When Alec Santos isn’t sweeping one of Hallmark’s leading ladies off her feet in a rom-com, he’s likely at the front of the class in a Vancouver high school, teaching science and drama to teens. The Brazillian born actor has a degree in biochemistry and a passion for making a difference, so he loves working as a substitute teacher when he’s not on set, he told EntertainmentNow in August 2026, before the start of a new school year.
From “A Machu Picchu Proposal” with Rhiannon Fish to “Confessions of a Christmas Letter” with Angela Kinsley of “The Office” fame, Santos has co-starred in eight Hallmark projects since 2021, with more on the way. He’s appeared in his fair share of TV series, too, from “Firefly Lane” to “Virgin River,” per IMDb.
That level of recognition means it’s not very easy for Santos to fly under the radar when he gets called in to teach these days, admitting that the students “get pretty excited when I get to the school” and that some even throw watch parties for his premieres. Smiling, he said, “It’s so cool, I appreciate it so much.”
Alec Santos Says He Runs Into Hallmark Fans All the Time at School
Kristine CofskyBecause Santos sometimes has to be away for weeks to months at a time for a shoot, he told EntertainmentNow that being a substitute is the “only way” he can teach right now. In addition to teaching science and drama classes for teens in eighth through 12th grade, he also helps with the Trek program in Vancouver that combines outdoor adventures with academic lesson plans.
“I go in (to teach) quite a bit, and you form a rapport with some of the students,” he said. “So over the years, they know me. If I taught them in grade eight or grade nine, they remember me. It’s really sweet.”
He’s also well known in the front office of each school, he said, where there are typically lots of women steering the ship who are also Hallmark fans. He laughed, “I come in, and they want to talk about my movies, and they’re all so sweet. Everyone has their opinion on their favorite Hallmark movies, and my co-stars. I just tell them I can’t really comment on that, but I appreciate that they’re so candid!”
Santos said it’s emblematic of Hallmark’s “beautiful fandom” and the network’s impact, explaining, “The fact that these people are fans of a channel that just produces heartfelt stories about love? I feel like we could use a lot of that these days. And they’ve done some groundbreaking stuff on Hallmark Channel, so I feel really fortunate to be a small part of it all.”
Alec Santos Says He Applies the Same Energy to Acting & Teaching — Here’s Why
Alec SantosFor Santos, teaching not only keeps him humble (“That early morning smell of stale coffee at a public school keeps you real grounded,” he joked), but it helps him as an actor in multiple ways, he said.
“One is the curiosity of it all,” he told EntertainmentNow. “I’m just so curious about how everything and everyone works on a movie set. Because when you’re a teacher, you can’t just go up there and do your lesson. You have to also be paying attention to all the students. You know, ‘Who’s falling behind? Or why did that lesson work and the other one didn’t? Why has this lesson worked for years, but now it’s not working anymore?’ You’re constantly trying to evolve yourself if you really care about the teaching profession.”
“I think in acting it’s a similar thing,” Santos noted. “You have your training as an actor, but every day on set is a different day. You’re responding to not only your scene partner but the other people and the conditions that are there. You have to analyze the script like you’re in English class, you know?”
Santos said that in both places — in school and on set — he feels responsible for the energy of the space, explaining, “It’s from the top down. In these movies, when you’re the lead, everybody on set kind of follows your energy, just like in a classroom full of kids, where they follow the energy of the teacher.”
Referencing one of his favorite books, “Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire” by Rafe Esquith, advises teachers to watch how their students “buy in” to the positive, fun and even zany energy they bring to the classroom. The same, he’s found, applies to the stars of show or movie.
“When I worked with Angela Kinsey, she was she was just on fire every day,” Santos recalled. “Like, she’s really funny in real life. She really cares about people, and you could tell the mood would just lift when she would arrive to set. I think you have that same responsibility as a teacher as you do an actor.”
