Somehow, Hallmarkies have courageously survived nearly two years without a Michael Rady sighting in a Hallmark rom-com, cozy mystery, or Christmas movie. But the wait is finally over.
On June 27, 2025, TV Insider reported that Rady will co-star in “Catch of the Day,” premiering on August 30. Rady had appeared in at least one Hallmark movie every year since 2016, but after the October 2023 premiere of “Where Are You, Christmas?” co-starring Lyndsy Fonseca, the beloved actor’s fans have waited patiently for a new project.
Granted, Rady has been busy. In addition to being a dad of four, he landed a role on his friend Justin Hartley’s hit CBS show “Tracker,” and in November, he told EntertainmentNow that he’d just filmed a new Hallmark movie. It’s not confirmed if that was “Catch of the Day,” which co-stars Emilie Ullerup and guest star Katie Lee Biegel, but when it premieres, it will mark Rady’s official return to the network close to two years after his last movie.
Michael Rady’s New Hallmark Movie Was Written by 2 TV Stars
“Catch of the Day” was written by two TV stars. Food Network star and cookbook author Biegel co-wrote the script with Hallmark screenwriter and “Dateline NBC” correspondent Andrea Canning, according to TV Insider.
Ullerup plays Sophie, according to the synopsis, “a rising culinary star on the verge of becoming executive chef at a high-end Manhattan restaurant. But when her sister Abigail calls with news that their beloved family seafood spot in Montauk is floundering, Sophie returns home to help.”
Rady will play Sophie’s teenage crush Cam, a local fisherman with whom she has a surprising second chance, the logline says, noting that his “quiet strength and charm leave Sophie rethinking everything she thought she wanted.” Biegel, meanwhile, has a cameo in the movie as a blogger, TV Insider reported.
Hallmark Media VP of Development Laura Gaines told TV Insider, “This all started with Katie Lee’s vision of exploring a woman who is pulled between two culinary worlds and ultimately falls in love with her family’s legacy, leaving the fine dining world behind to reconnect to her roots.”
She continued, “And just when I felt the project wouldn’t get any stronger, Emilie Ullerup and Michael Rady said yes! This was a dream to work on and has already become a treasured title here at the network. We can’t wait to share it with the world this August.”
Michael Rady Calls His Hallmark Co-Stars Some of the ‘Most Wonderful People’ He’s Ever Met
EntertainmentNow/HallmarkWhen EntertainmentNow spoke with Rady in November, he had high hopes for continuing his work on Hallmark movies.
“I had a grand time on this last one, and I look forward to the next one,” he said, noting that he’s had the chance to star with leading ladies like Erin Cahill, Erica Durance, and Nikki Deloach. “I can’t believe — I’m so grateful — I can count myself in their ranks. They are some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. They truly are.”
Ullerup has also been on a bit of a hiatus from Hallmark, having also last appeared in 2023 with the movie “Retreat to You.” Before that, she spent seven years on the series “Chesapeake Shores.”
Biegel, meanwhile, is appearing in her second Hallmark movie. She also appeared in 2022’s “Groundswell” with Lacey Chabert.
“Catch of the Day” is scheduled to premiere on August 30 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will be available to stream the next day on Hallmark+.
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Michael Rady Finally Returns to Hallmark in Summer Movie