As a production company, Hallmark ranks among the most popular for streaming releases, especially around the holidays. Where once they released a few seasonal movies, their Christmas films are now in the dozens annually, making them a lucrative way for actors to get their faces in front of fans who didn't expect to see them appear in a Hallmark film.
The relationship is certainly beneficial to Hallmark, as the draw of recognizable movie stars can mean even higher ratings for films that might ordinarily be overlooked due to predictable plots and tropes. Plenty of big names have lent their star power to a Hallmark film, and sometimes several!
ADRIAN GRENIER
Once one of the most sought after stars in television after being in the wildly popular Entourage on HBO, Adrian Grenier made several films including The Devil Wears Prada and Drive Me Crazy.
He surprised his fans when he made Christmas In Graceland 2, a follow up to the popular Christmas In Graceland that took place at Elvis Presley's famous former residence. Grenier played a young widower with three children who meets and falls in love with a tour guide at the mansion, who helps him take care of his family.
MEGHAN MARKLE
Meghan Markle may not be an incredibly famous actress, but she's an incredibly famous royal, thanks to her marriage to Prince Harry. Before she was Meghan Duchess of Sussex, she starred in the popular series Suits and made several Hallmark films.
In 2014 she starred in When Sparks Fly, about a young woman who returns home on Fourth of July only to realize the man she loves is marrying her best friend, and in 2016 (the year she met Prince Harry) she starred in Dater's Handbook, about a young woman who changes herself to find a lover, only to realize the perfect man will love her for who she is.
DANNY GLOVER
Starring in such popular films as The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield, and the Lethal Weapon franchise, Danny Glover is a renowned actor as well as a passionate activist.
In The Christmas Train, he's one of the passengers Dermot Mulroney encounters while traveling from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles. A cynical journalist, Mulroney's character doesn't have time for Christmas, but the long journey by train gives him the time to appreciate the special moments of the holiday season.
BRANDON ROUTH
Known primarily for playing Superman in the well-received Superman Returns (2006), Brandon Routh most recently put on the red cape again to portray Superman in the crossover event of the decade.
In The Nine Lives of Christmas, he plays a fireman who's committed to being a bachelor until he encounters a stray cat who brings a veterinary student into his life. The Christmas season takes on a new meaning when he finds that both she and the cat aren't going anywhere.
KERRI RUSSEL
A standout in the series The Americans, and a memorable addition to indie films like Waitress and blockbusters like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Kerri Russel also lent her range to the Hallmark period film The Magic of Ordinary Days.
She plays an unwed mother whose circumstances necessitate the arranged marriage to a farmer (Skeet Ulrich) during World War II. The film has a sweetness and charm that's anchored by Russel's dignified and hardy performance.
JAMES BROLIN
The famous husband of Barbra Streisand, father of MCU star Josh Brolin, as well as the star of such classic films in the '70s and '80s as Westworld, Capricorn One, and series like Hotel made his Hallmark film debut recently with Royal Hearts.
He plays a feisty Montana rancher who discovers he's actually the king of Merania. His daughter encourages him to assume the throne and leave his rural life behind, to much hilarity. He can also be seen in the Christmas hallmark film Christmas with Tucker.
JULIA STILES
While most of her fans will remember her as the sarcastic Kat from 10 Things I Hate About You, inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, she also made a Hallmark film called The Makeover, inspired by My Fair Lady.
She stars opposite David Walton (New Girl), who takes the role of Eliza Dolittle in the classic story of the poor flower girl who's transformed into a lady. This gender-swapped retelling has a uniquely modern vibe, and Stiles is still charming when she's sick of people not taking her seriously.
ZACHARY LEVI
Most fans know funnyman Zachary Levi from starring in the hit series Chuck or flying around as the titular superhero in the DCEU film Shazam, but he found time to star in a Hallmark movie alongside Gilmore Girls alum Alexis Bledel.
In Remember Sunday, Levi plays a jewelry store clerk who suffers from short term memory loss. He falls in love with Bledel's waitress character, who learns to return his affections despite his frustrating habit of forgetting their dates.
CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY
Once a teen heartthrob in the '00s thanks to films like A Cinderella Story alongside Hillary Duff and the popular series One Tree Hill, Chad Michael Murray graduated to Hallmark films, two of which take place during Christmas.
In The Road To Christmas, Write Before Christmas about how one special holiday card has the power to bring two lovebirds together, and The Beach House.
LACEY CHABERT
Known for being part of the heavy '90s drama Party of Five, as well as snappy films like Lost in Space and Mean Girls, Lacey Chabert left conventional Hollywood behind to become Hallmark's reigning Queen of Christmas.
At this point, Chabert has starred in no less than sixteen different Hallmark films, the overwhelming majority of which are set at Christmas time. Of the 30-40 new Christmas movies Hallmark releases every year, Chabert is guaranteed to be in at least half a dozen.