About a year and a half ago, I noticed a new actor who was apparently joining the Hallmark network. Being the good Hallmark ambassador that I am, I immediately contacted this new guy for an interview, and the rest is history. Tonight (November 10th) he stars in his fifth Hallmark movie–The Mistletoe Secret–and it looks like he’s already preparing for his sixth! (Read our interview for a hint about that.) So without any further ado, I present to you one of the indisputable princes of Hallmark…the one and only Tyler Hynes!

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RH: Tyler, it’s so great to chat with you again. The last time we touched base was right before Wedding March 5.

TH: Yeah, that’s right. Good to chat with you again too, Ruth. You certainly had a busy month last month.

Eden Summer Gilmore, Tyler Hynes Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Oh, I did! It was incredible. I met lots of people, including Eden Summer Gilmore, who was in It’s Christmas, Eve with you last year.

Oh, yes, the Queen!

Yes, I was so glad to be able to meet her and her wonderful mom. We loved that movie last year with you and LeAnn Rimes and Eden. 

What a great movie it was.

And now you’ve got another Christmas movie coming up, The Mistletoe Secret. In fact, it premieres Sunday, which is tonight!

Tyler Hynes, Kellie Pickler Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Yeah, that’s right.

I talked with the screenwriters for this movie. In fact, one of the screenwriters, Rickie Castaneda, was the first person who mentioned this movie to me, and once I found out it was with you and Kellie Pickler, I was so excited! And she was excited too!

That’s great to know.

Now, I want to know what’s the deal, Tyler? How is it you’re getting to make Christmas movies with these country singers? First LeAnn and now Kellie!? Are you the guy who’s gonna play opposite all these country musicians now?

I don’t know, but I’m totally down for that. It’s been pretty good so far. I honestly don’t know how it happened that I have gotten to make these movies with those talented ladies. When I was in LA this last trip, I literally just buzzed by the Hallmark offices. I met a good handful of the execs while I was there, and I think one of them mentioned how I have gotten to play opposite two country singers in two Christmas movies now. So I guess I’m like the guy next to the singer. {laughs}

Kellie Pickler, Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Luba Popovic

I know what you mean! It’s something. Now, another interesting thing is this. Last year, there was a lot of negativity surrounding LeAnn before the movie came out, but afterwards, most of the complaints disappeared. It’s Christmas, Eve was a bit hit!

I thought the movie was really good last year, and I’m glad it did so well for Hallmark.

Now, I don’t know if you are aware, but there’s also a group of people who are not big fans of Kellie Pickler.

Really? What’s the problem?

Last year, many people complained about her in Christmas At Graceland. They didn’t like her accent, and they didn’t think she could act. And I was thinking, “My goodness people, the girl is from the South! Give her a break!” That movie last year she did was one of the most successful of all-time for Hallmark. 

Tyler Hynes, Kellie Pickler Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

You know, I love her accent.

Oh, I do too! I have followed Kellie from the moment she was on American Idol. And as for her acting, as many people noticed, when she did Wedding At Graceland this past summer, it was clear that she had improved as an actor. I think there are still a handful of people who want to be mean to her, but I think a lot of the fans have warmed up to her. And as far as I’m concerned, I know she’s not a career actress, but she’s learning, and I thought she did really well. And I’m sure she’s going to continue to improve because that’s what you do in this business.

Yes, and not to mention that these movies are a sport unto themselves. I am sure a lot of people aren’t aware of the circumstances when it comes to making these movies. The reality is that these movies come with their own challenges. As an actor who’s been doing it for a long time, I can very easily say that they’re not easy. It’s not like you’re in this environment that is going to cater to somebody and hold their hand so they make a great performance. It can be very difficult. Even for myself, I have to be very, very on top of it to hopefully make a performance that I can be okay with. I was charmed by Kellie. I loved working with her, and we had a great time. I think she and I both worked our buns off in this movie. I really think we did our best.

Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

I am right with you, Tyler. I’ve seen her other two Hallmark movies, and I really didn’t care what a small group of people was saying. I love that she is stepping out and doing these Hallmark movies. Maybe this isn’t what she initially trained for in her life, but I give her a whole lot of credit. I mean, this is the woman who won Dancing With the Stars. I saw her do it! She seems like the kind of person who can do anything if she puts her mind to it. And she ends up doing an exceptional job.

You know, she is definitely very brave. I was feeling the same way you were about the way she has tackled these projects. I was just like, “Bless your heart. you decided to come and do this thing, and it’s not easy.”

So, I chatted some with the screenwriters about the story of the movie, and I know they are very excited that you came on to the project. And they’re also very excited that Kellie is a part of it too. But what can you tell us about your role and how your character fits into the overall story of the movie?

Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Sven Boecker

I play Alex Barlett, and he is a writer for a travel show and a media outlet that does online articles about different holiday destinations. He does this with his friend and partner, Sterling Masters, who is the face of the brand. My character is the voice behind the brand, the ghostwriter that nobody knows about. Sterling takes all the credit. This is an arrangement that they have, and Alex is kind of okay with it. But he is also an artist trying to find his own voice and figure out what he truly wants to do. He ends up in this small town for the purposes of the show. And he meets Kellie’s character, Aria. As you might imagine, there ends up being a fun love triangle between the three of us. There is also some humor, and some good times ensue. Chris {topher Russell}, who plays Sterling, was great as well. We had a great time playing this dynamic that was in the script. It was a lot of fun. I think people are going to really enjoy that part of the story. Outside of the lovely moments, there is some great humor and that frustrating dynamic is lots of fun to watch. My character squirms a little bit.

I know we saw a small clip in the Christmas preview show. There was a scene between you and Kellie. And my thought during the scene was how different this role was for you. In that scene, Kellie is reading something your character has written, but you have to sit there and pretend like you don’t know what she’s talking about, but you really wish you could say something. 

Christopher Russell, Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Yeah, that is exactly right. It was fun to play all these aspects that were in the script. In these kinds of movies, it is sometimes hard to play those kinds of dynamics because when it’s a certain kind of movie with a certain kind of rhythm, all those kinds of things can get lost. But I think we were pretty successful to be able to play those kinds of moments. With my character, Alex, he is a writer and he doesn’t necessarily appreciate that people are reading his writing in front of him because it makes him uncomfortable because he’s very self-abasing. But then he’s happy that somebody is appreciating his writing. But he also can’t share the fact that it’s his writing. He’s kind of jealous of the fact that Aria likes Sterling Masters instead of him. There’s a lot of things going on, you know?

I recognize Chris from other Hallmark productions, and he has played both the lead and the other guy before. So this makes it kind of interesting. The viewers are probably going to realize that you’re the lead, so the assumption is that you get the girl in the end. But I bet there will be a group saying they’re not sure and they might want her with Sterling. 

{laughs} Right! Yeah, he’s much better-looking. They wouldn’t be wrong in guessing that. This guy’s got more muscle in his bicep than I do in my entire body.

Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Um, I bet there are going to be some Hallmark fans who are going to disagree with that statement and say that you’re better-looking than Chris. 

{laughs} Well, I bet they’re gonna go, “Oh, isn’t that nice? She settles for the humble writer who’s less attractive and probably less masculine?” Just watch. That’s going to be the reaction. It was fun playing that aspect. It was cool that they got Chris to play the other guy. They were lucky to have him. He was very much trying to do something that could have been stale and two-dimensional, and he was able to make something that was a little more fresh.

We all know with these movies that there is no room or no time for Oscar-worthy performances. But we are trying to create something that services the entertainment that these things are trying to provide, something which is incredible and super fun and why we’re all here to watch them. And then if we can sprinkle in some nuances and a three-dimensional angle to the character…well, that’s what we’re trying to do.  It’s really nice when you see actors come to the table and bring that, and Chris really did his best to bring that to his character. He put the work and the effort in, and we had some really funny moments. And I think it makes it that much more fun to watch.

I know Patrick Duffy is in this movie too. 

Tyler Hynes, Kellie Pickler, Patrick Duffy Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Yeah, Patrick’s like the…I don’t even know how to put this. If sunshine were to be a human being, that is Patrick Duffy. If a warm bath were to personify itself, that would be Patrick Duffy. Patrick Duffy is the sweetest individual on this planet. He couldn’t be nicer. He couldn’t be more professional. He came in and did his thing, and you’ll see it when you watch the movie. I just sat there and watched him act as he was speaking through five pages of dialogue. I was able to enjoy myself and laugh, and all of those are genuine moments because it was such a pleasure to sit and watch and let him play this funny character in a Santa costume. It was great.

Well, I’m definitely looking forward to this one. Between you and Kellie and Patrick and the fact that my friend Rickie is one of the writers…and it’s Hallmark! Nothing against the other networks, but Hallmark continues to put quality out there. I have watched some Christmas movies on other networks, and there are times I just have to turn them off they are so bad! So I’m very glad you are in another Hallmark movie, Tyler–another Hallmark Christmas movie! It was only last year you started making Hallmark movies, wasn’t it?

Tyler Hynes, Christopher Russell Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Yeah, that’s right, and I think we’re at five now with The Mistletoe Secret.

You know, Tyler, I brag about you. I have been so impressed with the way you have built your career up with this network. You interact with the fans, and you live tweet. And you do these incredible giveaways!

I just love Hallmark. And you, Andrew {Walker}, Brennan {Elliott}, and everyone else have helped me along every step of the way. The Hallmark fans are just amazing.

I love that you have taken so many suggestions and just run with them. You have built up quite a fanbase. I see you as a true Hallmark success story. 

Well, thank you and all the fans for all of the help along the way.

Do you have anything else coming up that you can mention besides The Mistletoe Secret?

Yeah, there’s another show I did called Letterkenny, and that comes out in December. There’s another movie I did called Hot-Wired In Suburbia that apparently got picked up by a distributor, so we’ll see when that one comes out. Hopefully soon. Very soon, I’m gonna go shoot another Hallmark movie. I don’t exactly know how much I can say about it, but all I can say is that I will be shooting this movie with one of the Hallmark queens. One of the most beloved in the Hallmark universe.

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Oh my goodness, that does sound exciting, Tyler!

Oh, and there’s one other movie that I just did the premiere for in Austin–Peace. It’s a WWII movie, and it will probably find distribution within the next six months. I think they might do a limited theatrical release, but I’m not sure where it’s gonna go. Then after that, I think it will probably be available for streaming and maybe purchase and/or rental. But I invite people to keep an eye out for that one. That will be an interesting one.

I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for all of that, and I’m sure the Hallmark fans will as well. We’re always looking for more opportunities to see you in action, Tyler. Now, this summer, didn’t you go on vacation to Greece?

Cindy Busby, Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alan Zenuk

Yes, I went to Greece this past summer for three weeks. It was the best trip I’ve ever had in my entire life. It was the most ridiculously amazing thing. I highly suggest to anybody to do it. If anybody needs any advice about going to Greece, I have all the advice in the world. It was definitely something special, and it was quite the adventure.

I’ve never gone, but it sure looks like you had an amazing time. And didn’t Cindy Busby go to Greece too?

Yes, she did go. She went there before I did. She had a little bit of info for me before I headed out to Greece.

How cool is that? So we know who to ask if we’re ever planning a trip to Greece.

I’d be happy to share my info with anyone who is interested.

Well, Tyler, I am so glad to see that your Hallmark reign has not ended.

Not yet, no. I’ll take it as long as they want to have me. They’re so sweet. Whenever I go to LA and meet all the executives, it’s always such a wonderful surprise to me that…whenever I go to these events and meet another executive or another person behind-the-scenes or meet someone like yourself, there’s never been a bad experience. Every single human being has been so sweet. Like Michelle Vicary, the vice-president of Hallmark, she couldn’t be nicer or more warm. None of this executive judgmental silliness. Just purely good vibes. I feel very fortunate to have such sweet people to collaborate with.

I’m so glad to hear that, Tyler. And we are so excited to see your movie tonight. I know everyone is enjoying the giveaways, and I think The Mistletoe Secret will be magnificent!

Thank you, Ruth, I really hope everyone likes it. I’m so grateful to you and all the fans for their wonderful support.

Tyler Hynes Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Starbuck/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC.

Can we say that Tyler Hynes is probably the most exemplary leading man in the Hallmark universe? (Well, at least in the top five or ten, right?) I am consistently amazed at the way in which he interacts with the fans and highlights each of his co-stars. He has been doing this acting thing for so many years, but it’s like he found his wheelhouse when Hallmark decided to invest in him and his on-screen prowess. I doubt that many would have expected him to be the Hallmark phenomenon he is now between his fans (who are self-titled “Hynies”) and these giveaways of his autographed Henleys and sweaters for which the fans clamor on social media! (Who would have dreamed that ripping the clothes off Tyler’s back would result in such a devoted and kind fanbase?) You know, when I suggested he do giveaways last year before the premiere of Falling For You, I never DREAMED he’d make it the sensation it has become! 

However, there is more to Tyler than meets the eye. While he may appear to be a goofball (um, I’m not gonna dispute that he is definitely that!), he also is an old-fashioned gentleman who treats his co-stars and the people behind-the-scenes with profound respect and utmost deference. It’s honestly no wonder that they pair him up with female country stars because he just kind of fits that whole persona of the zealous, handsome cowboy-type. (Maybe one day they will cast him in a Western–what do you think, Hallmark?) Moreover, Tyler is one who labors arduously and never “phones in” any performance, as they say. When on set, he delivers one hundred percent and then some. No one can question his work ethic, and I tend to think we have his mom and others who helped shape his early life to thank for that!

I hope that everyone who is able to will tune in tonight (November 11th) to the Hallmark Channel for the premiere of what is bound to be another instantaneous hit from Hallmark and Tyler–The Mistletoe Secret. I also highly recommend that everyone visit Tyler’s links below and consider following him on your preferred social media platform. Right now, there are three giveaways going on for autographed Henleys/sweaters. But be sure to scroll to the end of this post for the final one!! Don’t miss it, Hynies! While Tyler is one of the actors whom I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting in person as of yet, I can attest to the fact that the persona he exhibits online and on-screen is pretty doggone close to the person he is in real life. Sure, he is avowedly hilarious and knows how to have a rollicking time, but I tell you, when it’s time to work or it’s time to talk shop, his gratitude and his humility radiate forth brilliantly. I cannot imagine Hallmark without the astounding Tyler Hynes, and here’s hoping that Hallmark casts him in at least a hundred more projects before he retires! (Or even more! I’m up for that, aren’t you??)

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CHECK OUT MY OTHER INTERVIEWS WITH TYLER

Interview With Actor Tyler Hynes, “Falling For You” & “It’s Christmas, Eve”

Interview With Actor Tyler Hynes, “Flip That Romance”

Be sure to enter the giveaway for the blue sweater featured in The Mistletoe Secret and autographed by Tyler himself! Please note–giveaway is only open to U.S./Canada addresses, and the giveaway form below or at this link is the only way to enter. Giveaway will end promptly at 11:59 P.M. PST Monday, November 11th. Best of wishes!

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