Brooke Shields, Luke MacFarlane
Philip Farone/Getty Images; Tristan Fewings/Getty ImagesHallmark Media made headlines in 2022 when it subsequently upped its exclusivity contracts A mass exodus of their talent To a major American media competitor.
“It's usually a couple of movies, and some for a Christmas movie,” said Hallmark executive vice president Lisa Hamilton Daly He said Delivery time In May 2022 of their approach to retaining stars such as Lacey Chabert and Nikki DeLoach. “It's really to make sure we can access that talent during the year.”
Chabert and DeLoach were among the network's biggest names to remain with Hallmark after former stars Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar He left that year for Major American media. (Former CEO of Hallmark Bill Abbott He is the official at GAM.)
Hallmark is nothing new in making huge deals with big names. In reality, Brooke Shields She revealed it in her memoirs issued in January 2025, Brooke Shields is not allowed to grow old: Thoughts on aging as a womanShe signed a 16-film contract with Hallmark in 2014.
After streaming services and rival networks have launched their own holiday programming — and seasonal romance series — several actors and actresses have signed deals with Great American Family or Netflix, but several of the Hallmark Channel's flagships told us they have no plans to find their Christmas spirit elsewhere . “I don't think anyone does Christmas the way Hallmark does. (…)
While the contract was lucrative, the actress ended the working relationship after just three years Flower shop secrets films.
“I had only completed three when I realized I had to renegotiate. I was hired, I was told, to help change the face of the network. “They wanted me to be funny and bring more comedy to their shows, but as filming progressed on each Flower shop secrets — the franchise I was hired to headline — all humor evaporated.
Scroll down to see which Hallmark stars past and present spoke out about their special contracts:
Brooke Shields
Having played flower shop owner and former lawyer Abby Knight in three Flower shop secrets In 2016, Shields severed her ties with Hallmark.
“Not everything is affordable, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Hallmark Channel — God knows they have a huge fan base — but this was not the future I wanted for my career,” Shields wrote in her letter. Brooke Shields isn't allowed to get old My memoir, released in January 2025. “I'm never against hard work, but now I'm a believer in only saying yes to work that serves me.”
“I simply couldn't do 10 more films that weren't what I promised them and felt completely wrong for me,” the actress realized. So I quit. I definitely surprised some people, and I surprised myself in many ways. I certainly never would have done that in my twenties.
Luke McFarlane
McFarlane, who was A hallmark staple since 2014He explained that his contract has changed over the years.
“I've done overall deals with them and in (the terms in the letter) I'll commit to five Christmas movies or five movies, but I can't work for any other network — and they're mentioning all the other networks,” he explained during an appearance on CNN. “It could be related to the holidays.” Tosh Show in December 2023. “So I was able to do Netflix's One all the way) Because I was out of my agreement with them.
Keeping it real! Curious Caterer stars Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker are still representing Hallmark after some of the network's stars in 2021 and 2022 moved to Great American Media. “Let's start with the family that is Hallmark,” DeLoach, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, February 1, while promoting her and Walker's second mystery…
The actor noted that Netflix paid less than his Hallmark projects, which pay “well.” MacFarlane is also a fan of his leftovers from the network.
“They have to air a certain amount of time before you start getting (the remnants),” he said of Hallmark. “If you end up doing one of those kind of hits that's popular, it gets played more and more, so you end up getting leftovers.”
Candace Cameron Bure
Cameron Bure She moved away from her role as Hallmark's “Queen of Christmas” in April 2022. She gave insight into her decision to move to Great American in September of that year, claiming it was partly due to negotiations.
“The truth is, I was under contract with Hallmark for a very long time. That was very cool,” she said. diverse at that time. “It just so happened that my contract was about to expire when I started Great American Family.”
Lacey Chabert earned her spot as Hallmark's newest “Queen of Christmas,” but it didn't happen overnight. The 42-year-old actress made her debut on the Hallmark Channel with 2010's Elevator Girl. Two years later, she starred in her first holiday movie on the network with Matchmaker Santa. “These films mean a lot to me. I really (…)
Cameron Bure – who starred in 18 Aurora Tea Garden Secrets On Hallmark Mysteries – she claimed she waited until the contract was up before speaking with Great American Media. “We didn't start having those discussions until we entered into negotiations with the Hallmark Channel for renewal,” she continued. “As every businessman knows, you have to do what's right with contracts. It didn't work out with Hallmark so we started talking to Bill.
Danica McKellar
He became McKellar A fixture on Hallmark in 2015, but parted ways with the network in October 2021 as one of the first stars to sign a deal with them. Major American media. In November 2024, she revealed that she was not under contract with Hallmark at any point.
“At Hallmark, I didn't have an overall deal. And with Great American, I got these multi-picture deals,” McKellar claimed during an episode of “Sex, lies and spray tansPodcast. “They've allowed me to get more involved in writing and producing. It's very satisfying creatively.
