Beloved Hallmark Channel actress Autumn Reeser knew as soon as she read the script for her 2025 Christmas movie, “We Met in December,” that playing Annie Lane would stretch her in new ways.
“The very first thing that I saw when I read this script is the long nails on this character,” Reeser told EntertainmentNow, noting that Annie’s well-manicured nails signaled to her that the Chicago professional she was playing was very in touch with her “femininity” — a trait Reeser was excited to explore.
Autumn Reeser Says She Had a ‘Pretty Deep Experience’ Getting Into Character
Written by longtime Hallmark screenwriter Nina Weinman, “We Met in December” is about two Chicagoans — played by Reeser and Hallmark fan favorite Niall Matter — who happen to meet while snowbound at a beautiful hotel before the holidays. After a magical night getting to know each other, they wind up searching for each other back home, having failed to exchange their contact information or even their last names.
Reeser told EntertainmentNow that what she enjoyed most was “getting to play with my own sense of femininity,” starting with her character’s well-manicured nails.
“I don’t wear my nails long, but it was very clear that she does,” Reeser said. “So the character really
blossomed from there — the way she moves, what she wears, what she doesn’t wear. And I really had a pretty deep experience with reconnecting with that level of femininity within me.”
After the three-week shoot, Reeser admitted, “I took the nails off immediately! But there was a lot of fun that I found in that, and a lot of ways that people approached me differently simply because of how I was expressing myself.”
“You know, I am wearing a hot pink sweater,” Reeser laughed, “so maybe a bit of Annie stuck with me!”
‘We Met in December’ Featured ‘Mature’ Characters for Autumn Reeser & Niall Matter to Portray
Hallmark“I think what Niall and I bring to this story is a lot of truth and a lot of maturity,” Reeser told EntertainmentNow of diving into their “We Met in December” characters. “These are mature adults.”
“I think sometimes in these movies, like my last movie that I did, ‘Junebug,’ the characters are stunted in their growth. That’s fun in a lot of ways, too. But (for ‘We Met in December’), Nina really wrote full-grown adults and Niall and I got to play that. That was fun in its own way.”
It helped that she and Matter already had great chemistry. Shortly after meeting at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in 2024, the two wound up in deep conversation, she said.
Reeser, who’s been open about her own spiritual journey over the last decade, explained, “I love Niall. He’s really gone on a deep, transformational journey, as well. And those are the people I connect with very deeply.”
“We Met in December” is scheduled to re-air on Hallmark Channel several more times, including on December 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. It is also available to stream via Hallmark+.
I’m actually watching it now, for the 2nd time, as I read this. LOL. It’s one of my favorites. They have great chemistry. Well written and well acted.
I love each of you and your movies, but I especially loved the two of you together in this great movie.
Even though both actors are 2 of my favorites, this was the best of the new Christmas movies of 2025.
Loved Autumn and Niall in this movie. Two of my favorites. I think it is one of the better movies of the season and very much enjoyed the more mature characters they portrayed.
I’ve already watched this twice in just a few short days. I loved the story and the two of them were great together. Autumn was so pretty in this movie. absolutely one of my favorites. (Veil movies)
Keep up the good work Hallmark