Luke Macfarlane is a leading actor in Hallmark movies, most recently “My Christmas Cowboy,” where he develops a romance with actress Amy Acker. In that movie, Macfarlane plays Acker’s college crush. He moves back to Texas after suffering an online gaffe and reconnects with Acker’s character.
In real life, Macfarlane is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and he’s spoken out before about Hallmark’s inclusivity, saying he felt immediately welcome.
Macfarlane opened up in an interview with Pride Source about being an openly LGBTQ+ actor on Hallmark. “For you, what’s the significance of being an out gay person on Hallmark?” the site asked him. He explained that he felt immediately accepted on Hallmark, which meant a lot to him.
Macfarlane has a long-term partner named Hig Roberts, who is a former Alpine skier. They have a daughter together.
Luke Macfarlane Described Hallmark Positively as a ‘Big Tent’
Macfarlane stressed that he has felt accepted at Hallmark.
“Well, it’s really interesting because I think my first movie for Hallmark was over 10 years ago and it had this reputation that I never really totally agreed with. People were like, “Hallmark is white and heterosexual and Christian,'” he told Pride Source. “Hallmark is not that. And I am one piece of the evidence that we are not that and that Hallmark is a big tent.”
“There’s room for our stories and those stories can still fit inside the brand of Hallmark, which has a really strong sense of identity, and I would say a stronger sense of identity than almost most network brands,” he added.
“You kind of know what you’re going to get when you get a Hallmark movie and the amazing thing is you know what you’re going to get when you watch a Hallmark movie, but you’re also going to get gay and you’re also going to get all the other colors too. So it is comforting to know that this strong brand can still hold all these different voices,” added Macfarlane.
He continued, “They hired me when I was an [out] gay actor. I was coming off of ‘Brothers & Sisters.’ There was no line about who I was. There was no pretending. There was no double-reverse reveal.”
Luke Macfarlane Shares Pride on His Instagram Page
Macfarlane shares pride and acceptance on his Instagram page, most recently a post by his partner showing them pair at a baseball game.
“Proud 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️. Gratitude to the @dodgers, @cierravandyke23, and the entire LGBTQ+ community for this honor. Happy Pride!” the post by Macfarlane’s partner reads.
Other posts on his Instagram page focus on his family, career and travels. “Three days climbing in the French Alps with @maks_sotnik and @higroberts. We reached the top of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, yesterday at 7:30am,” read one recent post.
Macfarlane has become a staple on the Hallmark Channel. “Macfarlane’s most recent credits for Hallmark include ‘Notes of Autumn,’ ‘A Magical Christmas Village,’ ‘Moriah’s Lighthouse,’ ‘A Valentine’s Match,’ ‘Chateau Christmas’ and ‘Taking a Shot at Love’ for Hallmark Channel as well as ‘Christmas in My Heart’ for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries,” his bio says.
Luke Macfarlane Felt Immediate Acceptance in Hallmark Universe: ‘There Is No Pretending’