Robert Buckley just celebrated his rom-com ratings slamdunk in the most Robert Buckley way possible — by cracking up his fans and colleagues.
On January 16, 2026, the Hallmark star posted a hilarious photo of himself in a tight tank top, loud 80s-style shorts, house slippers, and a mustache to boot, striking a sarcastically sexy pose. On the screen behind him was a still shot of himself in the 2025 Hallmark movie “An Unexpected Valentine,” which was just added to Netflix.
“Unexpected Valentine is the #3 movie on Netflix today,” Buckley captioned his pic. “Jenny told me to stop wearing her tank tops, but you can’t tell someone this famous what to do.”
How Robert Buckley’s Wife & Famous Friends Reacted to His Funny Post
The success of “An Unexpected Valentine” on Netflix is just the latest ratings win for the movie, which stars Buckley and Lacey Chabert. Even after Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas movie lineup, the rom-com was the network’s most-watched movie of the year and the highest-rated movie across all of cable TV in 2025.
Buckley’s post was flooded with comments from fans, famous friends, and even his wife — actress Jenny Wade, who amusingly wrote of his tank top, “I didn’t say to stop wearing it, I said to take it off. 😈🔥”
Hallmark screenwriter Russell Hainline — one of the writers behind Buckley’s “Merry Christmas Ted Cooper,” also weighed in on the skin-tight top. Approving of Buckley repping Carpinteria, a popular California surf town, he wrote, “Carpinteria tanks and mustaches are IN”
Buckley’s “Christmas House” co-star Jonathan Bennett called him a “legend” and their mom in the movies, Sharon Lawrence, cutely commented, “As your TV Mom, I feel a bit responsible and I don’t know how to process this…”
Hallmark’s Andrew Walker chimed in with, “Unleashed star power,” and tons of fans commented too, including one who wrote of the movie’s Netflix popularity, “I’m just waiting for what happens when it hits #1.”
What is ‘An Unexpected Valentine’ About & When Can You Watch?
When “An Unexpected Valentine” premiered in early February 2025, Buckley said on the “Deck the Halls” podcast that it was an easy yes for him when he learned Chabert was involved.
He recalled, “When they said Lacey Chabert, I threw my elbows up, I was just like ‘this is so great!’ and ‘I’ve made the big leagues! I’ve made the big leagues!’ So I opened up my trunk of wigs and I pulled out my best wigs and I flew up to Canada and I gave them 15 days of my best.”
Hallmark’s synopsis of the movie says, “A chance encounter on Valentine’s Day brings Hannah and Finn together as they race through New York City to return a lost engagement ring and save one couple’s special day.”
In addition to being available to stream on Netflix and on Hallmark+, the movie will re-air on Hallmark Channel on January 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, February 2 at 6 p.m. Eastern time, and on Valentine’s Day at 6 p.m. Eastern time.
Wigs???