Hallmark’s upcoming titles on the 2024 TV schedule star a ton of fan-favorite actors, including many who have been staples on the Christmas network for years. One of those beloved stars is Awkward’s Nikki DeLoach, and now, she's revealing the story behind her transition to Hallmark and why she knew it was a good idea (even though she took some flak for it).
Before joining Hallmark, DeLoach starred on MTV’s Awkward and soap operas like North Shore and Days of Our Lives. She also jump-started her career with The All New Mickey Mouse Club in the ‘90s, the same show that launched Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Keri Russell, before transitioning into a career that included a lot of “gritty, highly dramatic roles,” she told IndieWire. Due to the parts she’s played in the past, the actress shared that doing a Hallmark film was something she'd been wanting to try, but it was not well-received:
I was laughed out of the room because it was Hallmark. I don’t think you guys understand what’s happening here. I don’t think you quite get the way that these movies are making people feel.
DeLoach went on to say that she knew moving to Hallmark would be a good idea. She wanted to switch up the parts she was playing, and give the wholesome romance the network is known for a chance. Plus, she understood the popularity of the films this channel puts out, and she wanted to be a part of them. However, the people she was working with didn't get the appeal, as she said:
It’s a shame because what they don’t understand is Hallmark, every Friday, every Saturday, every Sunday night, is number one on cable. And Netflix and all these other networks are now just copying our Christmas content. Netflix is fully doing Hallmark.
Despite rival network GAF coming into play and taking some Hallmark stars, the OG Christmas network still remains on top with content, even with Netflix's release schedule and other platforms' lineups featuring films like theirs. There's always so much excitement surrounding the network and its fan-favorite Countdown to Christmas lineup, and the actress wanted to get in on the fun.
When it came time to make this transition, Nikki DeLoach noted that it was difficult because she had been raised to think that you pick a lane and stick with it. So, navigating a big career change came with challenges, as she explained:
Coming to L.A. as a young girl, the messaging was very clear: You pick a lane, and you stay in the lane. That’s what we told young up-and-coming actors at the time; you can’t be an actor and also a writer and also a director, you can do one thing and you put your focus into that. It’s a really tricky thing to navigate in our industry when they tend to put people in boxes. And I think, haven’t we learned our lesson?
These days, it is common to see actors writing and directing or taking on projects that are totally different from what they're known for. I'm happy to know that this actress was able to do it too. Plus, considering DeLoach has been in over 20 Hallmark films, she obviously made the right decision.
Now, she's a staple on the network and she’s even had films “breaking the mold” for Hallmark. Even if she does have to film some Christmas movies in a heatwave, the pivot was certainly worth it, and we can't wait to see what she does next with the network.
If you are looking to see Nikki DeLoach's latest Hallmark movie, you can catch Our Holiday Story on the Hallmark Channel at 8 p.m. ET tonight, November 2.