That’s a wrap! On September 13, 2025, beloved Hallmark star Kristoffer Polaha brought fans behind the scenes as members of the cast and crew for “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” celebrated the end of filming.
Polaha took a cell phone video as everyone was ushered to the front yard of a home where they’d been filming, and they formed a large circle to celebrate their final day with him and fellow Hallmark stars Nikki DeLoach and Eliza Hayes Maher. First assistant director Chris Copier shared touching tributes to each of them.
Polaha captioned the video, “And that’s a wrap! A Grand Ole Opry Christmas will be yours to watch and enjoy and fall in love with before you know it! What an amazing experience! Thank you @hallmarkchannel and the Grand Ole @opry !”
Assistant Director Chris Copier Calls Wrap Day ‘Very Sad’ After Epic Shoot
“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” is Hallmark’s first collaboration with Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, where filming began in late August with a star-studded cast that includes Sharon Lawrence, James Denton, country star Brad Paisley, and cameos from a dozen other country artists.
After filming concluded at the iconic country music venue, the production then moved to Kansas City. Hallmark Media called the movie “a magical trip across time,” focused on DeLoach’s character, Gentry Woods, whose late father was one-half of a famous country duo. While visiting the Opry, she’s suddenly transported back to 1995, the year her dad, played by Denton, died in a tragic car accident.
Copier, who’s engaged to Hallmark star Hunter King (seen briefly at the start of Polaha’s video), gathered more than a dozen crew members outside the home along with Polaha, DeLoach, and Maher.
“It’s a very sad day, we’re getting to that point in the movie,” Copier said, as he announced the “official picture wrap” for the three stars.
Film Crew Celebrates Kristoffer Polaha, Nikki DeLoach & Eliza Hayes Maher
Inda Reid for Katz PR/Getty/Love TalentMaher, who fans know from various Hallmark productions including the “Haul Out the Holly” movies (including the upcoming “Haul Out the Halloween”), was still dressed in her bright red 90s garb for the shoot as Copier sang her praises.
As the group cheered for her, Copier said that Maher “made this character so great, and just brought so much personality and brought her to life, and just was a perfect match. Couldn’t have done any better.”
DeLoach hugged Maher as Polaha said, “Congratulations, Eliza! You crushed it, girl!”
Next up, Copier celebrated Polaha, saying, “Such a great attitude, the consummate proffesional, so fun to be around, so fun to work with you finally!”
Polaha replied, “You guys were an incredible crew and this was an absolute joy to work on this movie with you guys, I mean, honestly.”
Copier then turned to DeLoach, with whom he also worked on “Home Turf,” which premieres on October 4, and said, “Last but not least, I never thought I’d get to do two movies with her in one year, but we were so lucky to be able to do it.”
“She came every day and just always hit her marks, always did her lines, brought so much to the movie,” he continued. “(She’s) just so good at what she does, this beautiful woman who brought so much to the spirit of this film and ultimately is going to make it so great.”
Nikki DeLoach Tells ‘A Grand Ole Opry’ Crew That Filming the Movie ‘Meant the World to Me’
Polaha and DeLoach then stood together, as someone on the crew held the camera phone, to thank the crew of “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.”
DeLoach said she wanted to reiterate what director Clare Niederpruem had said the day prior, telling the crew, “Every single kind of person on any kind of movie is my favorite part about doing these, is to look around every day, to see the choreography of everybody who’s so good at what they do.”
“Each and every person matters so much, and nobody — no one person, not actors, not directors or producers — makes a movie,” DeLoach continued. “It’s every single person showing up every day, with such a great attitude and such heart, and working so hard.”
“This has been an absolutely joy professionally and personally,” DeLoach said. “It has meant the world to me. And I would love to have a round of applause for all of you guys.”
As the crew applauded one another, she and Polaha shared a sweet embrace. The two have been friends for over two decades, since they met filming the TV show “North Shore” in 2004 and 2005.
