In 2025, several stars from Hallmark Channel’s <em>When Calls the Heart</em> are branching out from Hope Valley to star in Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas movies. When Calls the Heart season 13 premieres on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel, but fans don’t have to wait until then to see their favorite Hope Valley residents on their screens.
When Calls the Heart season 13 will pick up where season 12 left off, as Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow) seeks treatment for her son Little Jack’s (Hyland Goodrich) diabetes in Cape Fullerton at the urging of Little Jack’s grandmother. Brooke Shields will return as Charlotte Thornton, Elizabeth’s late husband Jack’s (Daniel Lissing) mother. In addition, Melissa Gilbert will reprise her role as Georgia “Georgie” McGill, whose potential romance with Bill Avery (Jack Wagner) was a fan favorite.
As fans eagerly await the newest season of When Calls the Heart, they can catch their favorite actors from the show in several different Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies, airing on both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+. Although When Calls the Heart doesn’t have a Christmas movie of its own this year, as it has in seasons past, some of the cast members are bringing holiday magic to Hallmark Channel in other films.
Erin Krakow Stars In Christmas Above The Clouds
Erin Krakow Plays Elizabeth Thornton In When Calls The Heart
When Calls the Heart actress Erin Krakow stars in Christmas Above the Clouds, alongside Tyler Hynes. The movie premiered on Saturday, November 8, 2025, and features Krakow as a workaholic CEO named Ella Neezer, whose name is a play on Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. While on a flight to Australia to escape Christmas, she’s visited by three spirits and unexpectedly reunites with her lost love, played by Hynes.
In When Calls the Heart, Krakow portrays Elizabeth, the heroine of the show. Elizabeth moved to Hope Valley (then known as Coal Valley) from her wealthy family in Hamilton to become a schoolteacher. She wanted to make a difference in the world and felt that she could do that by helping out the small town. Elizabeth is currently dealing with her son Little Jack’s diabetes diagnosis while also navigating her romantic relationship with Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry).
Ben Rosenbaum Stars In The Christmas Cup
Ben Rosenbaum Plays Mike Hickam In When Calls The Heart
When Calls the Heart actor Ben Rosenbaum stars in The Christmas Cup, along with Rhiannon Fish. The film premiered on Sunday, November 30, 2025, with Rosenbaum as Fire Captain Quinn Stokley, who has a connection with Fish’s character, Staff Sergeant Kelly Brandt, who suffers a knee injury that threatens to end her career.
Kelly returns to her hometown, where she participates in the annual Christmas Cup against the rival town. Kelly and Quinn work together to get their teams ready. However, when the Marines finally clear Kelly to return to serve, she must decide if she should head to a base in Hawaii on the day of the competition.
The Christmas Cup also features surprise cameos from five other When Calls the Heart stars, including Pascale Hutton (Rosemary Coulter), Kavan Smith (Lee Coulter), Natasha Burnett (Minnie Canfield), Jaeda Lily Miller (Allie Grant), and Andrea Brooks (Faith Carter).
In When Calls the Heart, Rosenbaum plays Mike Hickam, a bumbling type of man who’s trying to find his way in the world. He’s tried out many different jobs and was even elected mayor of Hope Valley in season 9 but later decided the role wasn’t for him. In season 11, Mike fell in love with and married the town’s pharmacist, Mei Sou.
Daniel Lissing Stars In Single On The 25th
Daniel Lissing Played Jack Thornton In When Calls The Heart
Former When Calls the Heart actor Daniel Lissing stars in Single on the 25th, alongside Lyndsy Fonseca. The movie premieres on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET and was inspired by the song “Single on the 25th,” by Lauren Spencer Smith. Fonseca plays Nell Duke, a single woman who doesn’t like being alone during Christmastime. When her family cancels their holiday plans at the last minute, Nell decides to spend Christmas week having fun by herself.
Nell’s neighbor Cooper, played by Lissing—a financial expert who’s happily single—sees Nell’s struggle and decides to give her pointers about being happy during the holidays while alone. Their interaction makes him realize everything that he’s missing out on because he doesn’t have any real connections.
Nell and Cooper’s potential relationship is nearly ruined though when she discovers that he only wanted to help her because he felt sorry for her. He’ll have to prove himself to Nell if he hopes to win her back as she finds strength within herself while spending the holidays single.
In When Calls the Heart, Lissing played Mountie Jack Thornton, Elizabeth’s love interest and eventual husband for five seasons until Jack was killed in a landslide while away on a training mission at Fort Clay. After his death, Elizabeth discovered that she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Jack Thornton Jr., who’s now known as Little Jack. Jack’s spirit lives on in Hope Valley through his son and through Elizabeth’s never-ending love for him.
These Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies will allow fans to see When Calls the Heart actors step out of the early 20th century and into 2025. It’ll be fun to see them play characters in the modern world while looking forward to them portraying beloved Hope Valley residents. When Calls the Heart actors are so versatile and talented that they can capture hearts in any time period.
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Erin Krakow
Elizabeth Thatcher
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Pascale Hutton
Rosemary LeVeaux
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