Hallmark Channel Leading Men That Make Us Sweat

Hallmark Channel has been pleasing fans with its feel-good, formulaic approach to movies since 2001 and Forbes reported that the network generates one-third of its advertising revenue from its fan-favorite Christmas movies alone. Women are the specific demographic that keeps the Hallmark Channel at the top of network rankings, and there's a comfortable predictability that induces contentment in viewers. "There's a lot of dopamine and oxytocin that gets released in watching these things," T. Makana Chock, a researcher of media psychology told The Lily. "They can be very de-stressing. They make you feel happier."

Women have also leaned into the network because programming on the Hallmark Channel is led by women and the executives know the stories and character arcs that women want to experience. The Observer reported that even men love to watch Hallmark movies for the consistent and reliable way in which the network tells love stories. Most importantly, network executives also know what women want to lay their eyes on — the handsome men of the Hallmark movies.

The Hallmark Channel has been a movie star launching ground for some actors, as well as a place where well-established actors like Jesse Metcalfe and Cameron Mathison have enjoyed landing. Get an eyeful of the gorgeous leading men who set us ablaze on the Hallmark Channel.

Tyler Hynes joined the Hallmark family in 2018 when he starred in "Falling for You." Hynes began working on the stage as a child, and he was also an accomplished writer, editor, producer, and director of short films and music videos prior to joining the network. He has been the leading man in more than 10 Hallmark films and has grown a fervent fan base of people who refer to themselves as "Hynies."

Hynes is besties with fellow Hallmark actor Andrew Walker, and Hynes' cousin is Walker's wife, Cassandra Troy, so the Hallmark actors talk weekly and spend plenty of bro time together. "I've known the guy for 19 years since he started coming to her house for Christmases when I first met my wife. We have a deep appreciation for each other," Walker told Us Weekly.

Hynes' fans also love to follow the chronicles of his adorably fluffy Pomeranian, Rusty James, who the actor often shows on his Instagram. The pup has garnered quite a bit of attention, and Hynes even had Mr. Rusty James join him on a Facebook Live when his fellow actor Rhiannon Fish had to back out of the promotion at the last minute. Naturally, the little cutie stole the show.

Brennan Elliott had an impressive resume of feature film credits when he joined Hallmark for its prime-time show, "Cedar Cove" in 2013. Elliott signed a multi-picture deal in 2022 to make more movies with the network. "It's been a dream to have worked with the wonderfully creative and supportive team at Hallmark over the years," Elliott told Deadline. "I'm thrilled to continue this relationship that's meant so much to me and have the opportunity to bring to life new characters and tell stories that will make people smile."

One of Elliott's favorite Hallmark projects was "Christmas at Grand Valley." It was a special role for him because he worked with Danica McKellar, who is also known for her breakout childhood role as Winnie Cooper on "The Wonder Years." Elliott admitted to Extra TV that he had a childhood crush on her, but he was especially thrilled to work with McKellar alongside Dan Lauria since the pair co-starred in the '80s sitcom together.

Elliott is often cast opposite Lacey Chabert and they are a Hallmark couple favorite, but in real life, he's happily married to psychologist Cami Elliott. He credits his wife with helping him further his career with Hallmark and be a father to their two children at the same time.

Ryan Paevey first gained a large fan base by playing detective Nathan West for six years on "General Hospital." By the time he joined Hallmark, he already had a successful career in modeling and had landed opportunities in noteworthy music videos, including being the body double for Robin Thicke in his iconic "Sex Therapy" video. Despite a career that depends on him staying incredibly handsome, he told Entertainment Tonight that he's happiest when he is being incredibly risky and doing adventurous activities that may cause him bodily harm!

However, Paevey doesn't mind toning down his adrenaline-junkie side for charming roles on the Hallmark Channel. He has always appreciated working for the network because he genuinely enjoys the people around him and never feels the need to be fake. The actor also explained, "It's nice to be a part of a team that cares about its stars, that produces good product, that's doing well."

Jesse Metcalfe came to the Hallmark network with a sizzling hot reputation for playing television bad boy John Rowland on "Desperate Housewives," but he had to switch gears into a much sweeter world when he made the transition to Hallmark after the ABC hit wrapped. But he brought with him his experience as a major hunk in entertainment. "Being a sex symbol is very much about the roles that you play and my roles put me up on a pedestal," he told People. The star admitted he felt constant pressure from the media to maintain his physique at all times.

Since joining the channel in 2010, Metcalfe has split his time between Hallmark movies and the network's series "Chesapeake Shores." Metcalfe is a self-described musician, philanthropist, and actor and his songwriting credits include the song "Begin Again" which he wrote for the Hallmark show "Chesapeake Shores."

Outside of entertainment, he has spent his time and energy raising support and awareness for North Texas Food Bank as the head of the Celebrity Board. He also traveled to Botswana as a UNICEF ambassador to help towns and villages affected by poverty.

Kristoffer Polaha has made a name for himself as a Hallmark fan favorite, but his debut on the channel has remained noteworthy thanks to his appearance alongside the future Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, in the movie "Dater's Handbook." He even gave her dating advice as she was beginning to date Prince Harry. Since that time, Polaha has acted in several Hallmark movies and played a detective in the Hallmark Murders and Mysteries franchise, "Mystery 101." Polaha has an impressive resume on the big screen, taking roles in major blockbusters including "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Jurassic World Dominion."

Polaha, like other Hallmark hunks, is a multi-talented creative who has dipped his toe into the writing world. He co-wrote a romance with Anna Gomez called "Where the Sun Rises," and he told the world on Instagram, "It's a story about love and redemption and healing and it is a book I am very, very proud of." The book also won 1st place at The Bookfest Award in the Romantic-Multicultural category.

Trevor Donovan was well-known for his role as Teddy Montgomery on "90210," and he's been a reliable Hallmark hunk since 2012, but it hasn't been an easy road for him to become a working actor. Similar to his handsome Hallmark colleagues, Donovan got his start in a soap opera, playing Jeremy Horton on "Days of Our Lives." His big break with the legendary soap was short-lived because Donovan struggled with panicking on camera and he was fired from the show – and devastated, according to Soaps. Just when he was about to take a long pause from acting, he landed "90210," and stayed for the entire series run. The rest is acting history, and Donovan has been steadily working since then.

He challenged his fears again when he joined "Dancing with the Stars" and competed with partner Emma Slater. "Dancing was pretty much my biggest fear. Though I still have some anxiety when it comes to dancing, my confidence has grown," Donovan told Yahoo. He has also been working passionately on anti-bullying through his Upstanders campaign. "Tremendous progress is being made. There has never been a more important time to stand up for those who feel voiceless," he said.

Sam Page has been acting for the Hallmark Channel for over a decade, and he also boasts impressive television credits on his resume, including "The Bold Type," "Mad Men," and "Grey's Anatomy." In 2021, he took a role in his first non-Christmas Hallmark movie, "One Summer," a drama about a grieving family. When Page first received the script, he double-checked to make sure it was from Hallmark. "It was refreshing to be able to dig deep and sink my teeth into what is much more of a drama than anything else I've ever done at Hallmark, and they allowed us to do that," Page told Media Village. He often likes to take on darker, less upbeat roles for the network. "Maybe that's where my sweet spot is performance-wise," he said.

Page is married to Cassidy Boesch, whom he met two weeks into a bet with his friends to stay single the whole summer — a story that could play out in its own Hallmark movie. After meeting Boesch at a party and talking to her all night, he felt it was love at first sight. He told Cosmopolitan he called a friend after the party and left a voicemail, stating, "'I just wanted to go on the record to say, this has never happened to me before and I guess I wouldn't believe in this until it happened.'"