Jonathan Bennett, Alison Sweeney and More Explain Why They Love Working With Hallmark Channel

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Jonathan Bennett, Alison Sweeney and More Explain Why They Love Working With Hallmark Channel

After streaming services and rival networks launched their own holiday programming — and seasonal rom-coms — many actors and actresses have signed deals with Great American Family or Netflix, but several Hallmark Channel staples told Us that have no plans to find Christmas spirit elsewhere. “I don’t think anybody does Christmas the way Hallmark does. There's a magic to it, No 1. Also, you know, they were the very first ones that got put me in a Christmas movie. And they've been so good to me,” Nikki DeLoach exclusively told Us Weekly at the network’s Countdown to Christmas event in New York City in October 2022. “So for me, it's like, ‘Why would I go anywhere else?’ These people are my family — all the actors, our executives, our creative executives are my friends. And, you know, there's something about the Hallmark audience I will say that is unlike any other audience.” Jonathan Bennett, who stars in 2022's The Holiday Sitter as one-half of the network’s first leading gay couple in a Christmas movie, gushed about the support he’s received. “Getting to executive produce The Holiday Sitter and tell the story was a dream come true,” the actor said at the time. “What's so special about Hallmark Channel is the fact that their stories lead with love and family and that's what The Holiday Sitter is and they were so supportive of this journey from the moment I had the idea to bring it to fruition. They supported the journey wholeheartedly and wanted to make sure that we told the story in the best way we could.” Bennett noted that his 2022 film gives “everyone everything they want. … Yes, [it’s] an LGBTQ+-led movie, but it’s not for just LGBTQ+ people. The Holiday Sitter is a movie for everyone just like Hallmark Channel is for everyone. And Christmas is for everyone.” [sendtonews type="float" key="X2a0VuXFIe-2829630-14453"] Hallmark Channel’s efforts to diversify the network come after former CEO Bill Abbott came under fire for pulling an ad that featured a same-sex couple. Shortly after the network put the ad back on the air, Abbott’s exit was announced. He later took over GAC Media — and brought stars including Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar with him. After Cameron Bure signed an exclusive deal with Great American Family in spring 2022, the channel launched its Christmas programming around the Full House alum. That November, she faced backlash for comments when speaking about her decision to leave Hallmark. “It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership,” Cameron Bure told WSJ. Magazine. “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them. I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.” When asked whether the new network will feature any LGBTQ+ stories, the former child star said: “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” Abbott doubled down on her remarks, adding: “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends. There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.’” Scroll through for more from the actors and actresses of Hallmark Channel on why they love the network:

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Jonathan Bennett, Alison Sweeney and More Explain Why They Love Working With Hallmark Channel

After streaming services and rival networks launched their own holiday programming — and seasonal rom-coms — many actors and actresses have signed deals with Great American Family or Netflix, but several Hallmark Channel staples told Us that have no plans to find Christmas spirit elsewhere. “I don’t think anybody does Christmas the way Hallmark does. There's a magic to it, No 1. Also, you know, they were the very first ones that got put me in a Christmas movie. And they've been so good to me,” Nikki DeLoach exclusively told Us Weekly at the network’s Countdown to Christmas event in New York City in October 2022. “So for me, it's like, ‘Why would I go anywhere else?’ These people are my family — all the actors, our executives, our creative executives are my friends. And, you know, there's something about the Hallmark audience I will say that is unlike any other audience.” Jonathan Bennett, who stars in 2022's The Holiday Sitter as one-half of the network’s first leading gay couple in a Christmas movie, gushed about the support he’s received. “Getting to executive produce The Holiday Sitter and tell the story was a dream come true,” the actor said at the time. “What's so special about Hallmark Channel is the fact that their stories lead with love and family and that's what The Holiday Sitter is and they were so supportive of this journey from the moment I had the idea to bring it to fruition. They supported the journey wholeheartedly and wanted to make sure that we told the story in the best way we could.” Bennett noted that his 2022 film gives “everyone everything they want. … Yes, [it’s] an LGBTQ+-led movie, but it’s not for just LGBTQ+ people. The Holiday Sitter is a movie for everyone just like Hallmark Channel is for everyone. And Christmas is for everyone.” [sendtonews type="float" key="X2a0VuXFIe-2829630-14453"] Hallmark Channel’s efforts to diversify the network come after former CEO Bill Abbott came under fire for pulling an ad that featured a same-sex couple. Shortly after the network put the ad back on the air, Abbott’s exit was announced. He later took over GAC Media — and brought stars including Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar with him. After Cameron Bure signed an exclusive deal with Great American Family in spring 2022, the channel launched its Christmas programming around the Full House alum. That November, she faced backlash for comments when speaking about her decision to leave Hallmark. “It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership,” Cameron Bure told WSJ. Magazine. “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them. I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.” When asked whether the new network will feature any LGBTQ+ stories, the former child star said: “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” Abbott doubled down on her remarks, adding: “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends. There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.’” Scroll through for more from the actors and actresses of Hallmark Channel on why they love the network:

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Aimee Teegarden

“Hallmark is a classic and wonderful company to work for. They’re so supportive of women in film and TV,” the actress said in October 2022. “They have just been such a champion of me.”

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Brant Daugherty

“I think it's trending in a very interesting direction the last few years. I really agree with everything they’ve been doing,” the #Xmas star explained to Us in October 2022. “I had a son a few months ago and I think a lot about what I put into the world and what he can watch and what he can take in of what I do and as proud as I am of Pretty Little Liars, I don't want to show it to him yet. These are movies that I'm very comfortable with him watching and I think that's something though that I can share with them that’s very special.”

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Nikki DeLoach

“I don’t think anybody does Christmas the way Hallmark does. There's a magic to it, No 1. Also, you know, they were the very first ones that got put me in a Christmas movie. And they've been so good to me,” the Gift of Peace star said in October 2022. “So for me, it's like, ‘Why would I go anywhere else?’ These people are my family — all the actors, our executives, our creative executives are my friends. And, you know, there's something about the Hallmark audience I will say that is unlike any other audience. I've been on every other network — FOX, MTV CBS. I can tell you; you will not have this at another network. There's so much love. It's genuine, it's real. Also, the fans. You just can't beat them. I don't do conventions, but I do go to Christmas conventions. And the reason why it's the real Hallmark Christmas movie fans — the stories that they share, and the love that comes out of them is so real and deep. And it's changed me. It's changed me in this industry where you're often thought of as just a commodity, but to them, you're a part of their lives. And that is that something you always yearn to be a part of.”

The Curious Caterer: Grilling Season actress doubled down on her comment in February 2023, exclusively telling Us how Hallmark is a “family” to its workers and actors.

“There is this true family unit that exists inside of all of us. We’re such cheerleaders for other people. We support each other’s movies. We want the best for everybody,” DeLoach explained. “We’re all friends. We hang out together. We do life together. We work together. We mourn together. I’ve never experienced that at any other network.”

She continued: “It feels like that old school, like, Hollywood studio system where they had their actors that just rotated in all the different movies that they made. I feel like that’s what Hallmark has created here.”

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Jonathan Bennett

“Getting to executive produce The Holiday Sitter and tell the story was a dream come true — when you have a network like Hallmark that supports you full-heartedly and wants to make sure that they tell your story accurately and tell it correctly, to make sure that they do the best job possible on storytelling, it's absolutely amazing,” the Mean Girls alum said in October 2022. “What's so special about Hallmark Channel is the fact that their stories lead with love and family and that's what The Holiday Sitter is and they were so supportive of this journey from the moment I had the idea to bring it to fruition. They supported the journey wholeheartedly and wanted to make sure that we told the story in the best way we could.”

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Rachel Boston

“I think there’s a heart and spirit in the people that I've been working with for years at this network, there’s such a family feel and it’s a community that looks out for each other,” the A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe star told Us in October 2022. “And I think you see that bounce off the screen, like, what you see on the screen — there really are connections. People come out for each other in challenging times in life and in the most comfortable times in life. And I think that's what we really need in our world and that’s what I've seen in my experience at Hallmark."

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Clare Bowen

“Hallmark is for everybody and that's what the world needs more of,” the Nashville alum revealed to Us in October 2022. “It makes people feel good. You can slip it onto the background of the holidays and, you know, the kids are going to enjoy it and you know Nana's gonna enjoy it and all your friends are too. It’s a movie greeting card and I love it.”

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Alison Sweeney

“They are so supportive. I mean, Hallmark has been great to work with and they embrace and support me and the vision I bring to them — I love bringing in people, new talent to them and introducing them to new directors and other opportunities,” she said while speaking to Us in October 2022. “For me, I wanna work with people who love making movies, you know, and who have a vision. And so oftentimes if I can open that door wide and encourage other people to come through, I think there's room for everyone in this space. And so I love embracing that and I love that Hallmark has embraced me.”

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Niall Matter

“Why Hallmark? Because of the people. It’s because of the people I work with [and] it’s because of the care that they put into the product. And at the end of the day, they're just good people,” the Frozen In Love star said in October 2022. “And I think that that really comes across on the screen. All the actors, we're literally all friends. I've never been a part of a network, or a studio, that has this atmosphere. Like, we get together and we literally want to know about each other's lives because we care. And I think that comes across and I think that that’s what they look for in their talent too — they try to find people that are talented actors [and] just good people. Yeah. And that's what we're selling here — goodness and joy. I think that’s what the brand really excels at.”

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Ryan Paevey

The A Fabled Holiday star told Us in October 2022 that the “beauty of the network” is there are “a lot of really talented actors and actresses” who are also “really just nice people.”

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Brennan Elliott

The actor gushed about the “many great actresses” that he gets to work with on the Hallmark Channel in October 2022, explaining: “I’m just lucky and glad that I get a chance to be creative and create content and I pride myself in making movies where I come from my heart. I want people to feel. I’ve not had a bad experience with anyone I’ve worked with.”

Elliott added: “To me, I don't know how they [always] do it on Hallmark, but there's something about finding a perspective — what's important in life. That could be family, that can be being all about your work and making money and then you realize that isn't the most important. So whatever brings you back to a grounded perspective of what's important. They do that really well. And it's very subtle, and it's in every one of their movies and I think that trope or whatever you want to turn it is really something that not only they do well but something I truly believe is important and this movie is all about what's important in life.”

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Dan Jeannotte

While promoting his February 2023 film, Sweeter Than Chocolate, Jeannotte exclusively told Us the movie was a “different kind of story,” which is representative of Hallmark’s own evolution.

“That’s the other thing about these kinds of other love stories [that] we get to see within this, movie, is that they’re diverse,” he explained. “[We’re] seeing gay love stories, love stories with people who met later in life, older people who fell in love after having a marriage or losing a partner. And it just goes to show there [are as] many different ways to fall in love as there are different people in the world.”

The Love, Wine & Romance star added: “I think it’s so important that networks [and] writers are telling these kinds of stories. I’m so happy that Hallmark is doing that now,” he said. “It brings me a lot of, of joy and of, I just, I feel good to be amongst people who are telling these diverse kinds of stories.”

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Andrew Walker

“I think in this industry, you either evolve or you die or you just, like, get left behind. And I think that’s what Hallmark has been doing and they’re leaders in this [industry], especially with these incredible women that are now running this company,” the Three Wise Men and a Baby actor exclusively told Us in February 2023. “There [are] some really interesting things that they’re taking on. We have same-sex marriage [stories]. We have biracial relationships. It’s what our world [looks like].”

The Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate star continued: “I think that’s something that Hallmark has really put forward is that they want to tell real stories about real people with that same, like, heart and warmth and familiarity that you get in a Hallmark movie. I think that’s the beauty of working for this network. It’s just in incredible what they’ve done so far. Feel honored.”

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Alexa PenaVega

The A Paris Proposal star exclusively told Us in February 2023 that Hallmark has “always been really amazing” to her family, including husband Carlos PenaVega, who often works with her for the network.

“They understand the importance of keeping family together and being a place where families can come and enjoy and, like, take the burdens of life away. It's the place where you can escape and feel good, you know, and I think they've done a great job with that,” she explained. “For us specifically, they've given us so much amazing creative freedom to be able to bring forth projects that we really love, that we're proud of [and] for us to be able to work together.”

The Picture Perfect Mysteries actress noted that early in her career with Hallmark, there “weren’t many actors who were spouses working together and they were the ones that wanted to give us that opportunity to kind of make that happen.”

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Tyler Hynes

“Very simply [it] is just the individuals, the individuals that are part of the camp as far as executives and directors and producers and actors,” Hynes exclusively told Us in March 2023 about why he loves working for Hallmark. “Everybody is absolutely lovely. And it seems like comparatively perhaps to other places, I think it's as close as you can come to feeling like a family that is supportive.”

The Winter in Vail actor continued: “And that just sort of bookends what is an absolutely enormous pleasure, which is the people who watch these movies. I can't tell you enough about the human beings who watch these movies and how kind and lovely and wholesome and earnest and authentic they are. And I think it's a very unique place.”

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Stephen Huszar

“It really feels like family,” Huszar exclusively told Us in June 2023. “It's always nice to work with people you've worked with before. You're just there to make a great artistic piece with each other and have fun while you do it. That's the name of the game, isn't it?”

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Katie Cassidy

“I love that it’s a feel-good community. I love the spirit and I love how just light and loving everyone is in the family,” Cassidy exclusively told Us in June 2023 after working on her first Hallmark project, A Royal Christmas Crush. “I think it's beautiful. Everyone has each other's back[s].”