Brendan Penny has been a Hallmark Channel fan-favorite for years, but the humble actor is still surprised every time the network asks him to star in a new movie, including “Mr. & Mrs. Christmas,” premiering on October 18, 2026.
“This is pretty much how an actor’s brain works,” Penny told EntertainmentNow ahead of the premiere. “Every single movie, you go, ‘Oh wow, I can’t believe that they put their faith in me.’ You film it, and you go, ‘Well, that’s it. It was a nice run.’ And then you get another call, and you’re like, ‘Really? Me? Okay, great!'”
Brendan Penny Adorably Says He Prays & Hopes for an ‘Acceptable Performance’ Before Each Hallmark Movie
That’s how Penny felt (yet again) while filming “Mr. & Mrs. Christmas” alongside “When Calls The Heart” star Pascale Hutton, eager to keep satisfying the powers that be at Hallmark and, of course, the viewers at home.
“You know, you really want to honor the fact that they’re putting a lot of money and a lot of faith and a lot of the fans’ time into you,” Penny explained. “So, I always pray and hope that I can give back an acceptable performance that people are gonna enjoy.”
All those prayers, combined with his acting skills and charming demeanor, are clearly working. Penny has been a mainstay on the network for a dozen years, including “Texas Two-Step” earlier this year. It’s working so well, in fact, that Penny was number one on the call sheet for his latest Christmas movie, meaning that the script centers around his character (and his star power) as he plays a single dad, moving his kids to a new town weeks before the holiday.
In addition to navigating a love story with Hutton, who’s tasked with supervising him as he kicks off his new role as the town’s new holiday decorations specialist, Penny delivers a vulnerable performance as a single dad named Taylor, grappling with his tween daughter, played by gifted young actress Alex MacIsaac, as she longs for independence while also struggling to fit in.
“This one is more of a story about a father and daughter who’s distancing herself, as opposed to it being an overall love story,” Penny told EntertainmentNow. “Of course there’s that element in it, but I really found that this was what the story was (about). Although I’ve had kid (actors) in different movies, they’re never the main focus. But I really felt that this was the main focus, and I really was excited, especially with Alex, who’s such a lovely actor. I really enjoyed it.”
Brendan Penny Says Every Parent Will Relate to ‘Mr. & Mrs. Christmas’
In “Mr. & Mrs. Christmas,” Penny said he leaned into his own life experiences as a dad to inform his acting. The actor shares two kids with his wife of 16 years, Lisa Gerard (plus a houseful of pets, including a dog he adopted from the set of “Texas Two Step.”
Tapping into his own parenting journey was “definitely a good tool” as he dove into the script, he told EntertainmentNow, noting that he thinks “every parent is gonna be able to relate to this movie.”
Penny juggles jovial scenes and emotional turmoil, and he appreciated how the script reflected the real-life experience of joy and sorrow existing in the same day as a parent, sometimes in what can feel like a never-ending cycle.
“I think that’s kind of how it is when you’re a parent,” he said. “You know, you don’t really know how your communication’s gonna go for the day. Sometimes it can be super easy. Other times you’re like, ‘Didn’t see that coming!'”
Hutton’s character, who’s also a single parent to a teen, helps Taylor navigate things with his daughter. Penny said working with Hutton was “great,” adding, “She’s super easy to be around. She’s a pro — she’s been doing this forever!”
“Mr. & Mrs. Christmas” premieres on October 18 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and will be available to stream via Hallmark+ the following day.
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Why Brendan Penny Says He ‘Can’t Believe’ Hallmark Keeps Bringing Him Back For More (EXCLUSIVE)