Does the Hallmark Channel have more competition now?
Are questions of diversity the real issue, or are our favorite Hallmark
stars simply done with making seasonal content? Keep watching to find out.
The Hallmark Channel is known for its romantic comedies and magical holiday movies,
made even more magical with its stellar cast of actors. While there are many reasons actors
leave a network, we finally know why several Hallmark Channel stars decided to leave.
Nearly 100% of the lead actors that starred in GAC Family movies,
which aired during the 2021 holiday season,
had previously starred in Hallmark films. The person behind GAC Media is Bill Abbott, the former
president of Hallmark. He told The Wall Street Journal that GAC Family isn't trying to poach
actors from Hallmark, and that he has actually been approached by stars more often than not.
Following her six-year stint on "One Tree Hill," actress Hilarie Burton became one of
the many faces of Hallmark, starring in movies like "Surprised by Love" and "Summer Villa."
However, Burton left Hallmark after an alleged disagreement about casting.
Burton shared on Twitter in December of 2019 that she was "let go" in January of that year, writing,
"I had insisted on a LGBTQ character, an interracial couple and diverse casting. I
was polite, direct and professional. But after the execs gave their notes
on the script and NONE of my Requests were honored, I was told 'take it or leave it.'"
Burton revealed that she left the job,
along with her paycheck, even though she had been looking forward to the project.
After Hallmark, Burton appeared in "The Walking Dead" alongside her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Lori Loughlin, on the other hand, didn't cut ties with Hallmark. Rather, the network cut
ties with the star after her involvement in a college admissions scandal back in 2019.
Per court records, Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were found guilty after
agreeing "to pay bribes" up to $500,000 to gain their two daughters' admission into the
University of Southern California. In the wake of the scandal, NBC News reported that
Hallmark fired Loughlin, who went on to serve two months in prison in 2020 after pleading guilty.
For almost a decade, Loughlin had starred in Hallmark network movies and TV shows.
Following her stint in prison, Loughlin returned to TV in "When Hope Calls," a spinoff of "When
Calls the Heart," which originally aired on Hallmark before moving over to GAC Family.
Danica McKellar became a Hallmark regular after starring in holiday
programs and films like "Perfect Match" and "Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas." However,
McKellar left the network in late 2021, telling The Wall Street Journal she decided
to move over to GAC because she liked working with former Hallmark Channel CEO Bill Abbott,
who launched GAC Family and GAC Living. McKellar explained,
"When he was getting ready to launch this new network, I was thrilled that he reached
out to me to sign a multi-picture deal as an actress and executive producer."
"So I've done 16 movies for Hallmark Channel. GAC Family
is very similar to Hallmark in a lot of ways."
Trevor Donovan has played a Hallmark leading man countless times since 2017. However, Donovan left
the network in late 2021 for Hallmark's rival, GAC Family, and signed a multi-picture deal.
His last Hallmark movie, "Nantucket Noel," premiered in December 2021.
Donovan had already signed on to star in "Nantucket Noel" when he was approached by
GAC Family to shoot a Christmas movie, his agent told The Wall Street Journal.
Donovan decided to sign a two-year deal to exclusively star only in GAC films.
When he finished shooting on Vancouver Island, where filming took place for "Nantucket Noel,"
the actor reportedly flew by seaplane to the GAC set in Toronto for his next holiday gig.
Jen Lilley, a soap star known for her roles in "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives,"
transformed into a Hallmark star, acting in movies like "Snowkissed" and "USS Christmas."
In late 2021, Lilley made her GAC Family debut in "Royally Wrapped for Christmas."
As reported by Deadline, in January 2022, Lilley signed a two-year deal with GAC Family,
which includes four original films. GAC Media president Bill Abbott told the outlet,
"Aside from being an immensely talented and hardworking actor,
Jen is a generous and kindhearted person who is a perfect fit for GAC."
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