Daniel Lissing Opens Up About Working With Lori Loughlin - Exclusive
Australian actor Daniel Lissing is making a big name for himself after breaking into the American entertainment industry, and this continued success includes working with Lori Loughlin. The two appeared together on "When Calls the Heart," a family-friendly drama following Lissing's Jack Thornton, Erin Krakow's Elizabeth Thatcher, and Loughlin's Abigail Stanton (via IMDb). Lissing's character died in the series' fifth season in 2018, though the show remains ongoing. However, both he and Loughlin recently made a return appearance in the show's spinoff series, "When Hope Calls."
The special "When Hope Calls" appearance made by Loughlin and Lissing comes in the form of "When Hope Calls Christmas," which acts as both a holiday special and its two-part season premiere. Lissing's return is exciting because fans have wondered how his deceased character would re-appear. Loughlin's return to television, on the other hand, is intriguing due to her recent stint in jail. According to CNN, the actor was released from jail in December 2020 after spending two months locked away for cheating the college admissions process to get her two daughters into the University of Southern California.
Lissing's prior credits include recurring roles on "The Rookie" and "S.W.A.T." as well as several Christmas films, including this month's "A Christmas Star" (via IMDb). Luckily, we got the chance to sit down and chat with Lissing about his recent projects and working with Loughlin, both before her scandal and in their mutual return in "When Hope Calls Christmas."
Lori Loughlin leads with 'kindness and respect'
Lori Loughlin is a powerful actor, and, as it turns out, she used this sway to get Daniel Lissing to return on "When Hope Calls Christmas. "I'd spoken with her about it and she sort of pitched me the idea," Lissing explained to The List. "We spoke to the producers about it. And it had to make sense because the character died in the other show." Needless to say, everyone loved her idea, and Lissing was able to return for one more appearance as the beloved Mountie Jack. In fact, Lissing describes his return as "a really beautiful scene" that's shared solely between their characters.
According to Lissing, this action accurately represents who Loughlin is. He describes both Loughlin and their costar Erin Krakow as "amazing women" from which he learned a lot. "Lori and I worked together for five years, and we became close during that time. We really got to know each other as friends and as people," he explained. "When you are working with someone for so long and when you're in the trenches together on set, doing 16-hour days or whatever it is in the middle of winter, you form a bit [of] a bond and you really get to know that person quite intimately."
"She treats everyone on set and in life as well, just with kindness and respect," Lissing further explained. "I really admire her as an actor. It was great working with her." Ultimately, Lissing has given us a reminder that grace goes a long way.
Season 2 of "When Hope Calls" starring Daniel Lissing is currently airing on GAC Family.