Chris McNally as Lucas Bouchard in When Calls the Heart. In a recent interview, the actor called fatherhood his "favorite job." (Image: Hallmark Media)

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.”

A photo from the Instagram account of actress Julie Gonzalo, who welcomed a baby girl with Chris McNally in June. (Image: Instagram/@julie_gonzalo)

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.

Can’t get enough When Calls the Heart? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get the latest news straight to your inbox.

* indicates required

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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.”

A photo from the Instagram account of actress Julie Gonzalo, who welcomed a baby girl with Chris McNally in June. (Image: Instagram/@julie_gonzalo)

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.

Can’t get enough When Calls the Heart? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get the latest news straight to your inbox.

* indicates required
Back To Top