At the end of each year, Lancaster Township native Shaniece Cole writes a list of goals she wants to accomplish by the end of the next year.

Cole can identify with Superman, known by day as Clark Kent; She is a producer for NBC’s “Access Hollywood” by day and an actress and dancer by night.

Cole wanted her goals this year to be specific. At the top of her list: starring in a Christmas movie. She had just watched “a hundred” Christmas movies.

“I love what the holiday brings,” says Cole, who now lives in Burbank, California. She wanted to be part of a film that would make people happy, as Christmas films often contain hopeful and good messages.

A month later a happy coincidence happened.

READ: Shaniece and Shanae Cole share an inspirational message with Lancaster city middle school students

Actor Mario Lopez, who works with Cole on “Access Hollywood,” asked Cole if she wanted to audition for a role in a Christmas movie he was working on for the Great American Family network.

This film would end up being “Once Upon a Christmas Wish,” a Christmas movie with Lopez as the main character, a mayor trying to do good for his small town. The lovers are played by his wife Courtney Lopez.

Cole, a 2009 graduate of JP McCaskey High School, applied for the role of secretary to the mayor.

“I read the script and fell in love with the character,” says Cole.

The film premieres on Saturday at 8 p.m. on the Great American Family channel. Cable rerun dates have not been announced yet, but the film is streaming on the Great American Pure Flix app.

A Christmas wish

Cole says Lopez doesn’t know about her post-Christmas goal list.

But in “Once Upon a Christmas Wish,” art imitates life. The film tells the story of Lopez, a mayor who finds himself in a difficult financial situation and helps create a citywide fundraiser as a solution. He finds his Christmas list for fourth grade and sends it to the North Pole without thinking much about it. But then Christmas wishes start to come true.

“The fact that I put exactly what I was into on my list here and it came true — it was meant to happen,” Cole says.

Filming began in late March and lasted about four weeks, Cole says.

“They really treated me like royalty,” Cole says. “I just felt like I was on another planet because I was only doing what I cared about.”

READ: Shanae and Shaniece Cole: Identical twins, identical passions

The Lopez family treated Cole as if she were part of the family and often went on outings and dinners together.

“I am very grateful for our friendship because he is a big brother to me,” says Cole. “He encourages me to use all my gifts.”

Although she loves being a producer, she hopes to one day make the leap into full-time acting. Cole has directed several commercials and appeared on shows such as “The Neighborhood” and “Clipped.”

This dream began when Cole was young. She listened to lines from shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and then recited them to practice.

While attending JP McCaskey High School, Cole also appeared in several plays, including productions such as “Fame” and “Lucky Stiff.”

Cole and her twin sister Shanae Cole also starred in a Christmas production at Dutch Wonderland in 2006 and 2007. They were dressed as elves and were called Jingles and Jangles.

However, her full-time acting dream could soon come true.

Cole and Shanae Cole are working behind the scenes with Saturday Night Live actor Kenan Thompson to develop a TV sitcom, although it is still in the early stages.

Local support

Cole’s best friend, Jocelyn Silva of Conestoga Township, said that while she was so proud of Cole for getting a role in a movie, she wasn’t surprised it happened.

“Shaniece was able to keep trying,” Silva says. “Even when she didn’t get a role, she always said, ‘Well, there’s next time.'”

They met in 2004 when they were both in honors classes at JP McCaskey High School. Since then they have been inseparable. Cole is even the godmother of Silva’s 7-year-old son LJ.

“He’s so proud of her,” Silva says. “He’s so happy for her too.”

Silva plans to watch the film at home with her son and husband. However, Cole will be visiting the area for Christmas and they will also watch the film together.

Cole also plans to host her own watch party, whether in a screening room or just at her house.

“It was amazing to see her transform into the person she is today,” Silva says. “I’m such a proud best friend.”