Longtime Hallmark hunk Michael Rady is feeling awfully fortunate to be spending Halloween with so many Hallmark fans this year. His first new Christmas movie since 2023, “Adopting St. Nick,” premieres on Halloween night as part of Hallmark Channel’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas lineup, and he couldn’t be more grateful.
“I am so lucky that I’ve gotten to be a part of what @HallmarkChannel brings to the world for over 10 years now,” he captioned a series of behind-the-scenes photos shared via social media on October 20, 2026. “My life is genuinely fuller because of the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had making these movies.”
“This one was no different,” Rady continued. “Some old friends, some new friends, a lot of fun, and SANTA! A wonderful group came together to make Adopting St. Nick and I can’t wait for you to see it.”
Michael Rady Has Starred in Hallmark Movies Almost Every Year Since 2015
Rady, whose breakthrough role came in 2005 as Kostos in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” movie (and the 2008 sequel), has also been a familiar face in numerous series over the years, from “Melrose Place” to “Tracker.” In addition, he has starred in at least one Hallmark movie almost every year since 2015, when he co-starred with Katie LeClerc in “Cloudy with a Chance of Love.”
This year, Hallmark fans get a double dose of Rady, since he also starred in August’s “Catch of the Day” with another fan-favorite, Emilie Ullerup.
In “Adopting St. Nick,” he’s paired with Amy Groening, who plays a busy single mom to an adopted daughter, Leah (played by Taylor Blake). Groening’s character, Maren, inherited her late father’s popular hardware store, leaving very little alone time. When little Leah wants to participate in the Christmas Companions program at a new retirement community in town, she is paired with Kris (played by Randy Apostle), a “jolly resident who bears an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus.”
While at the retirement community with her daughter, Maren meets Reid (Rady), who travels from one facility to the next as Director of Community Launch and Operations, and offers to keep the Christmas Companions program alive when the contractor fixing up the community room pulls out.
“As she spends more time at the center with Reid,” Hallmark’s synopsis says, “Maren slowly realizes it’s okay to let others in, accept help and stop shouldering the entire load. Reid starts questioning whether to accept his next assignment which will take him far away from the people and center that have begun to feel like home. With the help of some Christmas magic — and a little assist from Kris — everyone finds where they belong.”
When Groening saw Rady’s post about their movie, she wrote, “You are the brightest Christmas star my friend! 🎄❤️🎄”
Groening, who last appeared on Hallmark Channel in February’s “Because of Cupid” with Evan Roderick, also shared behind-the-scenes photos on October 8, telling her followers that she “had the DREAMIEST time making #AdoptingStNick and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!”
Michael Rady is a Doting Dad & Woodworker When He’s Not Making Movies
As if being rom-com royalty wasn’t enough, Rady spends his spare time being an engaged dad and an accomplished woodworker, sometimes sharing glimpses of the stunning tables he makes.
He and his wife Rachael are raising their family at an old home in Connecticut he’s lovingly renovated, he told EntertainmentNow in 2025. The couple moved their family from Los Angeles a decade ago to immerse themselves in nature and a charming community with schools their kids love.
“As our kids were getting closer to school age, we were craving a change,” he said. “We were missing the feeling of home that we both grew up with on the East Coast. We were wanting better schooling options. We were wanting to buy a house. We were wanting to be closer to our families on the East Coast. And we were really wanting a deeper, more consistent immersion in nature. We wanted to be in nature a lot, surrounded by nature like we grew up.”
Hallmark Channel’s “Adopting St. Nick” premieres on October 31 at 8 p.m. Eastern time and will be available to stream via Hallmark+ the following day.
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Why Michael Rady Feels ‘So Lucky’ Ahead of His New Hallmark Christmas Movie