New Hallmark romance
Jocelyn Hudon
Dan Jeannotte
Jocelyn Hudon and Olivier Renaud find romance among the rafters in new movie
Jocelyn Hudon shows off her aerial skills in the new movie Romance With a Twist. The Hallmark rom-com, which also stars Olivier Renaud, will premiere this weekend as part of Hallmark’s New Year New Movies programming event.
New movie
In Romance With a Twist, Hudon stars as Luna, a former dancer who left behind her dream to help her family manage its construction business. When she is tasked with converting a gymnasium into a studio for aerials, she can’t resist giving the silks a try. She’s transported back to her days on stage for just a moment when Bennett (Renaud), a professional aerialist, interrupts her.
Though he is annoyed at first to find her using the silks he realizes Luna may be useful. His partner has canceled on him only weeks before a local festival. Seeing that Luna has natural talent he asks if she will perform with him. They begin training together.
“As the hard work of this dynamic sport teaches them both to face their fears and brings them closer together, will their relationship crash or will they find a way to reach new heights?” reads a synopsis from Hallmark.
About the cast
Jocelyn Hudon trained at the National Ballet School of Canada. She has appeared on the television shows Criminal Minds, The Order, The Rookie: Feds, Acapulco, and Dave.
In 2018, she appeared on the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart as Grace Bennett, a woman trying to reunite with her sister after they were orphaned as children. The storyline led to a spinoff series, When Hope Calls, which aired for one season on Hallmark.
She has also appeared in the movies Eat, Drink And Be Married (2019), One of a Kind Love (2021), and Baby, It’s Cold Inside (2021). In 2023, she co-starred with her husband, Jake Manley, in the Hallmark movie Love in the Maldives.
Olivier Renaud
Olivier Renaud is a trained aerialist who has appeared in several Cirque de Soleil productions. Before making the move to acting he studied clowning in Paris under Philippe Gaulier.
He plays Brutus on the TV series Astrid and Lilly Save the World and has appeared in the movies A Christmas Exchange (2020), Christmas at Maple Creek (2020), Wrapped Up in Love (2021), Christmas on 5th Avenue (2021), Planes, Trains, and Christmas Trees (2022), Christmas on the Slopes (2022), Christmas in Big Sky Country (2023), and Merry Mystery Christmas (2023).
In an interview with Digital Journal, he said he hopes Romance With a Twist speaks to aerialists around the world.
“It’s an aerial movie and hopefully, we are reaching to aerialists around the world,” he said. “I hope the audience gains an understanding that being an aerialist is difficult and we hope that they keep going.”
Husband-and-wife team headline new Hallmark movie set in the Maldives
Real-life couple Jocelyn Hudon and Jake Manley will star in a new Hallmark movie set in the Maldives. In Love in the Maldives, Hudon plays a travel writer who falls for her guide (played by Manley) when he helps her visit an underwater shipwreck.
Both Hudon and Manley posted photos from the set to Instagram. In one pic, Hudon is surrounded by sharks.
In the comments section, a fan responded with, “1) I love shark week & watch every year 2) I know you’re very unlikely to get attacked 3) I’d still be unable to do this despite how cool it is.”
New Hallmark movie
Love in the Maldives is part of Hallmark’s Spring Into Love lineup. In the movie, Hudon plays Rae, an adventurous travel writer with thousands of fans. When her editor wants to send her to the Maldives — which is considered one of the most romantic destinations in the world — Rae is surprised. Romance doesn’t usually factor into the columns she writes. But she takes the assignment and flies halfway around the world to write the story.
When she finds out about a legendary shipwreck, she becomes determined to see it. The only problem is she is terrified of the open ocean. With the help of a resort guide, she learns to overcome her fear of the water and finds something she never expected: love.
Husband-and-wife team
Jocelyn Hudon and Jake Manley were married in a Las Vegas ceremony on October 31, 2021. They met while they were filming the TV series The Order.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hudon said the wedding was on her favorite holiday.
“I was in the middle of filming three movies back to back and we realized that Halloween — my favorite day ever — was on a Sunday, so I could fit it in my filming schedule…and then it snowballed from there,” she said.
Hallmark stars
Hudon starred as Grace Bennett on When Hope Calls, a spinoff of Hallmark’s popular series When Call the Heart. She has also appeared in the movies Eat, Drink And Be Married (2019), One of a Kind Love (2021), and Baby, It’s Cold Inside (2021).
Jake Manley got his start on the television series Beauty and the Beast. He has starred in The Order, The Consultant, Project Blue Book, and American Gothic.
Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives — also known as Maldives Islands — is an independent nation comprised of 1,200 small islands.
Love in the Maldives will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, April 1 at 8/7c.