Celebrities you had no clue were in Hallmark movies

Before his breakout role as Jamie Fraser in Outlander, Scottish actor Sam Heughan starred alongside Katie McGrath and former Bond actor Roger Moore in A Princess for Christmas (2011), which follows a New Yorker who journeys to a castle in Europe for Christmas and – what else – falls in love with a dashing prince. The prince in question is played by Sam, in one of his first ever film roles.

While it’s light-years from Jacobite rebellions, Sam has reflected fondly on the experience, telling Parade, “I think I am a better actor now, but I love that movie. All of those jobs are the precursor to what I am doing now.” Call it the Hallmark prince-to-Highland warrior pipeline!

While it would’ve been fitting for Meghan to star in one of Hallmark’s many regal romances, the Duchess of Sussex has appeared in two of the network’s originals playing much more of an everyday character. She first appeared in the Fourth of July-themed flick When Sparks Fly (2014) as a big-city journalist who agrees to be the wedding planner for her best friend and her ex-boyfriend, and later Dater’s Handbook (2016) as a very Suits-esque businesswoman trying to fix her disastrous love life.

Speaking about her role as Amy Peterson in When Sparks Fly, Meghan remarked that the character reflected her “true personality”, adding, “It was fun to eat ribs and get barbecue sauce all over my face and run around in jeans all day”. Despite her multiple appearances on the network, her real-life love story turned out to be the most Hallmark-worthy of all.

Sex and the City star Kristin Davis made her Hallmark debut in A Heavenly Christmas (2016), playing a workaholic who becomes a Christmas Angel after her untimely death – and accidentally falls in love with one of the people she’s sent to help. The film also features Eric McCormick and Shirley MacLaine, and isn’t your usual Hallmark flick, with one viewer saying, “I absolutely loved this Christmas movie. Not the typical Hallmark formula”.

Kristin has proved to be a Christmas movie fan, having appeared in the festive comedy Deck the Halls (2006) and the Netflix original Holiday in the Wild (2019) opposite Rob Lowe. From the Upper East Side to magical snow globe towns, Charlotte’s characters always get their happily ever after.

Alongside being a princess in a galaxy far, far away, the late Carrie Fisher is also remembered for her signature wit and comedic timing, both of which she brings to It’s Christmas, Carol! (2012). In a twist on the Dickensian classic, Carrie plays the deceased boss of a Scrooge-like publisher, appearing as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future – thanks to some “budget cuts” in the afterlife.

Fans praised Carrie’s scene-stealing performance in this role, and yes, there’s even a sprinkling of Star Wars jokes for good measure.

One Tree Hill heartthrob Chad Michael Murray has become a familiar face on Hallmark’s festive lineup. He’s starred in several of the network’s festive hits, including Road to Christmas (2018), Write Before Christmas (2019), and Too Close for Christmas (2020). Outside of his holiday lineup, Chad recently starred in Sand Dollar Cove (2021), playing a charming local who complicates a real estate developer’s plans to buy up a quaint beachfront property.

While he’s been absent from Hallmark film in recent years, you may remember his Netflix original The Merry Gentlemen (2024), which brought some more risqué elements to the classic genre. The star is booked and busy with the upcoming season of Sullivan’s Crossing, but we’re still holding out for a surprise holiday comeback.

If catching the teen stars of your favourite childhood shows popping up on Hallmark sounds like the ideal nostalgia trip, then you’re in luck – Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek stars in Mrs. Miracle (2009) as a widower raising two unruly twin boys, who finds both rescue and romance thanks to a magical housekeeper.

James told TV guide he was drawn to the role after a string of darker parts on shows like Criminal Minds, eager for a chance to play a nice guy again – and what better way than through a heartwarming Hallmark flick? It was also his first time playing a dad role, making it an extra-special performance.

Between blockbusters like Tangled (2010) and her starring role in the heart-wrenching This Is Us (2016), Mandy Moore found time to venture into the Christmas genre in Christmas in Conway (2013). It’s an unexpectedly poignant watch, with Mandy playing a live-in hospice nurse to a terminally ill woman (Mary Louise Parker), who helps her husband (Andy Garcia) fulfil one final Christmas wish – building a Ferris wheel in their backyard.

With Mandy and an entourage of well-known actors at the helm, this film delivers holiday warmth while gracefully exploring themes of grief and loss – definitely have your tissues at the ready for this one.

If you’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada recently and need reminding that Adrian Grenier, aka Andy Sachs’ boyfriend, can play a supportive partner, then you need to catch the star in one of his several Hallmark flicks. He first appeared in Love at First Glance (2017), a Valentine’s Day special alongside Amy Smart, and later the festive film Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (2019), a sequel to the popular 2018 instalment. 

The Entourage star has since taken a step back from acting to focus on environmental activism, but you may catch him on your screens during Hallmark re-runs this holiday season.

10 Things I Hate About You star Julia Stiles made her Hallmark debut with The Makeover (2013), playing Hannah Higgins, a no-nonsense educational consultant who attempts to transform blue-collar worker beer vendor Elliot Doolittle (David Walton) into a polished congressional candidate. If you couldn’t tell from the names, the flick is a gender-swapped, modern reimagining of Pygmalion – best known to most as the Audrey Hepburn classic My Fair Lady (1964).

IMDb reviews hail it as an “adorable watch” with particular praise for Julia’s acting chops and the Bostonian setting. Though she’s obviously a busy actress (and also a director and writer!), this one had us wishing Julia would venture into Christmas movie territory next.

It’s tiiiime! It seemed fitting that the All I Want for Christmas is You singer and undisputed “Queen of Christmas” would eventually hit the Hallmark channel, and this came in the form of Hallmark’s A Christmas Melody (2015). Mariah stars as Melissa Atkinson, alongside Mean Girls alum Lacey Chabert as Kristin Parson, and channels her own Regina George energy as Kristin’s long-time rival. 

With a holiday concert at the heart of the story, Mariah naturally finds herself involved – and this film also marks her directorial debut, adding another feather to her cap (or Santa hat). 

Speaking of legendary singers joining up with Hallmark, country music sweetheart Dolly Parton makes a cameo in Christmas at Dollywood (2019), which stars The Wonder Years actress Danica McKellar as a big-city event planner who journeys to Dollywood, the singer’s amusement park in Tennessee, to produce a Christmas show. The film is obviously all Dolly-centric, with the added bonus of the star herself making an appearance

A seasoned Christmas star, Dolly is also known for her plethora of festive specials, including A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020), which launched her album of the same name, and Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain Christmas (2022) – now we just need a Hallmark collab between her and Mariah.

‘80s legend and “Brat Pack” member Judd Nelson swapped after-school detention for festive heroics after starring in Hallmark’s Cancel Christmas (2010), where he played none other than Santa Claus himself. With the “Christmas Board of Directors” threatening to cancel the holiday, it’s up to Judd’s Santa to remind everyone what the season is all about. 

The Breakfast Club star has starred in a range of similar holiday flicks, from Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013) to Santa Fake (2019), proving he’s just as skilled at spreading cheer as he was at breaking hearts in the ‘80s. 

If a Hallmark flick revolves around Graceland, you’d naturally be hoping for a Presley cameo – and Priscilla Presley doesn’t disappoint. She made a guest appearance as herself in both Wedding at Graceland (2019) and Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (2019), two films centred on big events happening at Elvis’ iconic estate in Memphis, Tennessee.

A fan of the network to begin with, Priscilla found 2018’s Christmas at Graceland “just beautiful” and wanted to get involved with the sequels. “I think it’s a great escape for people to watch Hallmark. It’s a wonderful, feel-good, ‘huggy’ channel,” she added.

Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus took time out from playing Miley’s dad on Hannah Montana to play another fatherly role in Hallmark’s Christmas in Canaan (2009) and its sequel, Christmas Comes Home To Canaan (2011). Set in rural Texas in the 1960s, Billy plays a father figure to two boys from very different backgrounds, teaching them valuable lessons about hope and the true meaning of the holidays. 

Billy is great in this unexpected Christmas film that subverts traditional Hallmark tropes, and he also wrote the theme song, “Home”, for the sequel, so you’ll get a good dose of the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer’s voice too.