Daniel Lissing has become a familiar face to Hallmark fans over the years. Especially for those who remember him as Jack Thornton on “When Calls the Heart.” The Australian actor has continued working steadily since leaving the series. And he’s appeared in several Hallmark movies and television projects along the way.
Now, Lissing is back on Hallmark Channel tonight in the brand-new movie “Aussie at Heart,” giving fans another chance to see him in a leading role. But there’s more to the actor than his Hallmark career. Like how he met his wife and the adorable dog he shares with her. Here are five fast facts about Daniel Lissing.
1. Daniel Lissing Met His Wife While Vacationing in Iceland
Lissing has been married to Nadia Lissing since 2020, but their relationship began with a chance meeting while they were both vacationing in Iceland in 2018.
Nadia had recently earned her master’s degree in business and was traveling through Iceland when Daniel approached her at a bar. The interesting part? She didn’t initially know that he was an actor.
Nadia told Entertainment Tonight in 2019:
“I was traveling after graduating [with] my masters in business. A very happy, slightly intoxicated Australian approached me in a bar. My first impression was, ‘This guy is hot but he might be a little crazy.’”
She also recalled feeling an immediate connection.
“I’d never met anyone like him before, that’s for sure! I felt an instant connection.”
Honestly, their meeting sounds like something that could have been written specifically for a rom-com.
The couple eventually got engaged in 2019, with Lissing sharing the happy news on Instagram.
2. Daniel & Nadia Married in 2020
Lissing and Nadia had planned to celebrate their wedding with a larger gathering, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans. Instead, they decided to get married in a small private ceremony in California in 2020. The couple had two close friends serve as witnesses, and Lissing later explained that they didn’t want to wait to begin their married life together.
Lissing has also spoken with Entertainment Tonight about how leaving “When Calls the Heart” ultimately helped put him on the path to meeting Nadia.
“It’s funny the way the world works. If I had stayed on the show, and been there during season 6 and shot and all that kind of stuff, then I wouldn’t have met Nadia, you know? I wouldn’t be getting married and I wouldn’t be at this place in my life where I feel really in line with what I’m meant to be doing personally and professionally, so no regrets at all.”
Yep, it’s a pretty positive way for Lissing to look back at such a major career change.
While fans were understandably disappointed to see Jack Thornton’s story come to an end on “When Calls the Heart,” Lissing has made it clear that he has no regrets about the decision.
3. Daniel & Nadia Have No Kids, But There’s a Dog
Lissing and Nadia don’t have children, but they do have a very important member of their family: their dog, Oscar, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. And he has become a familiar face to fans who follow Daniel and Nadia’s life away from the cameras.
In fact, Oscar has his own Instagram account, giving fans an opportunity to follow along with his adventures. The adorable pup has also traveled with Daniel and Nadia, including on some of their international trips.
It seems like Oscar is very much part of the family, and fans have clearly embraced him.
Yep, it’s not exactly surprising that a Hallmark star’s dog would end up with his own following. Oscar is pretty adorable.
4. Lissing Has Continued Working in TV & Movies
Of course, Lissing is probably best known to Hallmark fans for his five-season run as Jack Thornton on “When Calls the Heart.” Since leaving the series, however, he has continued building an impressive list of television and movie credits.
Lissing made his U.S. television debut as Lt. James King on ABC’s “Last Resort.” He has also appeared in shows including “S.W.A.T.” and “The Rookie,” along with a number of television movies.
On the Hallmark side of things, his credits include “A December Bride” (2016) and “Christmas in Love” (2018). And Lissing’s return in “Santa Tell Me” (2024) was particularly fun for “When Calls the Heart” fans because it reunited him with Erin Krakow, who played Elizabeth Thatcher. He also starred opposite Lyndsy Fonseca in Hallmark’s “Single on the 25th” in 2025.
Let’s be real, Lissing has managed to stay pretty busy since leaving Hope Valley.
5. Daniel Lissing Stars in Tonight’s New Hallmark Movie
Lissing is giving Hallmark fans another reason to tune in tonight with the premiere of “Aussie at Heart.”
The new movie premieres tonight (Saturday, August 15) at 8:00pm ET on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark+, as part of the network’s 25th birthday celebration.
In “Aussie at Heart,” Lissing plays Nate Lawson, an ex-coworker and rival of Samara, played by Rhiannon Fish. Samara is a former lawyer who has become an event planner. She and Nate reunite when they are tasked with planning an anniversary celebration for a couple in Queensland, Australia.
As they work together, their complicated history begins to resurface. And they have to confront some of the feelings they may have tried to leave in the past. For Lissing, it’s another opportunity to step into the kind of romantic role that Hallmark fans have come to expect from him.
And honestly, it seems like a pretty fitting time for fans to catch up with the actor. He has continued growing his career, found his real-life happily-ever-after with Nadia, and even has a four-legged family member who has become a fan favorite.
So, whether fans first discovered Lissing as Jack on “When Calls the Heart” or have followed his Hallmark career since then, “Aussie at Heart” offers another chance to see what he’s been up to lately.
