Jonathan Bennett is taken into account part of Hallmark Channels’ Christmas royalty however at house he’s a little bit of a grinch. Nonetheless, he swears there’s a superb purpose for his lack of vacation spirit.
“I’m going to be trustworthy, I don’t enhance for Christmas,” Bennett, 43, completely confessed to Us Weekly whereas selling Hallmark+’s Discovering Mr. Christmas.
The actor, who hosts the festive-themes actuality competitors sequence, defined that after the precise vacation hits he’s burnt out on all-things holly and jolly.
“By the point Christmas will get right here [this year], I [will] have shot Discovering Mr. Christmas, Christmas on Cherry Lane, a sequel to a different Christmas film I can’t speak about and a Christmas film for subsequent yr,” Bennett revealed. “I’ve been coated in tinsel for six months out of the yr!”
Jonathan Bennett Hallmark Media/Kim Nunneley
That a lot public vacation hoopla takes a toll, Bennet defined. “This yr I’m simply going to not enhance as a result of I can’t,” he stated. “Simply can’t do it.”
Following his confession, Bennett realized that he may simply enlist his Discovering Mr. Christmas contestants to assist gentle up his and husband Jaymes Vaughan’s home.
“I’ve 10 elves that can come over and enhance for me,” he declared, teasing that he’d make it a “competitors” to associate with the present. “You’re going to have to brighten Jonathan and Jaymes’ home. You’ve half-hour to go!” he joked.
Whereas Bennett turned a popular culture icon due to his position as Aaron Samuels in 2004’s Imply Ladies — which options Lindsay Lohan performing a must-see rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” — he’s now often known as a mega star for Hallmark.
Vincent Rodriguez III, Jonathan Bennett in “Christmas on Cherry Lane.” Hallmark Media/Jeff Weddell
Regardless of boycotting vacation house decorations this yr, Bennett has turn into synonymous with Christmas and the community as a complete since making his rom-com debut in 2010. It wasn’t till 2018 that he had his first main man position in Christmas Made to Order. Since then, Bennett has blown up for Hallmark in the course of the vacation season.
In 2020, Bennett starred in The Christmas Home, marking Hallmark’s first movie that includes a homosexual couple. It acquired a sequel the next yr referred to as The Christmas Home 2: Deck These Halls.
Everybody deserves to fall in love with a tacky vacation film at Christmas — and lots of networks and streaming providers are making their choices extra various than ever. “[Christmas movies] give everybody all the pieces they need,” Jonathan Bennett, a Hallmark mainstay, completely instructed Us Weekly in November 2022. “[The Holiday Sitter is] an LGBTQ+-led film, however […]
Bennett added to his vacation Hallmark rom-com hits with 2022’s The Vacation Sitter, which targeted solely on a same-sex couple story line as Bennett’s Sam babysits his niece and nephew with the assistance of a good-looking neighbor.
Final yr, he starred within the ensemble movie Christmas on Cherry Lane, which acquired a sequel, Season’s Greetings From Cherry Lane, on Hallmark+ this season. (He filmed this one in-between capturing The Groomsmen trilogy, which isn’t concerning the holidays, abroad.)
Melissa Peterman, Jonathan Bennett, Nikki DeLoach Hallmark Media/Kim Nunneley
To high it off, Bennett is the mastermind behind Hallmark+’s Discovering Mr. Christmas. The sequence, which ends on Thursday, December 12, challenged 10 contestants to finish festive duties that showcased their vacation spirit and performing skills in hopes of turning into Hallmark’s subsequent main man.
“I feel everybody’s come to fall in love with Hallmark Channel … [and] it’s turn into such part of the material of what popular culture is, particularly the Hallmark films,” Jonathan dished to Us. “And so they’ve fallen in love with the Hallmark signature stars. They love their Hallmark hunks.”
He defined that after his associates saved asking him learn how to turn into a Hallmark star, he had an concept for this present. “I began pondering, since I’m such a actuality present fan, I used to be like, ‘What if we gamified the best way wherein we make an actor a Hallmark star?’” he added.
The winner will be a part of Jessica Lowndes in her 2024 “Countdown to Christmas” film, Glad Howlidays, which premieres on Saturday, December 21.
“I feel it simply was a kind of issues the place as soon as we figured it out, we go, ‘Why haven’t we performed this but?’ Bennett concluded. “It simply appears so like no brainer.”
The season finale of Discovering Mr. Christmas airs on Hallmark+ Thursday, December 12.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
