As the end of the year creeps past Halloween, there's something else that's special to enjoy: Hallmark holiday movies. In fact, the Hallmark movies of 2024 have already begun to premiere, and it's just the beginning. Hallmark has had many big names featured throughout the years, and one of the newest regular stars to grace its festive films is Jonathan Bennet. Bennet has and continues to open up about being a part of Hallmark’s journey in representing the queer community and breaking down stereotypes.
The actor is arguably best known for his role as Aaron Samuels in the game-changing comedy Mean Girls. He’s done plenty since those high school days, which includes his relationship with the Hallmark Channel and the mini-reunion with ex-costar, Lacey Chabert while working with the streamer. The alum opened up to People in an interview about how his career with the holiday giant has grown since its first LGBTQ+ film in 2022, and what’s to come, including the Groomsmen trilogy that is premiering presently:
I don't see a lot of those stories being told. And so to tell this story of Danny, who is a former major league baseball pitcher who becomes a coach is another thing that is breaking the heteronormative storyline that you would [see] in a lot of movies. … I haven't seen, really, a gay character that was a baseball player-turned-coach. I think that's a really interesting point of view to explore and so doing that was really powerful.
The upcoming movie showcases three male leads, their friendship with one another, and their love lives, respectively. The Cake Wars host went on to discuss that the films will highlight males expressing vulnerability. He shares that it’s a theme that does not get showcased often in popular culture and he is excited to help normalize the feelings.
I don't think we see a lot of men, whether it be straight or gay, being vulnerable with each other and opening up and saying, 'Hey, I'm scared of this. Hey, this worries me. Hey, this is something in my life that I think about that makes me uncomfortable and I don't know what to do about it. You don't see that story a lot. But what it does is when that happens in a movie, it gives the people watching the courage and the availability to do it themselves.
Bennett then reflected on how different the conversation and representation of the LGBTQ+ community was less than two decades ago. He wouldn’t have believed he'd not only star in the first LGBTQ+ Hallmark Channel movie, which he did and had the best response to learning he landed it, but to be one-third of a trio in a trilogy where same-sex relationships were heralded in the same respect as heteronormative ones. He shared:
10 years ago, 15 years ago, I would never dream that I would be [starring] in a Hallmark movie that's seen by so many people across middle America, in so many different places in the country ... and I would be playing a gay character, getting married to another man and having two straight best friends standing behind me in the frame, supporting me and lifting me up. I never would've dreamed that I would be making that movie. And here we are and we did it. And not only did we do it, but we crushed it because it is so beautiful in Greece and the scenes turned out so gorgeous. So it was just a very emotional moment watching that part of the cut. I was like, 'Wow, that's really cool.
I'm always in for a Jonathan Bennett movie night, especially if it has a good message, an iconic callback to a classic line, and a fun time. If you want to get in on the inclusive and heartwarming fun, you can stream The Groomsmen: First Look (October 17th), The Groomsmen: Second Chances (October 24th), and The Groomsmen: The Last Dance (October 31st) on Hallmark+.