Once a regularly featured star on Hallmark Channel, actor Chad Michael Murray appears to have no plans to return to the network anytime soon. The “One Tree Hill” alum has not appeared in a Hallmark movie since 2021 and, given his busy schedule of upcoming projects — including a new Christmas movie announced on July 12, 2023 — and a new baby on the way, it does not look like Murray, 41, will make a return this year like some of his peers are. Here’s what you need to know:
Chad Michael Murray to Star in New Christmas Movie
Hallmark HallmarkChad Michael Murray and Aly Michalka in Hallmark’s “Sand Dollar Cove”
After rising to fame on “One Tree Hill,” Murray turned much of his focus to rom-coms and joined Hallmark in 2018, starring in “The Beach House” with Andie MacDowell and Minka Kelly as well as “Road to Christmas” opposite Jessy Schram. Other Hallmark movies Murray has starred in include 2019’s “Write Before Christmas” and 2020’s “Love in Winterland.” He last appeared on Hallmark in the August 2021 movie “Sand Dollar Cove,” and the network hasn’t announced any new projects with him since.
Murray has never been exclusively tied to Hallmark, though. In 2020, he appeared opposite former Hallmark star Jessica Lowndes in Lifetime’s “Too Close For Christmas,” per his IMDb profile. And in 2021, he co-starred with her again in “Angel Falls Christmas” for Great American Family, the channel launched in 2021 by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott. Murray also starred that year with frequent Hallmark actress Cindy Busby in Lifetime’s “Toying With the Holidays.”
In 2022, Murray’s biggest role was not a rom-com, but an action flick, in the sequel to “Fortress” with Bruce Willis and Jesse Metcalfe. While 2022 was a quiet year for the star onscreen, 2023 is already jam-packed.
Murray stars in the new TV series “Sullivan’s Crossing,” which has already aired in Canada but has been picked up for the The CW’s fall schedule in the U.S., according to Deadline. Due to the drama’s success in Canada, it’s already been renewed for a second season in both countries. In May, Murray retweeted The CW’s video announcement, which featured him sharing his excitement about the series.
https://twitter.com/TheCW/status/1659219795643080710?s=20
Murray also joined the cast of the Netflix original rom-com “Mother of the Bride,” per BuzzFeed, co-starring Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove and Benjamin Bratt. The cast started filming in April, but a release date for that project has not been set yet.
And on July 12, People revealed that Murray has also filmed a new Great American Family movie for the 2023 holiday season. In “Christmas on Windmill Way,” he’ll star opposite “Wynonna Earp” actress Christa Taylor Brown.
‘Telling stories and entertaining people is what I love to do,” he told the outlet about the lighthearted holiday movie. “This genre hits home for so many people during a weighted time of the year. Bringing light and love with the story we’re telling feels like icing on the cake. Or, let’s get corny here: it’s like adding snow on Christmas.”
Despite his professed love for rom-coms, neither Murray nor Hallmark have announced any upcoming collaborations. So 2023 may wind up being the second year in a row the star isn’t in any new Hallmark programming. Time away doesn’t preclude Murray from returning for future projects, though; stars including Luke Macfarlane, Eric McCormack and Sarah Drew have all recently announced their returns to the network after spending time away on other projects.
Chad Michael Murray Will Also Welcome a New Baby This Year
Getty GettyChad Michael Murray and his wife, actress Sarah Roemer, at the March 2023 premiere of “John Wick: Chapter 4”
In addition to a busy schedule of TV projects, Murray will have an extra-busy year as a dad, too. He and his wife Sarah Roemer revealed in early July that they’re expecting their third child.
On July 8, Murray shared an Instagram photo of Roemer looking very pregnant and wrote, “Baby #3 loading… ❤️ Anyone know any new gadgets for babies? It’s been a bit since we had one.”
Murray and Roemer met filming the series “Chosen” in 2014, according to Us Weekly, and married in January 2015. Their son was born that May and they welcomed a daughter in March 2017, per Today, which also noted that in his Instagram Stories, the star wrote, “Gonna need a bigger car … Minivan time”
Murray shared another Instagram post on July 8 with a video of his family’s travels and revealed in the caption that the new baby is a girl.
“We travel this world as a little wolf pack- this baby’s been everywhere already and she’s not even on the outside yet:) Thank you mama for carrying our pack- literally?❤️? Coming to an airport near you- this family of 5? I can hear it now- ‘Uhoh, here come the Murray’s’ ???
#babynews #baby #baby#3”
Chad is doing this the proper way. He did not walk away from Hallmark nor did he make nasty or disparaging remarks about the Network. Those who left Hallmark and make their actions very clear on social media that they chose to make a statement on why. Chad is busy, Chad is working on multiple fronts and there is only so many hours in a day. Wish having new baby has to have time with family especially when so small. I wish Chad nothing but the best. And if back in a Hallmark show will view. Have not watch Great American and have no plans to since Can say they are Christian however do not practice what they preach in Judging others and placing all that nastiness on social Media to prove my point. Use to like them as actors but have no plans to watch or support any other them since being Christian is not a tool to attack others with other opinions. But believe in Jesus. And Jesus would not act as they did so doing what other Christians should do. Not wish them harm, and wish them the best, and just refuse to watch and provide any support to their projects.