Hallmark Channel’s The Way Home finally found its adult Jacob in Spencer Macpherson — and his debut did not disappoint.
The Way Home, which premiered in January 2023, follows mother-daughter duo Kat (Chyler Leigh) and Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) after they move back to Kat’s small hometown of Port Haven, Canada to live with her estranged mother, Del (Andie MacDowell). After learning of a pond on their property that has the ability to take them to different places in time, they begin traveling back to the ‘90s in an attempt to save Kat’s brother, Jacob (Remy Smith), after he disappeared in 1999.
After the season 1 premiere revealed that the pond had sent Jacob back to 1814, season 2 picked back up with Kat on a quest to locate her sibling. However, she quickly learned that her once 8-year-old little brother had aged into a 26-year-old man, portrayed by Macpherson, who viewers meet in episode 5.
“I just think it’s a really cool concept,” Macpherson told Soaps.com in February 2024 of why he took the role. “I love time travel. I just love a lot of the themes of this show. And when I got the audition, I just thought it was a really cool concept to have like this man out of time character. It’s one thing to have them traveling from 1999 to present day, but it doesn’t feel as crazy or epic as having someone from the 1800s. Like, how would you even go about adapting from the modern day to the 1800s? It just felt like a really cool concept to have a character that is sort of from both of these worlds.”
Luckily for Macpherson, his resume includes multiple sci-fi and period pieces, including The CW’s Reign, on which he played Charles IX.
“I love doing stuff like this, you can be a little bit more critical of things in a modern age, but with a period piece, there’s something theatrical about it,” he continued. “We have such a cool and interesting cast of characters that we get in the 1800s. And everyone’s got their own kind of unique take on it.”
Macpherson called joining the show — which marks his first project with Hallmark — an “amazing” experience, gushing over the chance to be a part of a series that is a departure from the network’s typical genre.
“Everyone was just super welcoming as soon as I joined the show. I think that the show is also really unique for Hallmark, which is exciting to be a part of this kind of pivot,” he said. “I will say though, I have been a fan of all the Hallmark Christmas movies.”
The Way Home Season 2 airs on Hallmark Channel Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
Where Is Spencer Macpherson From?
Macpherson grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and attended Cawthra Park Secondary School for the Arts for Drama where he graduated in 2015. Has two older sisters, Meagan and Rebecca.
Where Have You Seen Spencer Macpherson Before?
After his first role on the SyFy channel series Defiance in 2015, Macpherson got his first major break when he was cast as Hunter Hollingsworth in Netflix’s Degrassi: Next Class. He later landed a starring role on the CW series Reign before appearing in projects like Extracurricular, Honey Bee and Brotherhood.
In 2019, he appeared on the Netflix series Northern Rescue as Scout West, which lasted for one season. He later nabbed the role of Xavier in Paramount+’s hit show School Spirits. He has also had recurring roles in American Gods, American Gothic, Defiance, Titans, 9 Films About Technology and Murdoch Mysteries.
Is Spencer Macpherson Single?
Macpherson announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Paige Exell via Instagram in July 2023. While it’s unclear when the couple started dating, they have been featured on each other’s social media pages since 2021.
What Are His Hobbies?
According to a CBC profile, Macpherson enjoys making art and playing music in his spare time. He volunteers for the charity Sick Kids Hospital, a major pediatric teaching hospital located in Toronto as well. He is also actively involved with Change the Narr, an organization to promote and help fund authentic mental health initiatives in the film and entertainment industry.
How Did He Prepare for His Role on ‘The Way Home’?
“I dived into watching the show and watched the whole first season,” MacPherson told Soap.com in February 2024 of preparing for the role of Jacob. “I think I binged it in, like, a day or two.”
MacPherson noted that he looked deep into the “time period” of 1814 before jumping on set.
“There was a moment where we were all trying to sort out if there was going to be accents or not,” he explained. “I think I was trying to figure out, like, a New Brunswick 1814 accent for a little bit. And then I was like, ‘I don’t know if we’re gonna go that far.’ But aside from that, it’s a really huge moment in history, so we wanted to familiarize ourselves with that. And, of course, being familiar with season 1 and all the rules of the time travel was really important.”
