Actress Lori Loughlin is thrilled to be part of Hallmark Channel‘s 2026 Countdown to Christmas lineup, not only because it’s her first Hallmark holiday film in seven years, but because she’s worked for years to bring the story to life.
On October 25, the former “Full House” star will star in “What If Christmas” with “Ed” and “The Flash” alum Tom Cavanagh, whom she had “great chemistry” with the instant they met.
Lori Loughlin Says Her Connection with Tom Cavanagh Started With His Sense of Humor
Loughlin fell in love with a script by her friend, Cara J. Russell, a screenwriter and producer who’s written many rom-coms for Hallmark, Netflix and Great American Family.
“It was so great,” Loughlin told EntertainmentNow while promoting her new QVC fashion line, LOLA. “My friend Cara is a wonderful writer. She gave (the script) to me, I then brought it to Hallmark, and we worked on it and really developed it for me (to star in).”
It definitely helped that she was smitten with her co-star on the spot. Loughlin gushed, “I had the most amazing, wonderful leading man in Tom Cavanagh. Like, I can’t say enough about Tom Cavanagh.”
Cavanagh is no stranger to Hallmark fans; he last appeared in an episode of “Mistletoe Murders” during the series’ first season in 2024, but he previously co-starred with Kimberly Williams-Paisley in the “Darrow & Darrow Mystery” franchise from 2016 to 2019.
Cavanagh and Loughlin, who are both 62, had never worked together before, but she said, “I was always a fan of his. I liked that show ‘Ed’ very much, so I’ve known of him for many years. But he is so talented and so funny, and we just had the best time. We had great chemistry. We had a great connection.”
Loughlin told EntertainmentNow that knowing whether she has chemistry with a co-star is “pretty immediate,” which is what happened with Cavanagh.
“First of all, he’s really funny, and if you’re funny, I’ll follow you off a cliff,” she laughed. “I just love funny … and he’s so funny. But then, I just respect him as a person, too. He’s a good dad. He’s a good husband. He’s a good family man. Super talented actor. Super, super talented.”
Lori Loughlin’s Returned to the Spotlight in a Big Way
In “What If Christmas,” Loughlin plays aspiring fashion designer Erin, “who has always supported her heart surgeon husband, Adam’s (Cavanagh) career by organizing the hospital’s Christmas charity galas,” per Hallmark’s synopsis. “However, when he moves to a new hospital, her help is no longer needed. Feeling lost and without a purpose back in New York City, her long-suppressed regrets over giving up her dream of pursuing fashion design start bubbling up. When Erin is given a peculiar heart-shaped Christmas ornament, she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s a world-famous fashion designer.”
“As she ‘meets’ and attends Christmas events with alternate universe Adam, she realizes that while her fashion dreams came true, it’s lonely at the top,” the synopsis continutes. “While working on a way to bring more charity and heart to her fashion empire, she learns that her dream life and love were always right in front of her – if only she finds the heart and courage to ask.”
Loughlin told EntertainmentNow, “I really like the movie a lot. I really do. I mean, I hope everyone tunes in. I think it is very special and has a really nice message.”
This will mark Loughlin’s second movie of the year, after a seven-year absence. In September, she returned to her “Garage Sale Mysteries” franchise, reuniting with the cast for their 17th movie. She’s also back in the saddle as Abigail Stanton on “When Calls the Heart,” and has been in Vancouver, filming season 14, which will premiere in January 2027.
“What If Christmas” premieres on October 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern time and will be available to stream via Hallmark+ the next day.
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Why Lori Loughlin Was So Smitten With Tom Cavanagh on Their Christmas Movie Set (Exclusive)