Hallmark Channel, GAC Media’s Biggest Stars’ Network Status
Feel-good films for all! After decades of being the ruler of holiday movies, Hallmark Channel found itself competing for Christmas viewership at the hands of Great American Media.
When former CEO of Hallmark Media (Hallmark Channel’s parent company) Bill Abbott acquired GAC Media, originally Great American Country, in June 2021, the landscape of cheerful seasonal films changed. (He later changed the name to Great American Media.)
In fact, Hallmark has now found itself battling to see which of its stars will push the brand forward and which ones will jump ship for Great American Media — which has two channels, Great American Family and Great American Living.
One month after Great American Media launched its two channels, the first hit to the Hallmark roster came in the form of Danica McKellar signing a multi-picture deal with the competition.
“Danica is a world-class talent who is among TV’s most beloved and enduring stars,” Abbott said in an October 2021 press release. “Her combination of creativity and passion is second to none, and I am thrilled to have her join GAC’s close-knit family.”
While some other Hallmark stars joined McKellar in Great American Media’s holiday lineup during the fall and winter of 2021, it wasn’t until early 2022 that Hallmark Media began making moves of its own.
Hallmark’s parent company announced in February 2022 that it cemented a deal with Lacey Chabert, who is the star of one of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchises, signaling that they weren’t backing down from Great American Media’s fight over talent.
“Lacey’s warmth, talent, relatability, and creative sensibilities have endeared her to millions of Hallmark viewers for more than ten years, making her one of our most in-demand stars,” EVP of programming at Hallmark Media, Lisa Hamilton Daly, said in a press release. “In addition to shining on screen, Lacey is a prolific behind-the-scenes creative partner, developing and executive producing many of our highest-quality, most-beloved projects of all time.”
Hallmark Channel fans, however, didn’t see it coming when two months later, Candace Cameron Bure announced that she was switching to Great American Media. The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries star had been in 18 of the mysteries movies for the network and was dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” for her holiday work ahead of her departure.
“I make them because I love them,” Cameron Bure exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021 ahead of the release of her final holiday film for Hallmark. “And I know that the viewers that watch them really love them, and they mean something to them.”
Scroll down to see which of your favorite Hallmark Channel and Great American Media stars stand with their respective networks:
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Hallmark Channel and Great American Media’s Biggest Stars’ Current Status With Their Network
Feel-good films for all! After decades of being the ruler of holiday movies, Hallmark Channel found itself competing for Christmas viewership at the hands of Great American Media.
When former CEO of Hallmark Media (Hallmark Channel’s parent company) Bill Abbott acquired GAC Media, originally Great American Country, in June 2021, the landscape of cheerful seasonal films changed. (He later changed the name to Great American Media.)
In fact, Hallmark has now found itself battling to see which of its stars will push the brand forward and which ones will jump ship for Great American Media — which has two channels, Great American Family and Great American Living.
One month after Great American Media launched its two channels, the first hit to the Hallmark roster came in the form of Danica McKellar signing a multi-picture deal with the competition.
“Danica is a world-class talent who is among TV’s most beloved and enduring stars,” Abbott said in an October 2021 press release. “Her combination of creativity and passion is second to none, and I am thrilled to have her join GAC’s close-knit family.”
While some other Hallmark stars joined McKellar in Great American Media’s holiday lineup during the fall and winter of 2021, it wasn’t until early 2022 that Hallmark Media began making moves of its own.
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Hallmark’s parent company announced in February 2022 that it cemented a deal with Lacey Chabert, who is the star of one of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchises, signaling that they weren’t backing down from Great American Media’s fight over talent.
“Lacey’s warmth, talent, relatability, and creative sensibilities have endeared her to millions of Hallmark viewers for more than ten years, making her one of our most in-demand stars,” EVP of programming at Hallmark Media, Lisa Hamilton Daly, said in a press release. “In addition to shining on screen, Lacey is a prolific behind-the-scenes creative partner, developing and executive producing many of our highest-quality, most-beloved projects of all time.”
Hallmark Channel fans, however, didn’t see it coming when two months later, Candace Cameron Bure announced that she was switching to Great American Media. The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries star had been in 18 of the mysteries movies for the network and was dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” for her holiday work ahead of her departure.
“I make them because I love them,” Cameron Bure exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021 ahead of the release of her final holiday film for Hallmark. “And I know that the viewers that watch them really love them, and they mean something to them.”
Scroll down to see which of your favorite Hallmark Channel and Great American Media stars stand with their respective networks:
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Janel Parrish
The Pretty Little Liars alum made her Hallmark debut in 2020 with Holly & Ivy before going on to star in various other films for the network, including 2021’s Right in Front of Me and Coyote Creek Christmas.
In November 2022, Deadline announced that the Dancing With the Stars alum was cast in Family History Mysteries: Buried Past, a new original premiering on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in January 2023.
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Tamera Mowry-Housley
Ahead of Great American Media’s launch, Mowry-Housley cemented her place within the Hallmark Media in November 2020. The Sister, Sister alum signed an overall deal to star and executive produce a batch of new projects for Hallmark and joined Home & Family in December 2020 as a contributor.
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Danica McKellar
The former Hallmark Matchmaker Mysteries star inked a deal in October 2021 with Great American Media. Her exclusive four-picture agreement included an executive producer role on original films for both Great American Family and Great American Living. McKellar, who was last seen in Hallmark’s You, Me & the Christmas Trees, made her Great American Media debut with January 2022’s The Winter Palace.
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Trevor Donovan
In October 2021, the 90210 alum signed an overall deal with Great American Media after previously starring in 12 Hallmark movies. His new deal included both acting and working as an executive producer for the network. Donovan’s first Great American Family film, Jingle Bell Christmas, debuted in December 2021.
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Susie Abromeit
The A Perfect Christmas actress inked a four-film deal with Great American Media in October 2021. In addition to starring in the original movies, Abromeit will host Great American Family Original Movie Nights. That same month, the Massachusetts native made her Great American Family debut with Much Ado About Christmas.
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Lori Loughlin
Hallmark Media cut tied with the Full House alum following her arrest and involvement in the college admission scandal in 2019. Loughlin, who was the star of the network’s long-running series When Calls the Heart, made her return to TV in December 2021 on Great American Family’s two-part Christmas special for When Hope Calls. The new network announced earlier that year that Loughlin would reprise her role of Abigail Stanton on season 2 of the spinoff.
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Jen Lilley
Great American Media announced in January 2022 that Lilley would be starring in four original movies for the network over the next two years. Unlike many of her former Hallmark costars, the General Hospital alum’s multi-picture deal didn’t say it was exclusive to the company. Lilley was last seen in 2022’s Where Your Heart Belongs on Hallmark Channel.
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Lacey Chabert
The Mean Girls actress made an exclusive multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media in February 2022. Her deal includes headlining projects for Hallmark Channel over the next two years, working as an executive producer and “developing other content” for the network and “other Hallmark platforms,” according to a press release. Chabert is best known for her work on The Crossword Mysteries franchise, the All of My Heart trilogy and the 2022 Wedding Veil trilogy.
In November 2022, Chabert announced that she would be teaming up with Wedding Veil costars Autumn Reeser and Alison Sweeney for three more films, the first of which will premiere in January 2023.
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Jessica Lowndes
After starring in Great American Family’s Harmony From The Heart in February 2022, Lowndes cemented her future with the network by signing a four-picture deal. The 90210 alum will star, write, direct and executive produce all the projects. Lowndes previously collaborated with Great American Family as the star and executive producer 2021’s Angel Falls Christmas. Her last Hallmark movie was 2021’s Mix Up in the Mediterranean.
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Holly Robinson Peete
The Morning Show Mysteries star signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark Family in March 2022, which included an exclusivity clause on holiday films for the network. In addition to her detective film franchise for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Robinson Peete has been a staple for the network when it comes to holiday movies, including 2021’s Our Christmas Journey and 2020’s The Christmas Doctor.
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Brennan Elliott
The Hallmark veteran agreed to an exclusive, multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media in March 2022. The Cedar Cove alum is best known for being part of the Crossword Mysteries movie franchise, The Flower Shop Mysteries films and the All of My Heart trilogy, which also stars Chabert.
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Heather Hemmens
The Roswell, New Mexico alum inked an exclusive deal in March 2022 with Hallmark Channel’s parent company to star in multiple original films. Hemmens previously starred in Love, Take Two and Christmas in My Heart.
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Candace Cameron Bure
The Full House alum, who was a staple on Hallmark Channel for years starring in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries franchise and 10 holiday films, announced her switch to Great American Media in April 2022. Under her Candy Rock Entertainment production company, Cameron Bure will develop, produce and star in movies and television across Great American Family and Great American Living, taking on a “prominent executive role at the company to oversee and curate programming for the networks as a whole,” according to a press release.
Her contract originally stated it would be exclusive to rom-coms and holiday films, but Hallmark later announced that they had no plans to make another Aurora Teagarden film with the former child star.
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Andrew Walker
Walker announced his exclusive multi-picture deal for Hallmark and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in April 2022, shortly after his detective film Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate premiered. The Canadian actor has been part of the Hallmark Media for more than a decade, starring The Perfect Catch, Bottled With Love and more.
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Taylor Cole
The Summerland alum’s exclusive multi-picture with Hallmark Channel’s parent company was announced in April 2022. Cole is best known for starring on the network’s One Winter films, including One Winter Proposal, as well as 2021 hits Making Spirits Bright and South Beach Love.
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Aimee Teegarden
The Friday Night Lights alum signed an exclusive multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media in April 2022. She previously starred in Hallmark Channel’s My Christmas Family Tree, A New Year’s Resolution, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Heart of the Matter, which premieres in May 2022.
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Cameron Mathison
Mathison’s future with Hallmark is up in the air after the network’s talk show, Home & Family, was canceled in March 2021. The soap opera star was the cohost of the series from 2013 to 2021. Mathison later hosted Great American Media’s Welcome to Great American Christmas special that same year and starred in A Kindhearted Christmas. He has, however, remained a fixture on Hallmark Channel as well, reprising his role as Detective Mike Kingston for 2021’s Hannah Swensen Mysteries’ first film, Sweet Revenge. The mystery movie is a continuation of the Murder, She Baked series, which Mathison starred on from 2015 to 2017.
Great American Media announced in May 2022 that Mathison would be teaming up with Jill Wagner to film an upcoming holiday movie for the network titled The Christmas Farm. In August 2022, Mathison’s new show on the network’s app, Great American Community, was confirmed. The Good Life With Cameron Mathison will premiere in September 2022 and focus on the General Hospital alum’s guide to a healthier lifestyle.
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Tyler Hynes
Hynes has starred in more than a dozen Hallmark movies over the years, including four 2021 films. He was the lead in An Unexpected Christmas which he followed up with April 2022’s Always Amore. The Canada native’s next movie with the network has yet to be announced.
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Autumn Reeser
The O.C. alum has become a big star for Hallmark over the past few years, starring in three 2019 movies for the channel. She upped her output in 2022 appearing in The Wedding Veil trilogy as well as costarring alongside Hynes in April’s Always Amore. Reeser has served as an executive producer on both 2021’s The 27-Hour Day and 2022’s The Wedding Veil Unveiled, which could mean she will be staying with Hallmark for the long haul.
Fans got a surprise in November 2022, when Lacey Chabert confirmed that she and Reeser would be making three more Wedding Veil movies with pal Alison Sweeney. The first movie is set to premiere in January 2023.
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Niall Matter
Matter’s role as Nick Miller on the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries franchise may have been put on pause after Cameron Bure’s switch to Great American Media, but he appears to still be working well with Hallmark. The actor is the star of May 2022’s Rip in Time and has a history of hit Christmas movies for the network.
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Jill Wagner
The North Carolina native has been part of the Hallmark family since 2015. Some of her biggest holiday films include the Christmas in Evergreen franchise, Hearts of Winter and The Angel Tree. The actress is best known for playing professor Amy Winslow — alongside Kristoffer Polaha as detective Travis Burke — in the Mystery 101 movie franchise. The last film of the mystery series, Deadly History, was released in 2021, but its cliffhanger ending lead fans to believe more movies could be coming.
In May 2022, Great American Media announced that Wagner would be working alongside Mathison on an upcoming holiday film, The Christmas Farm, which is set to premiere as part of Great American Family’s annual “Great American Christmas” celebration that fall. Her Great American Community series, Farm and Family With Jill Wagner, premieres in September 2022. The show, which can be found on the network’s app, will take fans behind-the-scenes of Wagner’s life on her Nashville farm.
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Luke Macfarlane
The Brothers & Sisters alum signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media in May 2022. “I’m excited to be part of the joy that Hallmark brings to their viewers, not only for Christmas but to be able to participate in telling these heartfelt stories all year long,” Macfarlane said in a statement to Deadline. “I’m really grateful to have this opportunity.”
Macfarlane has cemented himself as a Hallmark Channel favorite after starring in Just Add Romance, A Valentine’s Match, Taking a Shot at Love and Christmas in My Heart. He is set to appear in Hallmark Channel’s June 2022 release Moriah’s Lighthouse.
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Ryan Paevey
The California native inked an exclusive multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media in May 2022, ahead of the release of the June 2022 release of Hallmark’s Two Tickets to Paradise.
“Being part of Hallmark is like no other experience I have ever had,” Paevey said in a statement. “The creative people I’ve had the pleasure of working with both at the network and on every set have made this collaboration so special and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Hallmark viewers may recognize Paevey as Donovan Darcy in the Marrying Mr. Darcy movie franchise. He has also appeared in holiday hits for the network, including Christmas at the Plaza and Coyote Creek Christmas.
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Erin Krakow
Krakow has been starring on Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart since 2014. The long-running series was renewed for a season 10 in June 2022 so Krakow’s future with the network is looking bright. The Pennsylvania native has become a holiday film staple over the years, helming the Father Christmas movies and 2019’s Sense, Sensibility & Snowman. Her most recent film for the network is 2021’s It Was Always You.
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Kevin McGarry
McGarry is one of the leading men on When Calls the Heart, which was renewed in June 2022 for season 10 by Hallmark. In addition to playing Nathan Grant on the series, the actor starred in three movies for the network in 2022: The Wedding Veil, The Wedding Veil Legacy and Feeling Butterflies.
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Chris McNally
The Canadian actor appeared in multiple Hallmark Channel films before landing the role of Lucas Bouchard on When Calls the Heart in 2019. Since the series got picked up for another season in June 2022, fans will hopefully be seeing McNally return as one of the show’s leading men. He has also continued to take part in movies from the beloved network, including April 2022’s A Tail of Love.
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Andie MacDowell
In June 2022, MacDowell was announced as the star of the upcoming Hallmark Channel series The Way Home. The primetime show is the first new series to get picked up by the network since 2016, marking a big shift in programming for Hallmark Media. The South Carolina native will play small-town community pilar Del Landry, who is estranged from her daughter, when the show premieres in 2023.
MacDowell has a long history with Hallmark, having portrayed judge Olivia Lockhart on Cedar Cove from 2013 to 2015. She also starred in the network’s hit films At Home in Mitford and The Beach House.
“Our viewers loved Andie MacDowell when she starred in Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, our first original primetime series,” senior vice president of development at Crown Media Family Networks, Laurie Ferneau said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome her home to Hallmark Channel and we know our fans will fall in love with her all over again.”
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Jonathan Bennett
The Mean Girls star will make his debut as an executive producer for Hallmark Channel with 2022’s Wedding of a Lifetime. The news comes after Bennett signed an exclusive, multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media in spring of 2022.
“I love working with Hallmark and am grateful to expand our work together as an executive producer on this project,” the actor, who will also play the lead in the film, said in a July 2022 statement. “While it’s always fun to act in these movies, it has been a very different and rewarding experience to work on the filmmaking side and to collaborate with such talented people behind the scenes to bring it to life. I’m so proud of this story and hope the fans love it as much as I do.”
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Catherine Bell
The British actress has been part of the Hallmark Media family since 2008 when she first portrayed Cassandra Nightingale in The Good Witch movie. She has since starred in multiple films for the magical franchise and its corresponding Good Witch series. While the show seemingly came to an end in 2021, the network teased in August 2022 that there’s a future for the witchy characters.
“As far as Good Witch, which I think we’re always interested in thinking about what we can do with our most popular IP,” EVP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly told reporters during the Television Critics Association press conference, noting, “I can’t announce anything specific about that.”
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James Denton
The Desperate Housewives alum made his Hallmark debut with 2014’s Stranded in Paradise before landing the role of Dr. Sam Radford on the Good Witch series one year later. The series wrapped in 2021 but Denton has since been seen in the seasonal rom-com A Kiss Before Christmas, which premiered on the channel in 2021. In August 2022, Hallmark Media revealed that it’s “always interested” in thinking about more Good Witch episodes or movies, giving fans hope for more Denton.
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Eric Mabius
Mabius first appeared on the Hallmark Channel in 2012’s How to Fall in Love. One year later, he played Oliver O’Toole on the short-lived Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. While the show ended in 2014, the cast made 12 movies for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchise from 2014 to 2021.
In August 2022, Hallmark Media hinted that the network doesn’t think it’s “finished” with the Signed, Sealed, Delivered films. “The fandom and the passion for that franchise is unusual,” the company’s president and CEO Wonya Lucas told reporters during the Television Critics Association press conference of the beloved franchise. “And so, we listen. We hear. I’d say, Stand by!”
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Kristin Booth
The Canadian actress has played Shane McInerney in all 12 Signed, Sealed, Delivered movies, the last of which premiered on Hallmark’s Movies & Mysteries in 2021. She also portrayed the Postables character on the 2014 series by the same name. Hallmark Media announced in August 2022 that it’s “always thinking about” how it can expand that franchise, which would mean more for Booth and her costars. “[I] don’t think we’re finished with that,” the EVP of programming told reporters at the TCA presentation.
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Geoff Gustafson
The Canada native made his mark on Hallmark by playing Norman Dorman on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. He continued to hook viewers in with his quirky character throughout the franchise’s 12 films, including 2021’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made. Gustafson has continued to find success with Hallmark Media in romance movies like 2019’s A Summer Romance, 2020’s Wedding Every Weekend and 2021’s The 27-Hour Day.
The channel’s parent company announced during the August 2022 TCA press conference that more Signed, Sealed, Delivered movies could be coming. “The fandom and the passion for that franchise is unusual,” Hallmark Media’s president and CEO explained, teasing, “And so we listen.”
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Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe
Lowe became a Hallmark staple after playing Rita Haywith on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series from 2013 to 2014. In addition to reprising the role in 12 films for the network, she has also appeared in several holiday movies. Fans may remember the Canadian actress from 2016’s Hearts of Christmas, 2017’s Christmas at Holly Lodge and 2019’s Christmas at Dollywood.
Fans could be getting more from Lowe in the future after Hallmark Media’s confirmed in August 2022 that the Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchise is not “finished.”
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Alison Sweeney
Sweeney has been part of the Hallmark Channel family for years, starring in the Murder, She Baked and The Chronicle Mysteries franchises. The Days of Our Lives star appeared in multiple holiday movies for the network before reprising her role as Hannah Swensen in 2021’s Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. She seemingly cemented her connection to the company by starring alongside Lacey Chabert and Autumn Reeser in The Wedding Veil trilogy in early 2022.
In September 2022, the California native agreed to a multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media. “I am thrilled to continue to work with Hallmark as they continue to support my work as an actress and as a producer,” Sweeney said in a statement, giving a shout-out to her November 2022 release, A Magical Christmas Village. “I’m very proud of our Christmas movie and excited for the future projects to come!”
Two months later, Chabert confirmed that the Wedding Veil stars would return for three new movies starting in January 2023.
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Alexa and Carlos PenaVega
The married couple have costarred in several Hallmark films together, including Enchanted Christmas, Love at Sea and the Picture Perfect Mysteries franchise. When the pair teamed up for the August 2022 film Love in the Limelight, the Big Time Rush performer wrote several original songs for it, according to Entertainment Tonight.
In October 2022, the twosome signed a multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media, Deadline reported. “Hallmark has become a second home for our family. Over the last four years they have given us opportunities to grow as actors and producers all while raising our children, even if it means having the family on set,” the PenaVegas said in a joint statement. “Developing projects alongside them has been a highlight of our careers thus far. We are thrilled to be able to continue creating content that is family friendly and current, while maintaining its core values that we love so much. Hallmark is special and we are looking forward to many more projects together.”
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Erin Cahill
The A Timeless Christmas star signed an exclusive multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media in October 2022.
“I am honored to work with the legendary Hallmark family, telling beautiful stories that touch the hearts of so many people,” Cahill said in a statement to Variety at the time. “Hallmark has been a welcoming home for me as an actress and a producer, and I look forward to sharing all the amazing things we’ve been creating together.”
At the time of her deal, Cahill had starred in nine films for the network and executive produced the first original movie made for Hallmark Movies Now, Every Time a Bell Rings, in December 2021.
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Will Kemp
The English actor is known for his worldly rom-coms on Hallmark Channel, including 2018’s Royal Matchmaker, 2019’s Love, Romance & Chocolate and 2020’s The Christmas Waltz. Ahead of his 2022 holiday release, Jolly Good Christmas, Kemp signed a multi-picture overall deal with Hallmark Media that includes exclusivity on holiday movies.
The Reign alum will also develop and produce new projects for the network as part of his arrangement, Deadline reported in October 2022. “Will Kemp brings great versatility to each and every role and we’re excited to expand our partnership with him to develop new programming,” the executive vice president of programming at Hallmark Media said in a statement at the time. “We can’t wait for viewers to see will in Jolly Good Christmas, where he gets to showcase his ability to play both comedic and heartfelt moments.”
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Hunter King
The Life in Pieces alum made her Hallmark Channel debut in early 2022 with Hidden Gems. She then costarred alongside Rhiannon Fish in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ fall release Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths. Her third movie for the company, A Corgi Christmas, aired in November 2022.
That same month, King signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark Media. “I feel so incredibly grateful and lucky to be part of the Hallmark family! Growing up, I would drive past Hallmark’s headquarters nearly every day and dream about getting the chance to be in one of their movies some day,” the actress said in a press release. “Getting to make three Hallmark movies this year has already been so amazing and I’m so excited for what’s to come. I get to be in Hallmark movies for a living! Are you kidding me? Is this real life?”
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Janel Parrish
The Pretty Little Liars alum made her Hallmark debut in 2020 with Holly & Ivy before going on to star in various other films for the network, including 2021’s Right in Front of Me and Coyote Creek Christmas.
In November 2022, Deadline announced that the Dancing With the Stars alum was cast in Family History Mysteries: Buried Past, a new original premiering on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in January 2023.