Everything We Know About Hallmark Star Rachel Boston
Rachel Boston has been featured in over a dozen Hallmark movies since joining the channel in 2016. However, this heart-warming leading lady is more than just the face of Angel Gabriel in "Christmas in Angel Falls" — she's a wife and a mother that takes her craft for the creation of characters to her core.
Using her own experiences and the tactics she's learned as a TV series star, Boston has taken the characters of Callie from "Ice Sculpture Christmas" and Darcy Miller from "A Gift of Miracles" to new heights. However, before her smile graced the small screen, she was already winning hearts through her beauty and tenacity to follow her dreams.
Get the inside scoop about Hallmark star Rachel Boston from where she started with NBC to why she might still have a crown stashed in her bedroom. You'll also learn how becoming a mother and her closeness to her family have molded her into who she is today.
NBC brought her first big break
The Hallmark Channel is much-watch television full of beautiful, fresh faces, and they don't get fresher than that of Tennessee native Rachel Boston. While Tennessee is a far cry from Hollywood, a love of theater sparked Boston's interest in acting. She told Authority Magazine, "My mom took a trip to NYC when I was a little girl and brought back playbills and information about NYU and Julliard, and it sparked something." Her love of acting remained through high school, and she moved to the city to attend New York University after graduation.
While you might have seen the Hallmark leading lady in a few roles in the early 2000s, like the "Andy Dick Show," it wasn't until 2002 that NBC gave her the breakout role of Beth Mason in "American Dreams." Under the advice of a few experts in the business, she took a leap of faith and applied for the role, and in two months, she became the 1960s daughter of the Prior family. Using the raw talent she was born with, "The Last Bridesmaid" actress brought the Philadelphia teen to life by portraying Beth's adventures in college, romance, and marriage.
After her debut as Beth on NBC, Boston had guest appearances on other well-known TV series like "The Closer," "Love, Inc," and "Grey's Anatomy." However, it was her love of the atmosphere, coworkers, and of course, Christmas, that drew her to the Hallmark family.
Family and coworkers are important to Rachel Boston
Working in the acting business isn't easy, and having a strong support network can help get you through the hard days. In a 2019 interview with Authority Magazine, Boston said, "My aunts have all been extremely supportive in this new chapter of my life. And my sister-in-law. ... The people who come into your life and remind you of your light." It's been the love of family that has helped Boston to make it through the hard times and working late nights.
But, it's not only the family and friends around her that help her to thrive. She's also found a family with her fellow Hallmark Channel actors. For example, Hallmark alum Jonathan Bennett told Glamour that Rachel Boston and others on the channel were "some of the most beautiful human beings I've ever met, so it makes me so happy to be part of a network with so many dear friends." Family means a lot to Rachel Boston, and that close-knit atmosphere is one of the things she loves most about being a Hallmark star and was especially important when her own daughter was born.
Rachel Boston welcomed a daughter in 2022
Throughout her career as an actress, Rachel Boston has played many roles, but it's her real-life role as a mother that brings new joy to her life. She and her husband, chef Toya Ashe, welcomed a daughter named Grace in 2022. It was also at that time that she was able to play a mother in the Hallmark feature "Dating the Delaneys."
Boston recounts how being a mother herself brought new life to the character of Maggie Delaney as she finds her way back into the dating world with her teenage children. "Motherhood has transformed me in so many different ways," Boston told MediaVillage, "That understanding of the love I have for my child and the love for my children in the film." While having a baby isn't exactly the same as having teens, this role was the first time the actress experienced the stress of being an onset mom. Thankfully, Hallmark allowed her to have her daughter and her mother on set, so she was able to connect with the two when she wasn't filming.
Being a working mom is difficult in the entertainment industry. But Rachel Boston stated, "Working with such a great group, and with Hallmark, who were so supportive of me as a mother going back to work. It was wonderful." Her experiences as a mother helped shape her performance, a method she's used throughout her career.
Life experiences help to shape her characters
Being a mother isn't the only feeling that Rachel Boston harnesses in her movie roles; she also uses the experiences of her childhood and her family to help her become the successful Hallmark star she is today. Having old-fashioned values isn't the norm in Hollywood, but the "A Rose for Christmas" actress grew up in a small Tennessee town with a close family, where divorce was rare, and connections were for a lifetime.
That experience helped her to pack up and head to New York when she knew that acting was her passion; it's also what makes her ready to pour her emotions into each role. As she explained to The Virgin Islands Daily News, her experiences help her to dive "deeper into the truth of who you really are and why you're here, and also making films that make people happy, that bring some light to this world." She also channels her real-world experience to create characters that will win people's hearts and draw their interest.
Bringing smiles to fans and allowing them to get lost in stories is truly what this "500 Days of Summer" actress excels at. However, her face was something legends are made of even before she hit the big screen.
From Miss Tennessee Teen to Hallmark leading lady
Rachel Boston's smile can light up the night, and it's one of the reasons that her face is so recognizable on the screen throughout her various roles. But her face hasn't just lit up your favorite Hallmark movies — it's also been on the stage of the Miss Teen USA pageant.
In 1999, this star-studded actress was part of the national Miss Teen USA semifinals as Miss Tennessee Teen. She's actually listed as part of the top 10 Miss Teen USA on their Hall of Fame website. While she might not have made it to the podium, she definitely made an impact on the judges.
In addition to being a prominent actress in multiple Hallmark family favorites, this former Miss Teen finalist has made a name for herself due to her kindness and values. Just like many of her characters, she shows the world around her just how important family is.