Kristoffer Polaha‘s career is on a roll, and he couldn’t be more grateful. The beloved actor, who’s appeared in 20 Hallmark movies over the last decade along with feature films like “Jurassic Park: Dominion” and “Wonder Woman 1984,” has been open with fans about the ups and downs of working in Hollywood in recent years.
When EntertainmentNow caught up with Polaha during a break from shooting two new Lifetime movies, he was happy to report that he’s busier than ever after “2023, 2024, and even the first five months of 2025 were just punishing.”
“I feel really, really blessed,” Polaha gushed about how things have turned around, happy to share all he’s been up to and why he’s been so quiet about it.
Here’s What’s Keeping Kristoffer Polaha So Busy in 2026
Polaha kicked off 2026 with the January debut of Hallmark’s “Missing the Boat” co-starring Emilie Ullerup, followed by the thrill of premiering his directorial debut, “Mimics” in February. By that time, he had already been in Winnipeg filming “American Hostage,” an eight-episode series co-starring Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi, which is set to premiere this fall on MGM+.
Next up, Polaha headed to the Dominican Republic this spring to film the movie “Rescued,” slated for a 2027 release. Calling it an “incredible” story, Polaha plays Mike Williams, the real-life comedian and missionary who moved to the Dominican Republic to start CUPS, an outreach program designed to stop human trafficking and feed the hungry.
After a much-needed family vacation, Polaha is now in British Columbia to pick up where he and Angie Harmon left off in the 2022 Lifetime movie “Buried in Barstow.” The network finally approved two new movies starring Harmon as former assassin Hazel King and Polaha as Elliot, a former doctor trying to revive the career he lost while building a new life with Hazel.
“It’s a perfect character for Angie,” Polaha told EntertainmentNow, adding that the movies will premiere in 2027. “She crushes it. It’s a neo-noir western, and she’s the Eastwood character. (It’s) fun for me as I get to flesh out another character from my rogues gallery.”
Noting that he’d love to see the franchise have “a long life,” Polaha said that since the first movie, “Angie and I kept in touch, so that was an easy sort of relationship to jump back into.”
With all of those exciting projects on the horizon, where does that leave Hallmark? Polaha is scheduled to appear during the second weekend of the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, and assured EntertainmentNow that he remains very much “engaged” with the network, hinting that fans likely haven’t seen the last of him in 2026.
Why Has Kristoffer Polaha Been So Quiet on Social Media?
With so many wonderful things in the works, Polaha has surprised many of his fans by taking a step back from social media in 2026. The “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” star admitted he’s been uncharacteristically quiet after many years of being “joyfully” interactive online, including running the virtual Chautauqua community, which was born out of a lack of connection with fans during the pandemic.
“I loved what that was, and I loved the engagement and the transparency that that kind of social media causes to happen,” Polaha told EntertainmentNow. “But then as time went on, I really felt the burden of feeling obligated to check in and share.”
In May, Polaha decided to remove Instagram from his phone as a birthday gift to his wife, Julianne, in an effort to be more present. But first, he made one last post for a while (seen above) with a throwback pic of himself snuggled up with his sons when they were younger. Country singer Caleb is now almost 22, college student Micah is 20, and Jude is 15.
In the caption, Polaha wrote, “This photo sums up the last 25 years of my life, minus the person who took this photo and I have her to thank, entirely, for this life; the love of my life. For eternity.” While many fans adored the post, Polaha was surprised he also got lots of pushback from people who were upset that the photo was of him and their boys rather than of Julianne.
Getty“That was the post heard ’round the world,” Polaha laughed, fascinated by how his good intentions were twisted into a negative by some. “I got so lambasted, but instead of going back in to defend myself, I was like, ‘It’s kind of funny. I’m just gonna leave it.'”
“And it has been the most liberating, freeing thing,” Polaha said of taking a long break and not caring about the internet’s reactions to everything he shares. “I mean, I cannot express to you how locked and tethered I felt to social media.”
When their family took a long-planned trip to Italy this summer, Polaha said he took plenty of photos but never felt the need to keep the world updated on all they were doing and seeing.
Polaha doesn’t expect to be gone from Instagram forever, but called his social media break “a really beautiful moment where it feels sort of pre-pandemic. I’ve been able to just take a deep breath and enjoy.”
What a wonderful Family! Thanks for sharing all these photos! SWEET!!!