Hallmark Fav Cameron Mathison Signs Deal With Great American Family
cameron mathison great american family
Kim Nunneley/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC
Great American Family, has been making waves among fans of the family rom-com and specifically those associated with Hallmark Channel. Previously known as Great American Country, the network is now owned by a group of investors that includes former Hallmark Media CEO Bill Abbott.
The network was rebranded and relaunched as Great American Family along with a sister network, Great American Living, which will showcase their lifestyle brand.
As soon as the network relaunched, the first order of business seemed to be to cajole some fan favorite Hallmark stars over to Great American Media with multi-picture deals (guaranteed work!)
Why are Hallmark stars moving to Great American Family?
In the past couple of years, Great American Media has announced they've signed many actors to deals, including Danica McKellar, Jen Lilley, Jessica Lowndes, Cameron Mathison and Trevor Donovan. Plus, they plucked one of the shiniest gems from from Hallmark's crown: Candace Cameron Bure!
“I’m very excited to develop heartwarming family and faith-filled programming and make the kind of stories my family and I love to watch,” Bure said in a statement at the time.
Great American Media is likely making the moves worth it for the actors and hoping the stars' followers tune in too.
While the deals are non-exclusive, it's unlikely you'll be seeing these stars on Hallmark Channel anytime soon due to time and filming commitments.
Not only have they scooped up talent, they've also revived properties that Hallmark canceled or wavered on picking up for additional seasons. Great American Media picked up season 2 of When Hope Calls and greenlit a Christmas movie for the When Calls the Heart spinoff. When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas premiered on the network in 2021. The film featured Lori Loughlin, who was ousted from Hallmark Media after her involvement in the Varsity Blue college admissions scandal. The Christmas movie also featured a cameo by Daniel Lissing, who left the series at the end of season 5. Lissing reprised his role as Mountie Jack Thornton for a single scene.
Great American Media cast Loughlin in several movies since her release from prison in 2019.
Related: Lori Loughlin Is Returning to the Small Screen!
After Hallmark Channel canceled Home & Family, their daily weekday family lifestyle show, Great American Media quickly hired Cameron Mathison, Debbie Matenopoulos and other Home & Family on-camera talent to host their Christmas preview special, Welcome to Great American Christmas.
Hallmark Channel also announced they would no longer produce Kitten Bowl, the network's counter-programming to the Super Bowl and Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl. The show didn't linger in the ether for long as Great American Media picked up the rights to the yearly special that promotes pet adoption and features shelter animals. The special will be rechristened Great American Rescue Bowl and will feature not only kittens but also puppies and adult cats and dogs.
Related: Great American Family Saves the Kitten Bowl!
Which Hallmark actors are going to Great American Media?
Kim Nunneley/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC
Candace Cameron Bure
Candace Cameron Bure is the shiniest star plucked from Hallmark's crown. Touted as the network's "Queen of Christmas," Cameron Bure has starred in more than two dozen movies for Hallmark since 2008, including 10 Christmas movies. This deal likely comes as a jolt to Hallmark as Cameron Bure also portrays the titular character in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Hallmark has since reimagined the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries with an origin series with a teenaged and young adult cast.
“I am constantly looking for ways that I can inspire people to live life with purpose. Great American Family fits my brand perfectly; we share a vision of creating compelling wholesome content for an audience who wants to watch programming for and with the whole family," she said in a statement. "Great, quality entertainment with a positive message is what my partnership with Great American Family is all about!”
Related: Candace Cameron Bure's Best Hallmark Christmas Movies
Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar was one of the first Hallmark Channel actors to sign a non-exclusive multi-pic deal with newly rebranded Great American Family. She starred in Great American Family's The Winter Palace and Christmas at the Drive-In, both opposite Neal Bledsoe.
McKellar was previously a staple on Hallmark Channel having starred in multiple Christmas movies including You, Me & the Christmas Trees, Christmas at Dollywood and Christmas She Wrote. She also starred in the Matchmaker Mysteries movie franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries opposite Victor Webster.
Hallmark confirmed they will not be pursuing additional films in the Hailey Dean, Picture Perfect or Matchmaker Mysteries franchises.
McKellar most recently guest starred on Home Economics and serves as a judge on Domino Masters.
Jen Lilley
The former Days of our Lives actress starred in Royally Wrapped for Christmas and A Paris Christmas Waltz for Great American Family and has starred in almost a dozen films for Hallmark Channels over the years including Where Your Heart Belongs, USS Christmas and Winter Love Story.
Related: Jen Lilley Gets Real About Foster Care, Parenting Hacks and Managing Mom Guilt
Courtesy of Great American Family
Trevor Donovan
Donovan was also one of the first to sign a deal with Great American Media. He starred in Jingle Bell Princess and 'Twas the Text Before Christmas, both with Merritt Patterson, as well as A Harvest Homecoming for the network. He previously starred in Two for the Win, USS Christmas and Love, Fall & Order for Hallmark Channel. He also co-stars in the biopic Reagan about President Ronald Reagan.
Jessica Lowndes
Lowndes starred in the Great American Family holiday film, My Angel's Christmas List. She also starred in Great American Family's Valentine's Day offering, Harmony from the Heart opposite Chesapeake Shores alum, Jesse Metcalfe. She previously starred in Christmas at Pemberley Manor, Over the Moon in Love and Mix Up in the Mediterranean for Hallmark Channel.
Cameron Mathison
The former Home & Family host is the latest to sign with the network. Mathison starred in A Kindhearted Christmas opposite Jenny McCarthy for Great American Family as well as The Christmas Farm with Jill Wagner. Mathison previously starred in a variety of films for Hallmark Channel including At Home in Mitford with Andie MacDowell and A Summer to Remember with Catherine Bell.
Hallmark stars on Great American Family
While these popular Hallmark Channel stars have not signed exclusive deals with either network, they have appeared in Great American Family movies.
Lori Loughlin
The former Hallmark darling was made persona non grata at Hallmark Channel after she was indicted and pleaded guilty to her involvement in the college admissions scandal. After serving her jail time, Loughlin made her return to television with a guest starring role on When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, reprising her When Calls the Heart role as Abigail Stanton. Great American Family picked up a second season of When Hope Calls which originally aired on Hallmark Movies Now, Hallmark's streaming subscription site. The second season has yet to go into production so it remains to be seen if Abigail will remain in Brookfield.
Loughlin has since starred in Fall into Winter and most recently, A Christmas Blessing (both opposite James Tupper) for Great American Family. There may be an opening for Loughlin to return to Hallmark Channel. Her When Calls the Heart character has been referenced several times during the most recent season of the show with the tenth season finale finding Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins) on Abigail's doorstep.
Related: Everything We Know About Lori Loughlin's Return to Acting
Daniel Lissing
Daniel Lissing left When Calls the Heart after the fifth season of Hallmark Channel's most popular series. He starred in Christmas in Love post-When Calls the Heart, but hasn't made an appearance on the network since. He has since appeared on S.W.A.T, The Rookie, and most recently, The Cleaning Lady. He starred in A Christmas Star for Great American Family and also reprised his role as Mountie Jack Thornton in a single scene in When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas opposite Lori Loughlin.
He has since starred in Catering Christmas for Great American Family as well as this year's Christmas Keepsake.
Related: Daniel Lissing Calls When Hope Calls Reunion With Lori Loughlin 'A Beautiful Moment'
Jesse Metcalfe
Jesse Metcalfe starred on Hallmark Channel's Chesapeake Shores for four seasons and decided to leave the show in its fifth season. His character, Trace Riley, left Chesapeake Shores and Abby (Meghan Ory) for a "fresh start."
Metcalfe also starred in the Martha Vineyard Mysteries franchise for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The former Dallas and Desperate Housewives star co-starred opposite Jessica Lowndes in Great American Family's Harmony from the Heart.
Related: Why Jesse Metcalfe Quit Chesapeake Shores
Sarah Lind
Sarah Lind starred in the Martha's Vineyard Mysteries franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries opposite Jesse Metcalfe. On Great American Family, she starred in The Great Christmas Switch opposite Dillon Casey.
Rukiya Bernard and Dewshane Williams
Bernard and Williams co-starred opposite Taylor Cole and Jack Turner in the One Winter trilogy of movies—One Winter Weekend, One Winter Proposal and One Winter Wedding. The two headlined Christmas Time is Here for Great American Family.
Courtesy of Great American Family
Chad Michael Murray
The former One Tree Hill actor starred in Great American Family's Angel Falls Christmas opposite Jessica Lowndes who he has worked with in multiple projects. He previously starred in Write Before Christmas, Sand Dollar Cove and Road to Christmas for Hallmark Channel. This holiday season he stars in Christmas on Windmill Way on Great American Family.
Courtesy of Great American Family
Merritt Patterson
Patterson starred in Great American Family's Jingle Bell Princess and 'Twas the Text Before Christmas, both with Trevor Donovan. She also starred in One Perfect Match with Joshua Sasse and Catering Christmas for the network. Formerly on The Royals, Patterson starred in multiple films for Hallmark Channel including The Christmas Cottage, Forever in My Heart and A Royal Winter.
Christopher Russell
Christopher Russell starred in Great American Family's A Lot Like Christmas and in 2023 starred in both A Dash of Christmas and Peppermint and Postcards for the network. He previously appeared in several Hallmark movies including Where Your Heart Belongs, Chasing Waterfalls and Love in the Forecast.
Jill Wagner
Jill Wagner starred in the Mystery 101 series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries opposite Kristoffer Polaha who was also her co-star in Pearl in Paradise on Hallmark Channel. Most recently, she starred in and executive produced Special Ops: Lioness, a Taylor Sheridan series on Paramount+ starring Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana.
Wagner also has quite a Christmas resume on Hallmark Channel with films like The Angel Tree, Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses and Christmas Cookies. Wagner starred in A Christmas Miracle for Daisy, The Christmas Farm and Bringing Christmas Home on Great American Family.
Related: Jill Wagner Shares a Secret About Her Mystery 101 Co-Star Kristoffer Polaha
Susie Abromeit
Abromeit has appeared in several movies for Great American Family including Love in Bloom, Romance in the Vineyard, and Designing Christmas with You.
Courtesy of Great American Family
Paul Greene
While Greene hasn't signed with either network, he has made more appearances on Great American Family than Hallmark. Greene starred as Dr. Carson Shepherd on Hallmark Channel's longest running series, When Calls the Heart. While his character left the sleepy town of Hope Valley to study under a world renowned physician at John Hopkins, the writers left it open for the character to return, but he did not. Greene starred in Fit for Christmas on CBS and I'm Glad It's Christmas and Bringing Christmas Home for Great American Family.
