The Real-Life Families Of Hallmark Channel Stars
If there's one thing Hallmark is as a network, it's loyal. Hallmark stays loyal to its fans by continually producing cheesy yet heartwarming and wildly popular holiday movies season after season, and it stays loyal to your favorite Hallmark actors by recasting them over and over again. Part of the reason it feels like you've seen every Hallmark movie if you've only seen one is because the actors are largely the same from film to film. But, hey, that's part of the charm.
Hallmark has created its own cinematic universe of sorts, and fans love that the actors don't change. If you're one such Hallmark fan, perhaps you've watched those familiar faces and wondered about their real lives — the ones where they don't necessarily end up with the love of their life from the small town obsessed with Christmas.
Whether you've wondered about the real lives of Hallmark stars or not, we've got information on them. Check out the real families of your favorite Hallmark stars below.
Lacey Chabert is married and has a daughter in school
Many know Lacey Chabert from "Mean Girls," but Hallmark enthusiasts have a different frame of reference for the actor. Chabert's titles on the network include "A Christmas Melody," "Love On Safari," and "My Secret Valentine," among others.
But Chabert's life doesn't completely revolve around Hallmark films. The actor has been married to David Nehdar since 2013, and the two share a daughter. Chabert and Nehdar wed just before Christmas in 2013, but Chabert didn't reveal the news, nor her groom's identity, until later.
Chabert doesn't share much of her personal life on social media, but she has gotten honest about the realities of being a working mother. When Chabert's daughter Julia started school, the actor was unable to be there due to a work conflict. Chabert shared a photo of a bouquet of flowers she received from members of the crew on Instagram, writing, "We're having the best time on this movie, but my mama-heart was hurting that I wasn't able to be with Julia on her very first day of school. We FaceTime nonstop, and she's in the best hands with my husband and sister, but of course I still feel terrible that I'm not there."
Jonathan Bennett got married in 2022
Another former "Mean Girls" star, Jonathan Bennett officially started his family in 2022. After five years of dating, Bennett and his partner Jaymes Vaughan got married in Mexico.
"It was honestly a dream wedding! We kept having to stop and remind ourselves that we weren't on a movie set, but this was actually our real life. If you had told me this was one of my Hallmark movie sets, I would have believed it. It was that perfect," Bennett told People of his nuptials. The couple was surrounded by friends they've dubbed their chosen family, and as Bennett noted on Instagram a year after the ceremony, he and Vaughan walked each other down the aisle as their parents weren't able to.
Bennett and Vaughan don't have any children together as of yet, but they do have a dog they're quite fond of. On Instagram, Bennett shared that others in his and Vaughan's life often ask when they planned to have children, but that they're content with their animal. Bennett also appears to be very content continuing to make Hallmark movies. In 2022, "The Holiday Sitter," the first-ever Hallmark movie featuring a gay couple (of which Bennett was the star) premiered on the network.
Andrea Brooks has a husband and two kids
Like many Hallmark actors, Andrea Brooks has racked up quite the list of network films she's starred in. Some of her titles include "In the Key of Love," "A Harvest Wedding," and "Destination Wedding." Brooks has also had a role in the Hallmark drama "When Calls the Heart" since 2015.
We've seen Brooks fall in love on screen multiple times, but off-screen her heart belongs to Riley Graydon. The two have been married since 2018, and they welcomed their second child together in December 2022.
Though her day job is different from most people's, Brooks deals with the same issues and anxieties as any other parent. Ahead of giving birth to her second child, Brooks spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her pregnancy, saying: "This one has been easier in the sense that I'm not as riddled with fears. ... I'd say I'm much more relaxed and confident when it comes to my parenting abilities." Brooks also noted how her older child was handling the impending birth. "She's very excited! A lot of her little friends have welcomed siblings over the past year, so I think she has a general idea of what to expect."
Candace Cameron Bure has a daughter in show business
Candace Cameron Bure has been on screen since the 1980s. While she's best known for her role as D.J. Tanner in "Full House," her greatest body of work lies in the Hallmark Channel. Candace has become one of the network's go-to actors, and if you've watched all of her network films, you've seen one of her children on-screen, too.
Candace's oldest daughter, Natasha Bure, is actively trying to create a career for herself in the entertainment industry, and she's had roles in multiple films with her mother including "Switched for Christmas" and "Home Sweet Home."
So far Natasha is the only Bure child who's following their mother's footsteps. Candace's middle child, Lev Bure, works with her husband Valeri Bure on their family business, Bure Family Wines. Candace's youngest, Maksim Bure, graduated college in 2021, but he hasn't announced his career path. Although Candace is busy with her Hallmark career, her most significant roles are the ones she has in her family. "There's nothing more important to me than being wife to Val and mama to my children. They always make me feel special," Candace said on Instagram.
Alexa PenaVega's kids aren't fans of her work
Hallmark star Alexa PenaVega and her husband Carlos PenaVega have been married since 2014, but their careers in entertainment started long before that. Carlos is best known for his work in the Nickelodeon show "Big Time Rush" about the band of the same name (which released its fourth studio album in 2023), and Alexa rose to fame when she starred in "Spy Kids" and its three subsequent installments.
Carlos and Alexa have three kids together, and while we're not sure how they feel about their father's work, Alexa has shared that their children don't care for her films. "My kids only watch 'Sharkboy and Lavagirl' ... They don't like 'Spy Kids,'" Alexa told E! News.
Alexa clearly doesn't have tips for getting actors' kids to enjoy their movies, but she and Carlos do have advice they wanted to share with other couples who share their Christian values. The couple has written two books together about their faith called "What If Love Is the Point?" and "Love Is the Point." They also authored "Ocean's World: An Island Tale of Discovery and Adventure."
Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally have a family together
Hallmark went meta with Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally. Gonzalo hit her stride in the early aughts when she had roles in movies like "Freaky Friday," "A Cinderella Story," "Dodgeball," and "Christmas with the Kranks," but she later settled into made-for-TV movies, eventually becoming a Hallmark hallmark.
McNally is known for his own Hallmark roles, including his part in "When Calls the Heart," but he can also be seen in movies and an episode of "Riverdale." The two met on the set of "The Sweetest Heart," and while fans speculated they were together, they kept the details of their romance very quiet.
In 2022, the couple pulled off what felt like a Hallmark plotline by announcing the birth of their first child without having previously shared they were pregnant. "Our hearts are full ... Welcome, baby M," Gonzalo posted on Instagram with a photo of their baby holding both Gonzalo and McNally's fingers. Neither Gonzalo nor McNally has shared much else about their family, but Gonzalo did post a tribute to her partner on his second Father's Day after becoming a parent. "Happy Father's Day, love ... she's a lucky little lady," Gonzalo wrote on Instagram.
Cameron Mathison is married to an actor
Perhaps the secret to a long marriage in Hollywood is Hallmark. Cameron Mathison, a Hallmark actor known for his work in "The Christmas Club," "A Christmas to Remember," and "Love, of Course," has been married to actor Vanessa Mathison since 2002. Vanessa is best known for her work in "General Hospital," but she also had a role in a few episodes of "Ally McBeal."
Cameron and Vanessa share two children, and from the looks of Cameron's social media, the couple travels together quite often, as well. "Spending time together like this is everything. ... Having two teenagers with their busy social schedules makes these trips all that more meaningful. So important to slow down and connect with each other," Cameron captioned an Instagram post of the two together in Greece.
Vanessa has been in front of the camera in multiple ways, but she's got more experience as a model than as an actor. In 2018, after years of retirement, Vanessa signed with LA Models and has since been continuing her modeling career. The model has also dipped her toes in the fashion industry — she cofounded a children's clothing line back in 2008.
Danica McKellar and her husband moved their family to Tennessee
Some know her best as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years," but others recognize Danica McKellar from the several Hallmark Christmas movies she's starred in. McKellar has been working steadily as an actor since the mid-'80s, and she's lived in Los Angeles since she was 7. But in late 2022, McKellar shared that she and her husband had moved their family from Los Angeles to Tennessee.
As McKellar told Today, "It's life imitating art in a way. I've done these Christmas movies for so many years and finally I'm like, 'You know what? That sounds like a good idea.'" If you're worried that her move will prevent McKellar from starring in Hallmark films — don't be. Her Christmas film career is still alive and well despite a zip code change.
McKellar has been married to her husband Scott Sveslosky, an attorney, since 2014, and she has a child from her first marriage. As McKellar told Country Living, part of what makes her relationship work is her past experience in an unsuccessful marriage. "I did go through that thing where you think it's forever and you think you made the right choice and you think everything's great and then it really isn't and you were really wrong. I don't want to be wrong again," she said.
Autumn Reeser shares two boys with her ex-husband
Almost every Hallmark movie star has had another iconic role in the past. For Autumn Reeser, that was playing the overeager and manipulative Taylor Townsend on "The O.C." Reeser had roles in other popular television shows after "The O.C." ended, like "Entourage" and "Pushing Daisies," but her career eventually turned toward Hallmark, and she's been there ever since. Along the way, Reeser also had a marriage. The actor was married to Jesse Warren from 2009 to 2014, and while they were together, they welcomed two sons, Finn and Dash, whom they now co-parent.
Much of Reeser's time with her children is spent outside. As she told Green Child Magazine, "Changes allowed me to rediscover the deep love for nature I had as a child, and I am so grateful to myself for being brave enough to bring that girl back to life because now she gets to give the same gift to these two beautiful boys."
She added that since she's unable to grow her own food because of her schedule, she likes to "focus on environmental conservation, involvement in our community, and celebrating our national park system." Reeser has proven her purported focus to be true. The actor documents her outdoor adventures on Instagram, and her posts often include her two boys.
Jodie Sweetin's kids look just like her
In July 2023, former "Full House" star and current Hallmark movie star Jodie Sweetin celebrated her first anniversary with her husband Mescal Wasilewski. "Today, I'm celebrating you. (Even though you hate the attention.) And the wonderful things you've brought to my life and the amazing journeys we have yet to go. I love you. So, so much," Sweetin wrote to her husband on Instagram. The couple married after about five years of dating. They are both dedicated to maintaining a sober lifestyle.
Before her marriage to Wasilewski, Sweetin had marriages with Shaun Holguin, Cody Herpin, and Morty Coyle, and while married, she had a daughter with Herpin and a daughter with Coyle. And there's no question about whether Sweetin's daughters belong to her, as both bear a striking resemblance. They've also got pieces of Sweetin's famous "Full House" character, too.
As reported by People, Sweetin said, "[Beatrix's] hair has gotten darker all of the sudden and it looks a little bit less like that little Stephanie Tanner, but both of my girls have my smile and all that. So I definitely see Steph hiding in there, especially in their attitude."
Hilarie Burton has two kids with her husband
You might have loved former "One Tree Hill" star Hilarie Burton in Hallmark movies, but you won't be seeing her on the network anymore. Burton shared in a thread on Twitter that due to her insistence on the network featuring more diversity in a film and their unwillingness to do so, she left the project. Burton ended her thread by saying, "Key point here: I have a wonderful husband ... who works his ass off so I have the luxury to choose morals over paying bills. Not everyone has that! Nor should we be forced to be dependent."
The husband in question is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor who's had recurring roles on "The Good Wife" and "Supernatural," but is best known for his work on "The Walking Dead." Burton and Morgan have been together since 2009 and wed in 2019, and in between that time they welcomed two children, a son and a daughter.
The couple is still happily married, and as Burton has shared, she and her kids are both quite taken with Morgan. "Most of all I love that he sees our kids. Really sees them. It's no wonder they cling to him and want to crawl on top of him, like little birds perched on their favorite tree," Burton said of her husband on Instagram.
Luke Macfarlane and his partner became dads in 2023
Many actors have called out Hallmark for refusing to feature diverse love stories, and it's led some actors to either leave the network entirely or take breaks from filming. For Luke Macfarlane, it was the latter. The actor went on hiatus from Hallmark and took roles in projects like "Bros" and "Platonic," but after seeing the network has begun featuring more LGBTQ+ characters in its films, Macfarlane is returning.
"Hallmark has been very good to me, and I have agreed to do a Christmas movie for them this year. So I'm adding to the canon," Macfarlane told The Hollywood Reporter.
While Macfarlane was on his break from Hallmark, he and his partner Hig Roberts welcomed a new addition to their family, a daughter named Tess. "On Father's Day we got to take her home. Her dads can't wait to introduce her to all the remarkable people and the beautiful world we live in," Macfarlane said on Instagram. Macfarlane has never shared how he and his partner, a professional alpine skier, met or when they began dating. Aside from announcing the birth of their daughter, Macfarlane and Roberts have kept most details of their relationship private.