It takes talent to repeatedly deliver convincing romantic storylines the way Hallmark Channel’s biggest stars do in one heartwarming movie after another. But we’ve got a soft spot for the comedy geniuses who can also nail the funny scenes in a rom-com script, from pratfalls to sarcastic jabs, and keep us laughing offscreen, too.
It was a blast, but not an easy task, to name our Top 5 Funniest Hallmark Channel Stars. Here they are, in no particular order, with examples of why they made the list!
Paul Campbell is Hallmark’s King of Self-Deprecating Sarcasm
Paul Campbell knows exactly how to pull at our heartstrings after appearing in more than 20 Hallmark movies over the last dozen years. But where he shines extra bright is when he gets to let loose with his dry wit and self-deprecating sarcasm.
Whether Campbell’s playing an anxious pet therapist in “The Three Wise Men” movies — which he co-wrote with screenwriting partner Kimberley Sustad — or an overzealous but loveable sleuther in “The Cases of Mystery Lane” franchise (fingers crossed for a third installment in 2025!), he somehow does it all with a straight face. Don’t miss his cameo in 2024’s “The Santa Class,” playing himself as a serious thespian trying to nail his role as a mall Santa.
Lucky for us, Campbell’s comedy spills over into his social media, from promoting his projects with hilarious videos (like the one above for his Cameo greetings) to his far-too-infrequent, irreverent tweets (like this December 2024 gem: “Baking show idea: ‘Game of Scones'”).
Ashley Williams Scatters Joy Like Confetti
It should probably be no surprise that Ashley Williams has become one of Hallmark Channel’s funniest stars, given her history on sitcoms like “The Jim Gaffigan Show” and “How I Met Your Mother.” But over the last decade at Hallmark, she’s increasingly been given opportunities to show off her sense of humor and we couldn’t be happier about it.
From her hilarious cameo as a stressed-out actress in 2024’s “Sprinkle of Deceit: A Hannah Swensen Mystery” to hosting Hallmark’s first unscripted dating show, “Small Town Setup,” Williams frequently has us cracking up.
Her sense of wonder and exuberance for life is contagious on social media, and we love that she’s never afraid to look silly — sharing ridiculous behind-the-scenes gags, wearing zany costumes to raise money for Alzheimer’s research, or trying a TikTok dance trend with co-star Alison Sweeney.
Jonathan Bennett is Hallmark Channel’s Comedy Content Creation Champ
With comedy running through his veins since his breakout role in “Mean Girls,” Jonathan Bennett continues to find the funny in life — and he’s more than happy to share it with his one million Instagram followers.
Five years after breaking ground with Hallmark’s first same-sex kiss in a movie (in “The Christmas House” with Brad Harder), Bennett takes his role as Hallmark’s highest-profile LGBTQ+ star seriously, including helping to bring the GLAAD Award-winning “Groomsmen” trilogy to life in 2024 and serving as host and executive producer of Hallmark’s first reality competition, “Finding Mr. Christmas.”
But in addition to creating new content for Hallmark (an unscripted mystery show is on the way, too!), Bennett creates hilarious social media content with his husband of three years, Jaymes Vaughan, as they troll each other over one another’s funny habits and quirks, like Bennett’s inability to unpack after a trip. He’s also the host with the most, gleefully emceeing events like Hallmark’s first-ever Christmas Cruises in 2024.
Melissa Peterman, Supporting Everyone With Her Comedy Chops
We get that Melissa Peterman is busy with a hit sitcom (“Happy’s Place” on NBC” opposite Reba McEntire) and hosting game shows like “Person, Place or Thing,” but if it was up to us, we’d stick the charming comedian in every Hallmark movie we could.
Peterman nails her supporting role as over-the-top Pamela in the “Haul Out the Holly” movies (we hear another’s on the way!) and doles out the funniest lines at just the right moments as Bennett’s co-host and co-judge on “Finding Mr. Christmas.”
Like Bennett, she’s also masterful at posting funny social media content, like the day she hid from her fitness trainer by climbing inside her dog kennel or off-the-rails carpool story times with her “Haul Out the Holly” co-stars Ellen Travolta and Eliza Hayes Maher (we’re officially requesting an unscripted Hallmark series with this trio, please and thank you).
Kevin McGarry, Hope Valley’s Resident Goofball
Though his “When Calls The Heart” character, Mountie Nathan Grant, is often swept up in serious plotlines and sweet romance, Kevin McGarry typically has us in stitches during interviews, public appearances, and behind-the-scenes antics, like his and co-star Chris McNally’s spoof show poster in 2020.
We’d be hard-pressed to find video of a group interview or event panel in which McGarry, married to fellow “WCTH” actress Kayla Wallace since 2024, isn’t making dad jokes, sarcastic remarks, or cracking up his co-stars with his off-the-cuff observations.
When Hallmark star Tamera Mowry-Housley sat down with him and Lacey Chabert for one of her Hallmark+ VIP Movie Pass segments in 2024, McGarry had both women laughing hard as he demonstrated how he awkwardly had to stand to kiss much-shorter Chabert in “The Wedding Veil” movies. We’d love to see even more of McGarry’s humor show up onscreen in future rom-coms!
Think we overlooked someone who tickles your funny bone? Got a hilarious Hallmark star to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below or chime in on our Facebook community for Hallmarkies!
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Top 5 Funniest Hallmark Channel Stars: Rom-Com Royalty