Hallmark’s Second String

Brittany Bristow

Bethany Brown

For the past 20 years, Hallmark Channel has become synonymous with year-round family friendly made-for-TV movies and TV shows, featuring familiar faces like Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Brennan Elliott and Ryan Paevey – just to name a few of the cavalcade of actors attached to the network’s programming.

But just as important as the lead actors are the co-stars – or the second string cast members – who populate the movies that air as part of the network’s salute to the changing of the seasons like Winter Fest, Spring Fling, Fall Harvest and, of course, Christmas.

Among the second string cast being honored – in what I hope will become a regular new series of articles – are the following actresses who have appeared in a handful (or more) of Hallmark movies:

Andrea Brooks

Rukiya Bernard

Brittany Bristow – The Ontario native appeared in three Hallmark movies in 2017: Love Blossoms, Good Witch Spellbound (the 2-hour Halloween special) and Christmas Next Door. From there, for the next three years, Brittany appeared in Royal Matchmaker, Love on Safari, Christmas at the Palace and Love, Romance and Chocolate. In 2019, she was the lead in Holiday Date.

Bethany Brown – The Canadian actress, who was a professional violinist by the time she was 9, has appeared in at least seven Hallmark movies, including Finding Father Christmas and its sequel Engaging Father Christmas, Cooking with Love, Love at First Dance, Falling for You, Bottled With Love and Journey of My Heart.

Andrea Brooks -The Ontario native has been acting since she was a teenager, and has appeared in 10 movies, including The Bridge and its sequel, Date with Love, Summer in the CIty, A Wish for Christmas, Destination Wedding, A Harvest Wedding, The Sweetest Heart, In the Key of Love and Jingle Around the Clock. She is also a recurring character on the long-running Hallmark Channel series When Call the Heart.

Rukiya Bernard – She is another Ontario native, who has been acting for over 20 years, appearing in the movies Christmas in Canaan, Just the Way You Are and Debbie Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow. She is also a part of the ensemble cast of the Christmas in Evergreen franchise as well as the One Winter trilogy of movies.

Hilary Jardine

Hilary Jardine – Yet another Ontario native, Hilary has appeared in 8 movies, including For Better or For Worse, All Things Valentine, A Bramble House Christmas, A Brush with Love, Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind, A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love and Right In Front of Me.

How many of these Hallmark movies have you seen? Do you recognize these actresses?

Please be on the look-out for more sections of this new article series in the future.