A Palmerton graduate has just logged another film credit in his impressive acting career.

Mark Chmiel appears in “Christmas on the Square,” which made its debut on Netflix last month with Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski and Treat Williams.

Chmiel, who plays the role of “Phil the Mailman,” is a 1981 graduate of Palmerton Area High School.

After graduating from high school, he attended Wagner College on Staten Island, New York City.

“I’ve been a working New York actor ever since,” Chmiel said. “Through the years, I did some projects for a terrific writer from the West Coast, Maria Schlatter (television producer and director), an Emmy award winning television producer.”

Chmiel explained how he landed the part in the Netflix film.

“I’ve been popping up in little plays that she did through the years, and she called me in May 2019 and said, ‘I’ve got this project that I’ve written, and I’ve got a part for you and it films next month, can you do it,’?” he said. “I said, yes, of course.”

Chmiel said they made the movie in Atlanta, Georgia, in June and July 2019.

“I’m just relieved that when you look at the movie, you can’t see the sweat, but know it’s there,” he quipped.

Chmiel said he primarily does stage work, a little bit of television, and a lot of commercials through the years.

“Primarily, my career has been oriented on the stage, Broadway shows, I performed in London, that’s where my heart lies; that’s what I’m accustomed to,” he said. “When you make a movie like this, it’s a real fingers-crossed kind of thing; when I tell people that I made this movie, will I be on there; that’s always the gamble.”

Chmiel said it ended up being a dream come true.

“It came out quite well; I was very pleased with it,” he said. “To be up there with such esteemed company; obviously Dolly Parton is a legend.”

Chmiel shared a funny story from his very first day of rehearsal when cast members do a table read where everyone comes in and sits around and reads scripts aloud.

“Dolly walks in, puts down her bags, and greets every single person with a hug,” he said. “She’s working her way around the room, and I’m the last person she’s going to meet before she sits down and we start to work.

“I’m sitting on my chair patiently; I’m 6-4, she about 5-foot tall, I said, ‘Miss Dolly, you better get ready because I’m going to stand up. She says, ‘come on, get up’; I get up, she looks at me and says, ‘sit down.’ The whole room erupted in laughter.

“I thought, did I just embarrass this legend? So, I whispered to her, ‘Dolly, I’ll never do that again’. She said, ‘Are you kidding me, you’ve been blessed with some very special attributes, and I’ve been blessed with some special attributes too, so we don’t apologize for them, we celebrate them. You hug me anytime you please.’

“That’s the Dolly I saw on Day One, and (in our time together).”

Chmiel said he feels very fortunate to have been able to be a part of the movie.

“At this moment in history, Thanksgiving, Christmas, when we look back on our lives, I’m just really filled with gratitude that the people I’ve had a chance to work with, to be working at this moment and made this movie with Dolly Parton - who donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University, she helped fund this Moderna (COVID-19) vaccine that’s being distributed as we speak - it’s just amazing to work with such icons of my profession, but then be great humanitarians as well,” he said. “It’s just such a privilege.”

Chmiel, who lives in Kingston, New York, grew up at 450 Delaware Ave.

His father, George, worked at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company next door. His mother, Rhoann, now deceased, was a longtime teacher in the Palmerton Area School District.

Chmiel said he was in various bands and spring musicals at Palmerton Area High School, and added that his neighbor, Earl Seip, was his mentor.