Six new Hallmark movies are coming to television this June. The films include four romantic comedies and two mysteries, including a prequel to the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series.
“Surprise…I’m the new Aurora,” wrote actress Skyler Samuels in an Instagram post announcing the news. “So excited to be joining the mysterious and fun world of Aurora Teagarden. Let the mystery solving begin!”
New Hallmark movies
The four new rom-coms coming to TV will debut as part of Hallmark Channel’s June Weddings lineup. The movies all have a — surprise — wedding theme.
First up is Wedding Season, starring Stephanie Bennett and Casey Deidrick. Bennett plays Trish, a journalist who is on back-to-back bridesmaid duty for her three best friends. When her date leaves her hanging, she pairs up with her brother’s best friend Ryan (played by Deidrick).
Next is Love’s Greek to Me. Torrey DeVitto plays Ilana, who is asked to be the maid of honor at the wedding of her Greek boyfriend’s sister in Santorini. To her surprise, her boyfriend (played by Giannis Tsmitselis) proposes and she is left dealing with his over-enthusiastic mother, Athena (played by Marina Sirtis).
The Wedding Contract
The Wedding Contract stars Becca Tobin and Jake Epstein as a couple planning their wedding. But their big day and their future are put in jeopardy when Adam (Epstein) lands a new ad campaign, and their mothers meet for the first time.
Finally, When Calls the Heart star Eva Bourne will star in the romantic comedy Make Me a Match. Bourne (Clara on When Calls the Heart) plays Vivi, a woman with a substandard romantic history who works at a data-driven matchmaking app.
Once she discovers that the success rate for matches at her company is low, she hires Raina (played by Rekha Sharma), an Indian matchmaker, to provide advice on how to improve their numbers.
New mysteries
Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp will star in The Dancing Detective, a movie shot entirely on location in Malta.
Chabert plays a no-nonsense detective who reluctantly teams up with a charismatic British dance star (played by Kemp) in order to solve a murder.
Aurora Teagarden prequel
The long-awaited prequel to the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries will also premiere in June. In Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New, Skyler Samuels play a young “Ro” Teagarden, who has just moved back to her small hometown after graduating from college.
While staying with her mother (played by the incomparable Marilu Henner) Ro helps her friend Sally plan her wedding. But when Sally’s groom fails to show up for the rehearsal, Ro enlists the help of their friend Arthur (played by Evan Roderick) to track him down.
The movie is the first in the series not to feature Candace Cameron Bure, who departed Hallmark to work with the new network Great American Family.
Schedule:
The Dancing Detective will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Friday, June 2 at 9/8c.
Wedding Season will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, June 3 at 8/7c.
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Friday, June 9 at 9/8c.
Love’s Greek to Me will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, June 10 at 8/7c.
The Wedding Contract will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, June 17 at 8/7c.
Make Me a Match will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, June 24 at 8/7c.
Keesha Sharp and Demetrius Grosse headline new Hallmark Mahogany movie set in historic resort on the Gulf Coast of Alabama
The new Hallmark movie Spring Breakthrough will premiere this weekend on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. The film stars Keesha Sharpe as a single mother who finds love when she least expects it. Rhyon Nicole Brown plays her daughter and Demetrius Grosse plays the man who steals her heart.
New Hallmark movie
In Spring Breakthrough, Keesha Sharp plays Monica, a mother looking forward to her daughter’s annual spring break trip home. But her excitement is tempered when she loses her job and finds out that her daughter (played by Brown) won’t be returning home. Instead, her daughter announces that she is engaged to a young man named Shawn (played by Akono Dixon).
The news comes as a shock to Monica, since she didn’t even know that her daughter was seeing someone. Convinced that her daughter is too young to be married and is making a huge mistake, Monica packs her bags and heads to The Gulf Shores for the engagement celebration, secretly determined to put an end to it.
On the way, she meets Clark Randall (played by Grosse) at the airport, who also happens to be Shawn’s godfather. The two spar over what she perceives to be his juvenile attitude. But as she learns more about Clark, Monica begins to have a change of heart and finds that she might be ready to open herself up to love once again.
Mahogany series
The movie is part of Hallmark’s Mahogany series, a collection of films based on the card brand of the same name.
“Mahogany is a beloved brand by millions of consumers around the world and we are thrilled to bring the brand to life on screen with this first new movie,” said Toni Judkins, senior vice president of programming development at Crown Media – Mahogany. “We are committed to telling beautiful, emotionally rich, authentic stories that show Black women experiencing the joys of love through romance, sisterhood and community.”
The first movie in the series premiered in 2022. Unthinkably Good Things starred Karen Pittman, Erica Ash, and Joyful Drake as friends who find romance during a journey through Tuscany.
Famous location
Spring Breakthrough was filmed in Fairhope, Alabama. The movie showcases the beauty of the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear.
In an interview with Southern Living, Sharp said she loved filming in Alabama.
“Most of the things in Fairhope were family run…What I loved about it was it felt like it was [a sense of] community, which you don’t get a lot in cities,” she said. “It felt like they cared about their town.”
About the cast
Keesha Sharp is a renowned actress, writer, director, and producer. From 2002 to 2008 she starred on the CW comedy series Girlfriends, a role that won her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award.
She has appeared on the TV shows Cold Case, American Crime Story, Are We There Yet, Empire, and Lethal Weapon.
Demetrius Grosse starred in Straight Outta Compton, Saving Mr. Banks, and This is Martin Bonner. He has also appeared on the TV shows Justified, Criminal Minds, ER, NCIS, Heroes, Bones, Dexter, CSI: Miami, and Frontier.
Spring Breakthrough will premiere on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on Sunday, April 30 at 7/6c.
Virgin River star Marco Grazzini finds love in new Hallmark movie Hearts in the Game
Marco Grazzini, who plays Mike Valenzuela on the TV series Virgin River, will star in the new Hallmark movie Hearts in the Game. The Canadian actor plays a baseball star who falls for the publicist hired to revamp his image. Erin Cahill co-stars as PR exec Hazel Miller.
New Hallmark movie
“There are definite similarities in the way Diego tends to use humor as a defense mechanism…,” he told Digital Journal. “He is also a very loyal person and very family oriented.”
He called co-star Erin Cahill “very giving.”
“It was like we had known each other for years,” he said.
Hallmark influence
In her own interview, Erin Cahill said she based her portrayal of Hazel on the executives she works with at Hallmark.
“For Hazel, I imagined her being a lot like all the girls at Hallmark and everybody over there,” she told Just Jared. “They all work with giant hearts.”
She also praised co-star Marco Grazzini.
“He’s so talented, kind and down to earth,” she said to Media Village. “We have different energies, yet it was such a nice balance.”
Hearts in the Game
In the movie, Cahill plays a New York City publicist trying to build her empire. She jumps at the chance to take on a professional baseball player as a client, only to balk when she finds out it is her high-school boyfriend. Diego Vazquez (played by Grazzini) needs help with his image after freezing during Game 7 of the World Series.
While trying to figure out what made him freeze up during the game, Hazel takes Diego back to their Ohio hometown for a publicity tour meant to revamp his image.
Marco Grazzini
Grazzini has portrayed police officer Mike Valenzuela on the Netflix series Virgin River since the second season. His character is a friend of bar owner Jack Sheridan (played by Martin Henderson).
Grazzini has had roles on the TV shows Nikita, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Beauty and the Beast, The Flash, The Magicians, and The Story of Us. He has also starred in several Christmas movies, including Christmas Unwrapped (2020), Lonestar Christmas (2020), and Designing Christmas (2022).
Erin Cahill
Erin Cahill has appeared in the Hallmark movies Sleigh Bells Ring (2016), Last Vermont Christmas (2018), Love, Fall & Order (2019), The Secret Ingredient (2020), A Timeless Christmas (2020), Mystery 101: Killer Timing (2021), and Every Time a Bell Rings (2021).
In a recent interview with Media Village, she talked about how happy she was to work with Hallmark.
“To have Hallmark find me has been the biggest blessing,” she said. “…We literally are like family. It’s the most magical thing. If I have something going on, I’ll call the girls.”
Hearts in the Game will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 29 at 8/7c.
Wait, what? Hallmark ends popular Mystery 101 series on a cliffhanger
Hallmark has canceled its beloved Mystery 101 series. The announcement came from the two stars of the movies, Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha, who both posted on social media.
“Thanks for the memories to all you wonderful fans and thank you @jillwagner @robinthomasactor @poperandy @sprowsie and @hallmarkmovie for one hellova ride,” wrote Polaha in an Instagram caption.
The news came as a surprise to fans, who have been waiting for an update since the last Mystery 101 movie ended on a cliffhanger.
Mystery 101
Mystery 101 premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries in 2019. The series starred Jill Wagner as Amy Winslow, a professor of literature who specializes in crime fiction. When one of her star pupils disappears, Winslow begins investigating much to the annoyance of Detective Travis Burke (Polaha) a new transfer to the local department.
But when Winslow proves herself as an investigator, the two pair up to solve crime in the small town of Garrison, Washington.
In all, seven movies were made in the series:
Mystery 101 (2019)
Mystery 101: Playing Dead (2019)
Mystery 101: Words Can Kill (2019)
Mystery 101: Dead Talk (2019)
Mystery 101: An Education in Murder (2020)
Mystery 101: Killer Timing (2021)
Mystery 101: Deadly History (2021)
Cliffhanger
The final movie included a cliffhanger ending that left fans shocked. After Amy and Travis finally admit they are in love with each other, the movie cuts to a scene several months later, showing Amy engaged to someone else.
Kristoffer Polaha even mentioned the moment in an interview with Just Jared.
“The last 30 seconds of number seven where you’re like, what?” Polaha said.
Jill Wagner
In a heartfelt message posted to Instagram, Jill Wagner thanked the cast and crew.
“The End,” she wrote. “@polahaha thank you for being such a good friend and partner in this amazing ride. I’m proud of what we created buddy. @robinthomasactor you made being your daughter easy. Thank you for lending your talents to our show. To @prestonvanderslice, the best Robin to my Batman! To all the crews over the years…the show was built on your backs! Thank you!!!”
She also thanked fans and gave them her version of what happened to Amy and Travis.
“And to the fans…..just so you know in my mind, Amy and Travis get married and go on a super long honeymoon to Fiji.!! thank you all for being so supportive and loving the show like you did! Stay tuned for the next chapter with me, lots of fun things coming your way…..and you know I always love a good mystery #Mystery101.”
Movie star. Screenwriter. Podcast host. Carpenter? Seven fascinating things you need to know about Hallmark legend Paul Campbell
Paul Campbell has been entertaining Hallmark audiences for years, starring in more than a dozen movies for the network. In 2022 he headlined Dating the Delaneys with Rachel Boston and Three Wise Men and a Baby with Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes.
But the Canadian actor is more than just a handsome face. Here are some fascinating facts about the star:
1. He trained to be a carpenter.
In a 2018 interview on My Devotional Thoughts, Campbell said he always thought he would work as a carpenter.
“Through my entire adolescence and throughout high school, I was planning to build houses,” he said. “I just loved the idea of building houses, and I honestly, I didn’t consider any other profession.”
But after graduating from high school and working as a professional for four years, Campbell changed his mind. He said he remembered thinking, “This isn’t the job that I thought it was.”
He ended up taking an acting class and quickly fell in love. While attending theater school, he was spotted by an agent who signed him after graduation. In 2004, he booked the role of Billy Keikeya on the re-boot of Battlestar Galactica. He went on to have roles in The Dead Zone, John Doe, Black Sash, Andromeda, Scrubs, and Knight Rider.
He booked his first Hallmark movie, Window Wonderland, in 2013. The rest, as they say, is history.
2. Before he joined the network, he had never seen a Hallmark movie.
Campbell, who grew up in White Rock, British Columbia, said he didn’t know much about Hallmark before he began working for the network.
“I had an awareness of what the Hallmark network was,” he said. “Even before I started working with them, they had set up shop in Vancouver and were producing a fair amount of films. But I didn’t really get a sense of the volume they were producing or the tone, quality, and style until I actually did Window Wonderland.”
3. He is now a ride-or-die Hallmark fan
Window Wonderland premiered in 2013. Campbell followed up with the Hallmark movies Surprised By Love in 2014 and Once Upon A Holiday in 2015.
“Once I got a sense of what Hallmark was all about, I was hooked,” he said. “I wanted to do more and more and more.”
He said he especially loves the content now that he is a father.
“Hallmark Channel is the perfect place for me to be working right now,” he said. “I really like the content, and now that I have a family, it’s a nice sort of pleasant content where I don’t have to worry about racy, questionable stuff. It’s definitely the direction that I feel I’m headed. I’m always open to doing movies or series with Hallmark, whatever they have for me. I would always jump at the chance.”
4. He is a skilled screenwriter.
Campbell decided to try his hand at screenwriting after the birth of his son, Kingston. He had taken some time off from acting and ended up pitching an idea to Hallmark about a romantic comedy set on a beach. His idea was made into the 2017 movie Sun, Sand & Romance, which he starred in with his former Battlestar Galactica castmate Tricia Helfer.
He went on to write Christmas by Starlight, which he also starred in, as well as An Unexpected Christmas, which starred Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hynes, and Christmas at Castle Hart, which starred Lacey Chabert and Stuart Townsend.
5. He co-wrote the Countdown to Christmas hit Three Wise Men and a Baby
Campbell and his Christmas by Starlight co-star Kimberley Sustad had been writing together for years when Hallmark approached them with the idea for Three Wise Men and a Baby.
“They kind of planted the seed and then [Kimberley] and I grew the tree,” he said in an interview with Media Village.
Three Wise Men and a Baby, which premiered during Hallmark’s 2022 Countdown to Christmas event, went on to become the most-watched cable movie of the year.
6. He has been happily married since 2009.
Campbell and Lori Metz, a divorce and life coach, eloped in Vancouver in 2009. They followed the private affair with a celebration in Palm Springs two years later with friends and family.
In an Instagram post, Campbell shared photos from his wedding day including a snap of the two on a tandem bike.
“I’ll ride that two-seater with ya anywhere the durned wind takes us,” he wrote in the caption. “I love you.”
7. He had a podcast called Two Pauls in a Podcast. It was awesome.
Paul Greene was Campbell’s first guest on the series. (Episodes are still on his website.) During the show, the pair revealed their unlikely connection. It turned out Lori once dated a man who is not only best friends with Greene but is his son Oliver’s godfather. Lori even attended Greene’s first wedding.
Candace Cameron Bure, Trevor Donovan, and Merritt Patterson to lead the Christmas movie lineup at Great American Family
Candace Cameron Bure, Trevor Donovan, and Merritt Patterson are among the stars who will headline new movies for Great American Family this Christmas. The network, which was started by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott, is producing 21 original movies for the 2023 holiday season.
Bure announced the news about her latest project with the network in a post on Instagram.
“Very excited to present another Great American Christmas film this year with @candyrock.entertainment,” she wrote in the caption. “…So proud of this movie and all it represents!”
Candace Cameron Bure
Bure will star in the movie My Christmas Hero, playing a U.S. Army reservist and orthopedic physician. Her character, Dr. Nicole Ramsey, provides care for military service members and their families at the Joint Military Base in Lacey, Washington, home of I Corps and the 62nd Airlift Wing.
In the movie, Dr. Ramsey goes on a mission to “honor a special fallen soldier and bring much-needed healing to her own family,” according to a synopsis from Great American Family.
The movie is being produced by Bure’s company Candy Rock Entertainment. In a statement to Deadline, Bure said, “We are proud to tell a story that honors our U.S. veterans this Christmas season. From World War II to present-day veterans, we shine the spotlight on their heroic work as well as aftercare needs. We have a talented cast and crew and are thrilled to bring it to our Great American Family audience.”
Trevor Donovan and Merritt Patterson
Network favorites Trevor Donovan and Merritt Patterson will also star in a Christmas movie for Great American Family.
In Christmas By Chance, Patterson plays Addie, a New York City chiropractor who receives an accidental text from a woman who identifies herself as “Nana.” The two strike up a friendship via text message and Nana invites Addie to come and spend the holidays in Vermont.
Everything is going well until Nana’s son, played by Trevor Donovan, returns home unexpectedly for Christmas.
Christmas By Chance is the second holiday film Donovan and Patterson have starred in together for Great American Family. In 2021, the two headlined Jingle Bell Princess.
Great American Christmas
Former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott made headlines in June 2021 when he announced he had partnered with Dallas-based Hicks Equity Partners to purchase two television networks in a deal Bloomberg estimated at $90 million.
He launched his channels, Great American Family and Great American Living, in September 2021. During the first Christmas season, the network Great American Family aired 12 original movies. In 2022, the network released 18 new movies for Christmas.
Great American Christmas 2023 will begin in October.
Kat Barrell just finished directing a Christmas movie starring her Good Witch castmates
In a recent appearance on Instagram, Good Witch star Kat Barrell said she just finished directing a Christmas movie starring some of her castmates from Good Witch.
“It was amazing,” Barrell said. “It was all-consuming between the directing and the trying to be present with my family. It was a mad dash for the past two months but we did it.”
Barrell did not share the title or a premiere date. She said she will begin sharing details about the movie and snippets in the coming months.
Kat Barrell
A graduate of the George Brown Classical Theatre School in Canada, Kat Barrell had roles on Saving Hope, Reign, and Star Trek: Discovery before landing the role of Officer Nicole Haught on the SyFy series Wynonna Earp. She won People’s Choice Awards in 2018 and 2020 for her work on the series and also received a Canadian Screen Award in 2020.
Barrell appeared in the Hallmark movie A Nutcracker Christmas (2016) before being cast on Hallmark’s hit series Good Witch in 2020. She joined the cast in Season 6 as Joy Harper, whose mother was a cousin of Cassie Nightingale (played by Catherine Bell). She continued to play Joy until Hallmark abruptly canceled the show during Season 7.
In 2022, she made two Christmas movies for Hallmark: A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love and A Tale of Two Christmases.
Directing
Barrell has a production company called Blue Eyed Bandit and has directed and produced several short films, including Dissecting Gwen and Cannonball.
Her Christmas movie was made with Vortex Media, a company she has worked with before.
“I knew about 80 percent of the crew,” she said, adding it made for a wonderful experience.
Vortex makes movies for Hallmark Media, Lifetime, and Heart & Home Super Channel (among others). However, Barrell didn’t say which network would feature the film.
Balancing work and family
Barrell took fan questions during the brief appearance and even spoke in French with the help of her husband, actor Ray Galletti, who was off camera. She also talked about her 17-month-old son, Ronin.
“He is amazing,” she said. “He’s chatting up a storm.”
We will continue to update this story as more details become available.
It’s all good, Hearties. A second trailer for Season 10 of When Calls the Heart includes glimpses of both Lucas and Nathan. (Phew.)
It’s all good, Hearties. A new trailer for Hallmark’s hit series When Calls the Heart includes glimpses of both Lucas (Chris McNally) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry). Some Hearties were concerned when a previous trailer didn’t show either of the Hope Valley favorites.
“Where are Lucas and Nathan?” one fan wrote on the show’s Facebook page when the first sneak peek was released. “They are in Season 10, right?”
A new clip, posted on Hallmark Channel’s page earlier this week, showed both men, as well as glimpses of Minnie Canfield (Natasha Burnett), Mei Suo (Amanda Wong), and Bill Avery (Jack Wagner).
When Calls the Heart
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart is set to premiere on Hallmark Channel on July 30. Fans have been waiting since May 2022 for a new episode of the series, which is Hallmark’s longest-running original show.
In past years, When Calls the Heart has premiered in February or March. But Hallmark launched two new series this year — The Way Home and Ride — and is busy promoting them.
Hallmark appeased some fans by announcing that the series has been renewed for Season 11. Filming on the next season will begin shortly before Season 10’s premiere.
New trailer
A previous teaser for Season 10 showed Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) writing in her diary, narrating a scene that includes Rosemary (Pascale Hutton), Lee (Kavan Smith), Florence (Loretta Walsh), and Molly (Johannah Newmarch).
In the clip, Elizabeth explains that the town has fallen on hard times, but that the members of the community have come together to help each other.
“First, the coal mine was destroyed,” she says. “Then the oil wells dried up. And then we lost the foundry, and with it, the promise of new jobs. But in true Hope Valley fashion, Florence, Molly, and Minnie started a swap meet so that nothing would go to waste.”
In the new clip, Elizabeth tells Lucas, “It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come.”
She also speaks to Bill Avery (Wagner), telling him to seize the day. The trailer shows Minnie Canfield and Mei Suo before showing a very pregnant Rosemary smiling at Lee.
“We’re on a big adventure,” she says.
“Yes, we are,” he replies.
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart will premiere on Hallmark Channel on July 30.
Tyler Jacob Moore: Fans of Hallmark’s show Ride are in for some big surprises
Tyler Jacob Moore told fans of Hallmark’s show Ride to hold on tight because they are in for a surprise. In a recent interview, the actor said that many of the questions raised in the first part of the season — about his character and others on the show — will soon be answered, though not necessarily in the way they might think.
“It’s not going to go the way you think,” he said during the Hallmarkies Podcast. “…The writers knew what they were doing.”
Moore said he loves how the show’s writers have peppered the script with clues about the various backstories. It means viewers can, if they pay attention, figure out what is going on before it is revealed.
Hallmark’s show Ride
Tyler Jacob Moore stars as Gus Booker on the series, which premiered in March on Hallmark Channel.
His character comes from a wealthy family and is interested in purchasing the McMurray ranch from Isabel (played by Nancy Travis) who is ready to give up on the operation following the death of both her husband and her oldest son, Austin (played by Marcus Rosner).
Many members of Isabel’s family are skeptical of Gus, believing he will sell off the land to greedy developers. But Gus seems genuine in his desire to learn the ropes and continue running the ranch.
The audience may change its view of Gus after meeting his family in upcoming episodes.
“You will fully understand why his reputation preceded him and probably rightfully so,” he said.
About Tyler Jacob Moore
A native of Illinois, Moore got his start acting in home movies written and directed by his brother. He earned his degree in musical theater from Palm Beach Atlantic University and served in the Army before starting his career as an actor in Los Angeles.
He has appeared in the TV shows Grey’s Anatomy, Shameless, GCB, Seal Team, and Chicago Fire. Moore also appeared on the series Once Upon a Time with his Ride co-star Marcus Rosner.
Ride is Moore’s first role with Hallmark Media, and he says he has been pleasantly surprised. He particularly likes that Ride focuses on strong, independent women who aren’t defined by their romantic relationships.
Learning the two-step
Though Moore had experience riding horses, he had to learn how to dance for his role on the show. He said all the actors had lessons but he got a little extra help from a kind stranger. After he put out a call for help on the Internet, he said a science teacher in Calgary for a conference agreed to meet him in a park and helped him polish his moves.
Moore said he hopes people continue to watch the series, which is airing on Hallmark Channel on Sundays and is also streaming on Hallmark Movies Now and Peacock.
Heather Hemmens and Luke Mitchell find love in Portugal in new Hallmark movie
The new Hallmark movie A Pinch of Portugal will premiere during the Spring Into Love lineup. Starring Heather Hemmens and Luke Mitchell, the romantic comedy features a love story between two people who find themselves on assignment in Portugal.
“This place is a real struggle but I’ll get through it,” read the caption of an Instagram post by Luke Mitchell.
New Hallmark movie
In A Pinch of Portugal, Heather Hemmens stars as Anna, an on-camera prep cook for a temperamental celebrity chef Dean (played by Darren Day). While filming an episode in Portugal, Anna is forced to step into the spotlight when Dean decides to abandon his show.
At first, Anna struggles to find her way in a foreign country. According to a synopsis from Hallmark, “Anna steps up to the plate in a big way and starts to make the show her own, traveling to markets, harbors, and cheese cellars to profile and cook the cuisine of Portugal. Much to her surprise, Anna finds she enjoys the limelight — as well as the attention of both her Aussie cameraman, Russ (played by Mitchell), and Portuguese location scout, Lucas, (played by Duarte Gomes). When Dean unexpectedly returns to set, Anna must decide if she is ready to fully take the lead in her career.”
About the cast
Heather Hemmens got her start in the 2005 feature film The Dukes of Hazzard. She has also appeared in the movies Glory Road (2006), Road to the Altar (2009), Rise of the Zombies (2012), and Complicity (2013).
A native of Maine, Hemmens had roles in Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, Yellowstone, and CSI: Miami. She has also starred in the Hallmark movies Love, Take Two (2019), Christmas In My Heart (2021), and Caribbean Summer (2022).
In 2022, Hemmens signed a multi-film contract with Hallmark Media.
“As a black girl from rural Maine, an offer to spread joy, love and fun with the @hallmarkchannel is a dream come true!” she wrote in an Instagram post. “…I’m overcome with gratitude. Thank you to the wonderful team at #Hallmark for this very official welcome to the family. I am honored!”
Luke Mitchell has starred in the Australian TV shows H20: Just Add Water, Neighbours, and Home and Away. He also appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Water: Abyss, Legacies, and Big Sky.
A Pinch of Portugal will premiere on Hallmark Chanel on Saturday, April 22 at 8/7c.
Chessies and Hearties get the crossover they’ve been waiting for in new Hallmark movie The Wedding Cottage
Brendan Penny and Erin Krakow promoted their new Hallmark movie The Wedding Cottage in a Facebook Live event, with Krakow pointing out that it was a crossover film for fans of Chesapeake Shores and When Calls the Heart.
“How exciting is it that the Hearties and the Chessies are going to have a little crossover moment?” she said.
Brendan Penny starred for six seasons on the Hallmark series Chesapeake Shores. Krakow headlines Hallmark’s longest-running original series When Calls the Heart.
New Hallmark movie
In the new Hallmark movie The Wedding Cottage, Krakow and Penny star as opposites who attract. Krakow plays Vanessa, a wedding planner who promotes her book by holding a contest to give one lucky couple an all-expenses paid wedding.
The winning couple, played by Drew Henderson and Matreya Scarrwener, are in a hurry to tie the knot, as he is about to get deployed. Vanessa finds out that the bride and groom want to get married at a house in the town of Stony Brook, Vermont, known as the Wedding Cottage. She contacts the home’s new owner, a reclusive sculptor named Evan (played by Penny).
He is reluctant to let his house be used as a venue, but Vanessa’s persistence wears him down. As they prepare for the big day, Vanessa and Evan find out that the cottage is a special place for the people of Stony Brook. They also begin to develop feelings for each other.
Facebook Live
During the Facebook Live event, Penny and Krakow talked about how much fun they had making The Wedding Cottage.
“It was a lot of laughter,” Krakow said.
“Every day on set was just super fun,” Penny said.
Both actors said they were excited to find out they would be working together.
“It was kind of shocking that we hadn’t worked together yet,” Penny said.
Chessies and Hearties
Penny played Kevin O’Brien on the Hallmark series Chesapeake Shores for six years. The show, which was based on a novel by Sheryl Woods, also starred Barbara Niven, Meghan Ory, Treat Williams, Diane Ladd, Emilie Ullerup, and Andrew Francis. Hallmark canceled the show in 2022.
Krakow has played Elizabeth Thornton on the series When Calls the Heart since 2014. The actress, who studied at the Julliard School, also appeared on the Lifetime series Army Wives.
When Penny and Krakow signed off from their Facebook Live event, Penny advised viewers not to miss The Wedding Cottage.
“Have the best night of your lives with these two ding dongs,” he said.
The Wedding Cottage will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 15 at 8/7c.
When Calls the Heart star Kevin McGarry is hard at work on a Hallmark Christmas movie. Life is awesome.
When Calls the Heart star Kevin McGarry is making a Hallmark Christmas movie in British Columbia. The actor, who recently became engaged to his TV co-star Kayla Wallace, is starring in Christmas Goals. The hockey-themed movie will be released by Hallmark either for Christmas in July or Countdown to Christmas 2023.
The Vernon Morning Star reported that filming took place at a local ice arena called Kal Tire Place. The rink was decorated to look like the home of the Idaho Falls Flying Trout and dozens of extras lined the stands.
The newspaper reported that draw prizes, coffee, donuts, and muffins were given out to the people who showed up to be in the movie.
Hallmark Christmas movie
McGarry will star in the movie with Kim Matula and Brittany Mitchell. Matula, who played Hope Logan on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, made her Hallmark debut in the Miracles of Christmas 2022 lineup.
The actress played Katherine, who works for the Department of Restoring Christmas Spirit as a Ghost of Christmas Present. According to a synopsis from Hallmark, “Katherine loves her job, visiting Earth every Christmas to help one unsuspecting soul rediscover their Christmas spirit. But this year has something unusual in store for her. Along with her co-workers, Ghost of Christmas Past Arlene (Tan Chinn) and Ghost of Christmas Future Roy (VelJohnson), their assignment is a man named Peter (Ian Harding). They’re not sure why they’ve been assigned to him because, unlike their typical cases, Peter’s Christmas spirit is on point. When it appears that Katherine and Peter just might be fated for each other, their assignment starts to head down an unusual path toward none of them could have expected.”
In an interview with TV Cheddar, Matula said she was thrilled to be joining the Hallmark family.
“Hallmark movies are so beloved!” she said. “I’m thrilled to finally be in one. To quote my aunt, an avid Hallmark movie viewer, ‘There’s no nasty language and people are just nice.’ It’s hard to be inundated daily with the tragedies of the world. These films are a reminder that not everything has to be so dark. These movies fill you with cheer and immediately make you feel cozy.”
Kevin McGarry
Christmas Goals (the title could change, so we will keep fans updated) marks McGarry’s fifth Christmas movie for Hallmark. He also starred in A Song For Christmas (2017), Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019), When Calls the Heart: Home For Christmas (2019), and My Grown-Up Christmas List (2022).
The actor, who joined the cast of When Calls the Heart in 2019 as Mountie Nathan Grant, will return to work on the series over the summer. Season 10 of When Calls the Heart over the summer. will premiere on July 30.
The actor recently celebrated his 38th birthday and posted a photo to Instagram with the caption, “This is 38! A little wiser, and my back hurts more! Thank you all for the lovely and heartwarming messages! So grateful for everything!”
Hallmark has not yet given a release date for Christmas Goals.
Three new Hallmark movies added to May lineup
Three new Hallmark movies are being added to the network’s May lineup. The films, which are part of Hallmark’s Love Club series, will premiere over Memorial Day weekend, bringing the total number of new movies being released in May to seven.
New Hallmark movies
The Love Club is a new series of movies featuring four women who have been friends for 10 years and have made a vow to always be there for one another should any of them encounter relationship challenges at any point in their lives.
The first movie in the series, The Love Club: Nicole’s Pen Pal, debuted on the Hallmark Channel in March. The film, which starred Brittany Bristow and Marcus Rosner, introduced viewers to Nicole, Sydney, Lauren, and Tara, a group of friends who refer to themselves as The Love Club.
In Nicole’s Pen Pal, the club sets out to help Nicole (Bristow), track down the mysterious man she has been exchanging letters with. Their mission takes them to the mountains, where romance, comedic imposters, female bonding, and plenty of mishaps ultimately help The Love Club to find Nicole’s true love.
The Love Club: Sydney’s Journey
The three other films in the series were released in Canada and on Hallmark Movies Now, the network’s streaming service. They will debut on American cable TV over Memorial Day weekend.
The second movie in the series is The Love Club: Sydney’s Journey, starring Lily Gao and Hallmark favorite Jesse Hutch. Gao plays Sydney, a former star track athlete who runs a successful food blog and still holds a torch for her college boyfriend.
The Love Club: Lauren’s Dream
In The Love Club: Lauren’s Dream, Chantal Riley stars as Lauren, a woman who put her dream of opening an art gallery on hold while her husband, Peter, moved up in his career. According to a synopsis from Hallmark, “Her resentments eventually overshadowed the love they once shared bringing them to the brink of a split.”
The Love Club: Tara’s Tune
Finally, The Love Club: Tara’s Tune will premiere on Memorial Day. In the movie, Camille Stopps stars as Tara, a free-spirited woman who firmly believes she doesn’t need a husband to make her life complete. Tara is so convinced she doesn’t need to find love that she decides to marry herself and invites all her friends to help plan a commitment-to-herself party. According to a synopsis from Hallmark, the task becomes comically challenging when her mother arrives expecting an actual wedding.
The Love Club: Sydney’s Journey will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, May 27 at 8/7c.
The Love Club: Lauren’s Dream will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Monday, May 29 at 6/5c.
The Love Club: Tara’s Tune will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Monday, May 29 at 8/7c.
For a list of the other new movies premiering in May, click here.
Andie MacDowell shares sweet message on social media following the season finale of hit Hallmark series The Way Home
Andie MacDowell thanked her co-stars in an Instagram post following the season finale of her hit Hallmark series The Way Home. The actress, who stars as Del Landry on the show, mentioned each of her co-stars by name and even thanked the creators of the series.
“Thank you so much for allowing me to play Del Marley Reed,” she wrote in the post, which featured seven photos from the show.
The Way Home
Hallmark’s new series The Way Home premiered on January 15. The multigenerational drama followed the women of the Landry family: Del (played by MacDowell), Kat (played by Grey’s Anatomy star Chyler Leigh), and Alice (played by newcomer Sadie Laflamme-Snow).
In the first episode, Kat Landry receives a letter from her mother asking her to return home. The letter comes as a surprise since the two haven’t spoken in 20 years. But with her marriage coming to an end, Kat decides to pack up her 15-year-old daughter and move from Minneapolis back to her small hometown of Port Haven, New Brunswick.
When she arrives, her mother claims to know nothing about the letter. Fifteen-year-old Alice is so surprised by the cold relationship between her mother and grandmother that she starts digging into their past. While trying to learn more about the disappearance of her uncle, Alice discovers she can time travel if she jumps into a pond on her grandmother’s farm.
Alice begins making regular trips back to 1999, the year her uncle disappeared.
Fan favorite
The series immediately amassed a following of fans.
“This is not the sort of show I expected to find on Hallmark,” one fan wrote on Facebook. “It’s great.”
Others say the series reminds them of other shows the network has produced, including Good Witch.
“A mysterious and beautiful woman with magical powers? Sounds like Good Witch to me,” wrote another viewer.
Andie MacDowell message
In her Instagram post, MacDowell named each of her co-stars in turn.
“Chyler was a breathtaking experience of fortitude and strength,” she wrote. “Sadie a tender thoughtful beautiful young actor who I loved working with. Sweet Evan, oh my gosh what can I say (delivering the calf) I love watching you on the screen and I’m extremely grateful for your kindness towards me. All the actors worked very very hard to deliver because we all knew we had something special. Alex did such a beautiful job of portraying young Kat.”
The actress, who previously starred in the Hallmark series Cedar Cove, also thanked the network.
“I’m grateful to be back with Hallmark,” she wrote. “They always treated me so respectfully and I never forgot that. I tell everyone how good they are to their actors. We work hard and we work fast but there is beautiful camaraderie.”
Hallmark has renewed The Way Home for a second season, which will premiere in 2024.
When Calls the Heart star calls fatherhood his favorite job
Chris McNally, who plays Lucas Bouchard on the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart, recently called fatherhood his “favorite job.”
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor said that he loves being a dad.
“Fatherhood is fantastic. It’s my favorite job,” he says. “It’s a job I’ve always wanted to do.”
McNally welcomed a baby girl with Julie Gonzalo in June 2022. In an Instagram post featuring a photo of the family’s hands, Gonzalo wrote, “Our hearts are full…Welcome baby M.”
When Calls the Heart
McNally joined the cast of Hallmark’s longest-running original series in 2019. His character moved to Hope Valley to do business but soon fell in love with Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow). He faced competition from Mountie Nathan Grant, but eventually won Elizabeth’s hand at the end of Season 8.
The actor said his job on When Calls the Heart has afforded him plenty of time to spend with his daughter.
“…I’m really, really grateful that right now, at least, I’ve got a wonderful dad job because for When Calls the Heart we film four and a half months, the hours are not crazy, we don’t really have a lot of night shoots so I can be really present with her,” he said. “And then I get the rest of the year, which is like, it’s just such a blessing. So, since wrapping in mid-November I’ve just been on dad mode and it’s fantastic.”
New series
McNally was interviewed on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of his new series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a show that streams on Paramount+.
Set in 1958, the show follows the formation of the Pink Ladies, the girl gang made famous in the musical Grease. According to Paramount, the show tells the story of four outcasts who “dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.”
McNally plays a teacher in the show, which also stars Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Tricia Fukuhara, Shanel Bailey, Madison Thompson, Johnathan Nieves, Jason Schmidt, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, and Jackie Hoffman.
The actor said he re-watched the 1978 movie version, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
“I am one of those people who, of course, we were aware of Grease. I watched it when I was little and then it wasn’t until this show came around I was like, ‘Oh, I need to, you know, get back into it,’” he said. “I watched it again. It was kinda like I watched it for the first time because I was so small when I watched it the first [time]. I’m embarrassed to say that but, on the other hand, I fell in love with it again. I’m, like, ‘This is just the best.’ And I’m so happy to be a part of this reincarnation of it.”
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart is set to premiere on July 30.
Actor Nik Sanchez proves autism is no obstacle to success as he stars in new movie for Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
Nik Sanchez has had a busy few years. The actor, who refers to himself as “awesomely autistic,” starred in a movie for Lifetime and an episode of the ABC series The Rookie. He also graduated high school with honors and started a bachelor’s degree.
Recently Sanchez starred in a movie that will be featured in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. The competition, which is in its 10th year, showcases work by writers, actors, and crew members with disabilities.
In “Safe Place,” Sanchez stars opposite Amber Patiño, who plays a young woman suffering from depression. Sanchez, whose character in the movie also has autism, is the one person she can rely on when her parents fighting and her urge to self-harm become too much to bear.
Nik Sanchez
Sanchez was diagnosed at a young age with autism and ADHD. His mother enrolled him in acting classes at the age of five because he enjoyed role-playing.
“The instructor told me I wouldn’t do well because I had the attention span of a gnat,” Sanchez said.
While accompanying his younger sister on a casting call, Nik was discovered by an agent. Soon after, he booked his first role as a recurring character on the ABC series The Rookie.
The experience taught him a lot.
“..I didn’t realize we’d have to do the scenes over and over and over again, because of the angles and the camera changes,” he said. “I gained a much higher respect for the actors.”
Hallmark movie
In 2021, Sanchez starred opposite Holly Robinson Peete and Lyriq Bent in the Hallmark movie Our Christmas Journey. He played the first character in a Hallmark movie to have autism.
In an interview before the film premiered, he said he liked the script for Our Christmas Journey because it was an accurate portrayal of life with autism.
“In real autistic families, everybody is affected,” he said. “Everybody plays a role and this movie really portrays that.”
Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge was founded in 2013 by actor, comedian, producer, and disability advocate Nic Novicki in response to the under-representation of talent with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera.
“I created the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge to help accelerate change within Hollywood and to provide filmmakers and actors with tangible work experience and with an opportunity to tell authentic stories. We are proud of the amazing films produced over the past 10 years—viewed around the world—and the successes our participants have gone on to achieve.”
Since the Film Challenge was launched in 2013, aspiring filmmakers have created and submitted more than 500 short films (a record 95 last year) from nearly every state and from around the globe, including submissions from Austria, Canada, England, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Timor Leste, and The Netherlands.
During the Film Challenge, registered filmmakers are given five days to write and produce short films (three-to-five minutes), based on the year’s announced genre. Submitted films are judged in six award categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writer, Best Editor, and Best Awareness Campaign.
Safe Place
Sanchez was handpicked to star in Safe Place by the film’s writer, Jennifer Msumba. In an exclusive interview with TV Cheddar, Sanchez said he was impressed with not only her vision but also by the fact that she and the film’s director, Scott Klumb, were also on the autism spectrum.
“It was really amazing for me to see other autistic adults living their lives and doing so well,” he said.
Sanchez met his co-star, Amber Patiño, over a Zoom call. They hit it off immediately, he said.
“She is a really good actress and an even better person,” he said.
Taking part in the Film Challenge was an amazing experience, Sanchez said.
“Especially after working on this project I would want people to know how capable we are of anything,” he said. “I also want to thank all the cast and crew for being so kind. It’s nice to not have to constantly think about my autism because I’m around people who don’t think my autism is a bad thing.
I was just Nik, not the guy with autism.”
Safe Place will premiere on Saturday, April 8 on the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed here.
When Calls the Heart merch up for grabs in auction to benefit Ukrainian orphans
Some When Calls the Heart swag — along with a private Zoom call with two of the show’s stars — are among the items on the block in a silent auction to benefit Ukrainian orphans.
Loretta Walsh, who plays Florence Blakely-Yost on the hit Hallmark series, made an Instagram post urging fans to take a look at the website for the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group, which is holding a silent auction to help children affected by the war. (Though the auction is only on until April 7, visitors to the website — which can be accessed here — can continue to donate even once it is over.)
The money raised will cover therapy and rehabilitation for children who have lost their parents in the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
“These kids really need our help,” Walsh said.
When Calls the Heart
Among the items up for grabs are DVDs and a special Season 10 hoodie created for cast and crew members of When Calls the Heart. Hearties can also bid on a Zoom call with Walsh and Johannah Newmarch, who plays Molly Sullivan in the hit Hallmark series.
Walsh promised she and Newmarch would share as much information as they could about the upcoming season with the lucky winner.
Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group
Walsh talked about the important work being done by the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group.
According to the Vancouver-based organization’s website, “Since February 24, 2022 – when Russia escalated its war on Ukraine – millions of Ukrainians have suffered tremendous loss: of their loved ones; of their homes; of their livelihoods; of their freedoms; of their autonomy; and of their way of life.”
The group has been raising money trying to help those affected by the war. In addition to a live fundraiser in March, the group is auctioning collectibles donated by members of Vancouver’s film and television community, as well as original works of art created by artists in Ukraine and items of note donated by Ukrainians in Ukraine. One of the items is a battle flag that’s been signed by members of a battalion currently fighting in Vuhledar in Eastern Ukraine.
Loretta Walsh
A former professional ballet dancer and a classically trained actress, Walsh has played Florence Blakely-Yost on When Calls the Heart for nine years.
Walsh posted about the auction in a sweet message on Instagram. In the clip, she says she is hiding out in the bathroom because her puppy is trying to nap. She promises she will post pics of the dog soon.
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart will premiere on July 30. Hallmark recently announced that the series has been renewed for an eleventh season.
Though the silent auction ends on April 7, visitors to the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy’s Group website can continue to make donations indefinitely. Click the “Donate” tab on www.ucadvocacygroup.org.
The Young and the Restless star Hunter King calls working with Hallmark a dream come true in exclusive interview with TV Cheddar
In an exclusive interview with TV Cheddar, The Young and the Restless star Hunter King talked about her latest movie for Hallmark Channel and how working with the network is a dream come true.
“Hallmark movies have always been like an escape to me,” she said. “You can always count on them to make you smile and leave you feeling better than before you turned it on. I thought it would be cool to be able to make people feel the same way that I felt when I watched them.”
The Professional Bridesmaid
The Emmy Award-winning actress stars in the new romantic comedy The Professional Bridesmaid, which will premiere as part of Hallmark Channel’s Spring Into Love programming event.
King plays Maggie Bailey, a woman who is so good at navigating the emotional and logistical hurdles of pulling off a wedding that she works as a professional bridesmaid.
When the mayor hires her to work at his daughter’s high-profile wedding, Maggie takes on the challenge, knowing that she needs to keep her identity a secret. The whole situation becomes even more complicated when a handsome reporter (played by Chandler Massey) starts poking around looking for a scoop.
Hunter King
Hunter King got her start as a child actress. While starring on the Nickelodeon series Hollywood Heights, she was cast as Summer Newman on the soap opera The Young and The Restless.
She was nominated for her first Emmy Award while she was still a tween. She took home the award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in both 2014 and 2015. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, she said she keeps one of the awards in her bathroom.
“It’s just a good conversation starter when people come over and they’re like, ‘Wait, what? An Emmy’s in the bathroom?’” she said.
Working with Hallmark
In addition to starring on The Young and The Restless, King appeared on the CBS series Life in Pieces. In 2022, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movies Hidden Gems and A Royal Corgi Christmas, as well as the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries film Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths.
King said she has wanted to work for Hallmark since she was a child.
“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,” she said.
Interview with TV Cheddar
TVC: The concept for this film — a woman working as a professional bridesmaid — is fantastic. What was your reaction when you first read the script?
HK: I loved the script as soon as I read it. It’s such a cute story and the chemistry between the characters was there on the page already. I love romantic comedies and this film felt like one of those. Even just reading it I couldn’t wait to see what happened at the end!
TVC: Though Maggie is a pro at what she does, the wedding she is planning is under a lot of scrutiny. The stakes get even higher when a reporter (played by Chandler Massey) starts digging into her identity. Are there any particular moments you think viewers will find funny or memorable?
HK: Some really funny beats happen with the Mayor’s assistant Thomas. Thomas is very protective of the Mayor so he’s always on edge around Maggie, basically warning her not to screw this up. There were definitely a couple takes where I couldn’t keep a straight face in some of those scenes. A really memorable moment happens when Thomas looks to Maggie for help so that Henry (the reporter) doesn’t corner the mayor for an interview. The scene that follows is one of my favorites. Let’s just say…Chandler is a really good dancer.
TVC: What was it like working with Chandler Massey?
HK: I absolutely loved getting to work with Chandler Massey. He’s just such a sweet human and a true gentleman. Chandler was so much fun to work with and would always come back with the funniest responses during rehearsals. I really hope we get to work together again in the future.
TVC: You once mentioned that growing up you would drive past Hallmark headquarters and dream about being in a Hallmark movie someday. What was it about Hallmark that appealed to you? What is it like to have that dream come true?
HK: Hallmark movies have always been like an escape to me. You can always count on them to make you smile and leave you feeling better than before you turned it on. I thought it would be cool to be able to make people feel the same way that I felt as when I watched them. To be a part of the Hallmark family really does feel like a dream. Your job is to make people laugh, smile, and feel good. What’s not to love about that?
TVC: Um, weird question, but do you still keep one of your Emmy awards in the bathroom?
HK: I do! Most of my guests have seen it before so they’re used to it now, but occasionally guests will walk out with it. And the first thing people always say is “This is way heavier than I thought.”
TVC: Finally, what do you hope viewers take away from The Professional Bridesmaid?
HK: I hope people watching can feel how much fun we had making this movie. The crew and the cast were all so much fun to work with and I hope people can feel that from us. Also, I think the movie is a great reminder that beautiful things can happen with you’re able to be vulnerable.
The Professional Bridesmaid will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 8 at 8/7c.
Actress Tiera Skovbye cried tears of joy when she found out she was joining the cast of Hallmark’s new rodeo show Ride
Actress Tiera Skovbye said booking the role of Missy McMurray in Hallmark’s rodeo show was so exciting that she cried when she got the news.
“My manager normally when there is good news he’ll call me and it will be like a conference call with the whole team and if there’s bad news, he’ll just send an email or a text and be like, ‘Call me when you have a second,’ and that’s what he did,” said the actress during Facebook Live event. “He texted me and I was like, I didn’t get it. So I was calling him prepared for the disappointment like, ‘Oh you know, they loved you but it just didn’t go your way,” which I feel like we’ve all heard like a gazillion times. And then I called and it was a conference call and they were all like, ‘You got it!’”
The actress burst into tears and immediately called her mother, who was visiting family in Europe. “We were all very happy,” she said.
Hallmark’s rodeo show
Hallmark’s rodeo show premiered on March 26 to mixed reviews from fans. The series, which was created by husband-and-wife team Rebecca Boss and Chris Masi, stars Nancy Travis, Marcus Rosner, Beau Mirchoff, and Skovbye. It follows the McMurray family, a rodeo dynasty that owns a sprawling ranch in the Colorado Rockies.
During a Facebook Live event to promote the series, Skovbye talked about how drawn she felt to the story when she first read the script.
“I think for me it was definitely like the family dynamics and those really intricate relationships that we portray and it was a really fun opportunity to you know explore this family and these people and this culture and this community in a way that I hadn’t really read before and so I was really excited about that,” Skovbye said.
Rodeo queen
In the series, Skovbye plays Missy, a trick-riding rodeo queen who married the oldest of the three McMurray brothers.
In the show’s first episode, her husband is killed while bull riding. After his death, Missy stays on at the ranch. Though she is close to her mother-in-law, Isabel (played by Nancy Travis), she is also wondering where she belongs.
It doesn’t help that middle brother Cash (played by Beau Mirchoff) settles back in at the ranch following his brother’s death. It soon becomes clear that Missy and Cash have had some sort of personal relationship in the past.
All hail Nancy Travis
Skovbye, who has had roles on Riverdale, Once Upon a Time, and Nurses, said working with Nancy Travis has been amazing.
“She’s the best,” she said. “It’s so wonderful to work with somebody who is not only an incredible person but also as an actress is somebody that I can look up to and learn from.”
Episode 3 of Ride will air on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, April 9 at 9/8c.