me.

What are you hoping people take away when they watch My Secret Santa?

Madison: I hope that the really fun and heartfelt concept is something people take note of and just enjoy because a lot of times we see a lot of Christmas movies with very similar plots. And this one is so different, which I love so much. So, I hope they have fun with it for the holidays.

What was it like to play a snowboarder? Was snowboarding something you had done before?

Madison: It was really fun, because in real life, I have some athletic abilities, but I never really did any kind of fun sports like snowboarding when I was a kid. Every time I got good at something, my parents always pulled me out and put me into the next thing, whether it was dance or volleyball or gymnastics. So, to play someone with such a passion and a lifelong pursuit of being an incredible snowboarder was really neat just to have that excitement and commitment to one particular thing.

My Secret Santa is streaming on Netflix.

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