Yeehaw! Beloved Hallmark stars Kristoffer Polaha and Nikki DeLoach began filming their just-announced movie, “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” in Nashville on August 23, 2025. As they wrapped up their first day on-set, Polaha revealed a surprise co-star via social media.
He shared a photo of himself and DeLoach alongside Sharon Lawrence, whom he also co-starred with in the 2016 Hallmark movie “Hearts of Christmas.” Lawrence has been in numerous Hallmark movies over the last decade, so fans and fellow stars were thrilled to see her join the cast of the new flick, which will also feature music from Brad Paisley and other still-to-be-announced country stars.
Jonathan Bennett Urges Kristoffer Polaha to ‘Protect’ Sharon Lawrence During Filming
“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” is Hallmark’s first partnership with Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025.
In his post, Polaha noted that with the first day of filming “in the can,” he could already tell that “this is gonna be a great one.” DeLoach shared Polaha’s post in her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Pinching myself 🌠❤️”
Jonathan Bennett, who co-starred in “The Christmas House” movies with Lawrence and posted in early August that he considers Lawrence his second mom, adorably wrote in the comment section of Polaha’s post, “Sharon Lawrence is a national treasure protect her at all costs”
Polaha sweetly responded, “@jonathandbennett consider her in Fort Knox while she’s with me. Or consider me Fort Knox and she’s gold.”
Lawrence then chimed in, “@jonathandbennett I am humbled and honored …and feel safe in the shadow of @polahaha ☺️”
Fans Swarmed Kristoffer Polaha’s Post, Thrilled to See Him & Nikki DeLoach With Sharon Lawrence
Polaha also included photos with visiting Hallmark execs in his post, but the pic with Lawrence overshadowed everything else for fans, who immediately flooded his comment section to celebrate her addition to the cast.
One wrote, “Sharon Lawrence is incredible!! Will be the holiday movie of the season!”
“Whaaaaat @sharonelawrence,” someone else wrote. “oh this is definitely an added bonus !!! @nikdeloach and @polahaha I didn’t even realize your working with this beautiful lady…. Yayyyyyyy❤️❤️❤️”
Another fan commented, “Sharon Lawrence 🔥🔥 can’t wait to see what’s being created 🥰”
Yet another fan wrote, “I’m squealing with excitement! This is going to be THE @hallmarkchannel Christmas movie of the season!”
‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ is a Time-Travel Movie to the Past
GettyHallmark announced on August 11 that Polaha and DeLoach would soon reunite for “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” — 20 years after they became good friends while co-starring on the Fox TV series “North Shore.”
Calling the “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” a “magical trip across time,” Hallmark Media’s synopsis of the movie centers around Gentry Woods, played by DeLoach, who’s the daughter of late country music icon Jett Woods, half of the famed duo Winter and Woods.
The logline says Gentry “abandoned her dream of a songwriting career and distanced herself from her father’s legacy following his tragic car accident 30 years prior. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her
to represent Jett at their centennial celebration at Christmas, she’s hesitant to return to the place steeped in bittersweet memories. Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995.”
The synopsis continues then says Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac, played by Polaha, is a country music talent manager, and “finds himself in 1995 as well. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen and learns surprising answers to questions about her father that have followed her for the last three decades.”
“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” is expected to premiere during Hallmark’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas programming, but the full slate of holiday programming hasn’t been announced yet.
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