Every When Calls The Heart Star Returning For Season 10
When it comes to success stories on the Hallmark Channel, it's tough to beat "When Calls the Heart." Making its debut in 2014, the series based on the bestselling novels of Janet Oke transported viewers back to Hope Valley in the early 1900s. At the series' start, schoolteacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) arrives in town to take a teaching job shortly after many of the town's women had been left widows by a massive coal-mining accident.
Over the course of numerous seasons, viewers couldn't help but become enchanted by Elizabeth's journey and the cast of characters surrounding her. As viewers have surely noticed, not all of the actors who appeared at the show's start have remained. Daniel Lissing, who played Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer Jack Thornton, left the show, while Lori Loughlin, who played widow Abigail Stanton, was reportedly let go in the wake of her arrest and subsequent prison sentence for her role in the college admission scam.
With the series' 10th season making its debut in the summer of 2023, fans are anxiously awaiting its return — and to find out which of their favorite cast members will be returning. We have the answers.
Erin Krakow
Erin Krakow is truly the OG star of "When Calls the Heart." Since being cast in the made-for-TV movie that served as the series' pilot, Krakow has appeared in every single episode of the show — and she is thankfully returning as Elizabeth Spencer for the series' 10th season.
"It's going to be epic," Krakow told TV Insider of what to expect in Season 10. "It's going to be a very exciting, dramatic, romantic season. There's music. It's really jam-packed, and I'm very proud of it." Krakow, who's also an executive producer on the show, has spent a significant portion of her life on the show. She's marveled at how much has taken place since Elizabeth first arrived in Hope Valley all those years ago. "Season 1 feels like a lifetime ago and sort of just yesterday all at once," Krakow said. "It's this bizarre feeling. But it was a really exhausting and incredible chapter of my life."
While doing double duty as both star and exec producer of "When Calls the Heart" consumes much of her time, Krakow revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that she can envision taking on even more responsibilities. "And I would certainly be interested in exercising a new muscle with directing or maybe even writing someday," she said.
Chris McNally
The exit of Daniel Lissing at the end of the fifth season of "When Calls the Heart" — with his character, Mountie Jack Thornton, meeting his end — left Erin Krakow's Elizabeth without a love interest. She wasn't lonely for long, though. The following season brought the arrival of Lucas Bouchard (played by Chris McNally), who made a big impression on the townsfolk by purchasing the local saloon. Over the course of several seasons, love slowly bloomed between Lucas and Elizabeth, with the two getting engaged at the end of the ninth season.
McNally is back for season 10, and while fans of the show may be anticipating wedding bells, he cautions that the couple's path to the altar may not be a straightforward one. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, McNally hinted that the couple's busy lives could cause some friction along the way. "And so you get to find these two people who are newly engaged, they're in love with each other, infatuated with each other and they feel like there's other things that are kind of pulling them apart," he explained.
According to McNally, the new season will find Lucas navigating uncharted waters. "I don't want to give anything away but I will say that Lucas has not faced an obstacle this large, this drastic since he's joined the show," he teased. "So, we have some pretty epic, pivotal conflict to overcome and it's sort of all-encompassing."
Kevin McGarry
The death of Daniel Lissing's Jack Thornton left Elizabeth without a husband and left Hope Valley without law enforcement. Enter Kevin McGarry, who joined "When Calls the Heart" in the sixth season as Mountie Nathan Grant. McGarry has been a part of the show ever since, and he is officially returning for Season 10.
So what can fans expect to see take place with Nathan? As McGarry explained in an interview with the "Suspenders Unbuttoned" podcast, the new season picks up after the previous season finale, which left multiple storylines dangling. "There was kind of a lot going on at the end of the season," he conceded. "No spoilers, but ... there's a lot that happens in this season and at the end there's a lot happening with Nathan." When it comes to his character's ongoing journey, he hinted that fans will have to wait a while until the juicy stuff starts to unfold. "A lot of stuff takes off more near the end of the season," he said of Nathan.
In a previous interview, ahead of the ninth season, McGarry explained why he tends not to reveal much about the episodes to come. "They'd shoot me if I said anything," he joked to MediaVilage.
Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner joined "When Calls the Heart" as Bill Avery, a forensic investigator sent to Hope Valley to investigate the mine explosion. Bill wound up sticking around, eventually becoming the town's judge. Returning for Season 10, Wagner has hinted that his character could be in for a difficult time. Without going into details, Wagner told Parade that Bill — who was suffering from a nasty cough at the end of the previous season — was in for a "brutal" experience in the upcoming episodes.
Ten seasons of television is an admirable feat — something that's not lost on a television veteran like Wagner. Speaking with Soap Opera Digest, he recalled the casual way he joined the show, after appearing as a guest star in a couple of episodes in the second season. According to Wagner, he was chatting with Hallmark's former CEO Bill Abbott at a "When Calls the Heart" cast party when Abbott asked if he'd be interested in becoming a full-fledged cast member and finishing out the season. "And I go, 'Yeah I guess so,' and so that's how my contract for season 2 happened and then I actually signed on for a couple of years and that's how that all transpired," Wagner mused. "It was a handshake deal."
Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith
Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith play Rosemary and Leland Coulter, respectively, whose romantic journey has certainly been a complicated one. Both actors will be back for Season 10, and they've hinted at a big storyline in store for their characters. That's not necessarily news for viewers, who witnessed the couple celebrating Rosemary's pregnancy in Season 9, with the actors confirming that the Coulter baby will be arriving in Season 10.
"That's a wrap on the Coulters (all three of them)," Hutton wrote in an Instagram post, seemingly confirming the Coulters' baby will be a big part of the new episodes. "Oh Hearties – do we have a season for you!!!!!!" Hutton added.
When the two actors were interviewed by Entertainment Tonight, Smith was asked to identify what he was most excited about for his character in Season 10. "One thing I've always been on board with is the pregnancy storyline," Smith explained. "I was always all over the pregnancy stuff because I thought she and I could have so much fun." As Hutton said, both she and Smith had some pretty firm ideas about what they'd like to see involving the baby's arrival. While admitting what ends up happening is up to the show's writers and producers, she hinted, "We have actually, between the two of us, mapped out an idea of how we would love that to play out — and we'll just see."
Amanda Wong
Amanda Wong is a newcomer to "When Calls the Heart," with her character, Mei Sou, introduced in the ninth season when she rode into town on horseback dressed as a man. As viewers found out, she was on the run from the law — something that placed her at odds with Nathan (who was also kind of crushing on her). He convinced her to go back to Chicago and face the music (and the dude claiming to be her husband) at her trial, which ultimately was decided in her favor. When it was all said and done, she decided to return to Hope Valley, and viewers will be seeing a lot more of her in Season 10.
Wong is not only thrilled to be part of a hit Hallmark Channel series, but she's also proud to be able to bring some Asian representation to the network. "Growing up, I'd never seen myself represented in English-speaking period films and shows, so being on 'WCTH' is both surreal and life-changing," she gushed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. " I'm excited that a strong, intelligent, Asian woman is arriving in Hope Valley, but I feel extra lucky that I get to be the one to play her."
Ben Rosenbaum
Ben Rosenbaum has a fairly small role in "When Calls the Heart" but seemingly a very large role in the life of star Erin Krakow. Rosenbaum — who plays Hope Valley's mayor, Mick Hickham — is confirmed to return for Season 10. What hasn't yet been confirmed, however, are the rumors that he's Krakow's real-life boyfriend.
While neither Rosenbaum nor Krakow has officially come out and said it, they certainly haven't been keeping their apparent romance a secret. Need evidence? Back in January 2023, Krakow posted a photo on Instagram of Willoughby, the adorable puppy she'd recently adopted (in the caption, she noted that "we" adopted the pup but didn't specify the other party or parties). The following day, Rosenbaum likewise took to Instagram, posting a photo of himself snuggling the pet. "Willoughby mine?" he wrote in the caption. More evidence: Krakow commented on his post. Rosenbaum continued to post photos of Willoughby and nearly every time he did, Krakow chimed in with a comment. Hmm.
Hrothgar Matthews and Loretta Walsh
Hrothgar Matthews and Loretta Walsh portray storekeeper Ned Yost and wife Florence, respectively, on "When Calls the Heart." Over the course of multiple seasons, viewers watched their romantic journey unfold, with the pair tying the knot in Season 8.
Both actors will be returning for Season 10, and viewers can expect to see more of the couple as they continue to settle into married life. "It's been nice in Season 9 just to see Florence and Ned really happy," Walsh said in an interview with the "Hallmark Happenings" podcast. "You know, every now and again, Flo gets a bit cranky and, you know, a bit feisty about whatever's going on, that's just sort of a part of who she is. But I think their relationship is very strong."
The onscreen rapport between Walsh and Matthews that viewers see in the show is a reflection of the actors' real-life admiration for each other. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Matthews said that the chemistry he felt with Walsh was instantaneous, and he was impressed with her acting from the first time he saw her on set. "I was blown away by how good Loretta was. ... I remember thinking, 'Wow,' because she was so deeply in the character and just shone," he recalled.
Kayla Wallace
Kayla Wallace has played Fiona Miller since the series' sixth season, and fans will be delighted to know that she's coming back for Season 10. As faithful viewers will recall, Fiona first came to Hope Valley as a telephone company employee, charged with setting up lines so that the townsfolk could communicate with the outside world. Since then, she's served as the town's switchboard operator.
What might not be apparent onscreen is the special place that one of Wallace's co-stars holds in her heart: Kevin McGarry, aka Mountie Nathan Grant. As Us Weekly reported, the two met on the set — both joining the show in season 6 — and fell in love. McGarry confirmed that he and Wallace were dating in a December 2020 Instagram post, and the two continued popping up in each other's social media feeds. In March 2022, Wallace celebrated McGarry's birthday via Instagram, posting a photo of McGarry piloting a boat. "Sunshine of my life, the source of 99% of my laughter: my dearest, Kevin. Happy Birthday to you," she wrote in the caption. A few months later, Wallace posted a video on Instagram to reveal they'd gotten engaged.
Will art imitate life? Can we expect a storyline in which their characters fall for each other? That remains to be seen, but anything's possible — particularly given the news that "When Calls the Heart" has already been renewed for an 11th season.
Andrea Brooks
Andrea Brooks plays Faith Carter, a nurse brought into the story in the series' second season. Brooks eventually exited the show for a very good reason – behind the scenes, she had just welcomed her first baby and wanted to take some time off. When the character returned, viewers learned that Faith had been off attending medical school and was now a full-fledged doctor — a win-win plot twist that brought a whole new element to her character.
"When I had to announce I was pregnant, it ended up being kind of the perfect marriage of a situation," she said during an appearance on Hallmark Channel's "Bubbly Sesh" podcast. "We were able to send her off to pursue her dreams."
Brooks is back for Season 10 — although in the midst of filming, she was in the process of welcoming her second child. "Bumping my way across the finish line!" she captioned a photo on Instagram, displaying her ample baby bump. "Last day of shooting for Season 10."
Johannah Newmarch
Since the very first season of "When Calls the Heart," Johannah Newmarch has played Molly Sullivan, who lost her husband in the coal mine explosion that opened the series. As demonstrated by the numerous photos from the series' set that she shared on her Instagram page, Newmarch is definitely back as Molly for the tenth season of the popular series.
Longtime viewers may not realize that when Newmarch first auditioned for the show, she wasn't aiming for the role of Molly. "I actually auditioned originally for Florence, but you know, obviously, Molly Sullivan, she's the Irish redhead ... and as you can see, Loretta [Walsh] is perfect for Florence and hopefully I'm perfect for Molly," she told the "Sarah Scoop" podcast. "[Executive producer Michael Landon Jr.] had a very clear vision there for the casting that he wanted, but it was really funny because originally I did audition for Florence."
Natasha Burnett and Viv Laycock (plus Vienna and Elias Laycock)
Actors Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett will be back in Season 10 as Joseph and Minnie Canfield, a couple who arrived in Hope Valley with their two children during the eighth season of "When Calls the Heart." One fun fact that fans may not know is that the couple's children, Angela and Cooper, are portrayed by Leacock's real-life kids, Vienna Laycock and Elias Laycock. They, too, will be returning for a 10th season.
Echoing the aforementioned sentiments expressed by co-star Angela Wong, Laycock recognizes both the opportunity and the responsibility of bringing diversity to the Hallmark Channel's most iconic series. "I've grown up watching shows where I didn't necessarily see someone that looked like me included in a storyline. And while I still love the show, it does have an effect," Laycock observed during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "And to know that we can be responsible for being the people that are being the first people that are coming into this show, this is a very well-established show and sharing this story. There's a huge responsibility attached to it, and we want to make sure that it was done properly."