Hallmark Stars Adding Sizzle To Christmas In July
Each year, the Hallmark Channel fuses summer and the holidays for their "Christmas in July" programming. In 2023, the network announced a lineup filled with plenty of their beloved Christmas classics and two new films: "A Royal Christmas Crush" and "Take Me Back for Christmas." This installment of the holiday movie marathon features a few standout actors who are certainly adding to the already-hot temperatures of the month.
That includes newcomer Katie Cassidy starring in "A Royal Christmas Crush," her first Hallmark Channel movie, as well as actor Corey Sevier taking the lead in the new film "Take Me Back for Christmas." His 2022 film "Noel Next Door" is featured in "Christmas in July" along with his newest project, per Heavy.
And we can't forget veteran Hallmark actor Tyler Hynes who has a devoted fanbase. Hynes has starred in several Christmas movies for Hallmark, and his films "An Unexpected Christmas," "On the 12th Date of Christmas," "The Misetole Secret," "It's Christmas, Eve," "Three Wise Men and a Baby," and "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas," are all part of "Christmas in July."
See why these three actors are the ones to watch this "holiday" season.
Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy is a blonde bombshell and the daughter of the late actor and singer David Cassidy and model Sherry Williams. She is active on Instagram, where she often shows off her stylish outfits and stunning smile. Fans of "A Royal Christmas Crush" might know Katie from "Arrow," where she portrayed Laurel Lance for eight seasons. She was also in the 2010 remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
In her Hallmark debut, "A Royal Christmas Crush," Cassidy stars as an ice hotel employee, Ava, who falls in love with a prince played by the very-handsome Stephen Huszar. While the film has not been a hit with fans — "Not the best," said one Instagram commenter — there's a reason why the chemistry in the film feels authentic. Cassidy and Huszar fell in love in real life.
Cassidy, who divorced her ex-husband Matthew Rogers in 2020, confirmed their relationship to People in June 2023. Speaking about their newfound romance, she told Entertainment Tonight, "I'm very open. When we first met, he didn't know who I was. I didn't know who he was. It was all very genuine and real and we took each other at face value." She added, "This may sound a little cheesy, but when you know, you know. Or it's meant to be. It's the universe. And timing is everything."
Tyler Hynes
With his dark hair and chiseled face, Tyler Hynes is one of Hallmark's biggest stars for a reason. Hynes' Instagram is full of sultry photos of the actor, including shots of him brooding on a motorcycle or hanging out poolside. However, the actor is more than just a pretty face. As if he couldn't be more irresistible, Hynes is known to be humble and beyond appreciative of his fans, who are called "Hynies."
In an interview with WhatToWatch, Hynes said that meeting Hynies and speaking to them is significant to him. He explained, "None of it feels forced or manufactured or disingenuous or intrusive or anything. It is just such pure humanity. It's just like such pure humanity is the best way I can describe it. I could do this all day, forever."
Moreover, Hynes has used his public image for the greater good. In 2022, he revealed on Instagram that with the help of his fans, he had raised over $30,000 for the charity, No Kid Hungry.
Hynes seems genuinely appreciative of Hallmark and visited their headquarters in June 2023 to meet the network's staff alongside other Hallmark stars. After this trip, he went on Instagram and commended Hallmark, where he referred to it as "a refuge for so many as well as a celebration of life and togetherness very much needed these days." If that wasn't enough to make you fall in love, Hynes is also a dedicated dad dog.
Corey Sevier
Corey Sevier is a tall, dark, and handsome Hallmark hottie who entered the spotlight as a child actor, starring as Timmy in the 1990s series "Lassie." Sevier has worked with Hallmark for years and even starred in the Hallmark show "Cedar Cove." Besides his latest film for the network, "Take Me Back for Christmas," his other projects with Hallmark include "Pumpkin Everything" and "Heart of the Holidays." One thing you need to know about "Take Me Back for Christmas" is that Sevier directed the film. This was not his first time directing, either; he also directed "Heart of the Holidays" back in 2020.
But at the core of it all, Sevier is a romantic who is all about his family and loved ones, making him even more swoon-worthy. Both films star actor Vanessa Lengies as his love interest, with Lengies and Servier telling Just Jared that the two are longtime friends that met while working as children on "Lassie." Furthermore, Sevier told MediaVillage that his wife, Kate Pragnell, wrote the script for "Take Me Back for Christmas."
He gushed about his wife to the publication and said, "I know how much she put into those scripts, and I want to do my best to deliver on that. I count myself lucky; we're building our family and we get to spend a good part of our professional lives working together and collaborating. I'm biased, but she tells really beautiful stories." Fans can stay up to date on Sevier's career via his Twitter while tuning in for this year's "Christmas in July."