Heavy/Hallmark Hallmark actor Ryan Paevey
When longtime Hallmark Channel star Ryan Paevey casually vented to fans about his frustrations with the entertainment industry, he didn’t expect his exchanges with them on X, formerly known as Twitter, would get picked up by reporters and create so much buzz.
When Paevey’s tweets from April 9, 2024, made headlines — including via Heavy — many fans expressed how upset they were for him. But he has since said he was surprised anyone had found his tweets or his circumstances newsworthy enough to print, joking that the outlets “must be hard up for news.”
Here’s what you need to know:
News of Ryan Paevey Potentially Taking a Break From Acting Was Sparked by Tweet Exchange With Fans
HallmarkRyan Paevey in 2023’s “Under the Christmas Sky”
On April 9, one of Paevey’s fans tweeted out an article that ranked him at the top of a list of 20 “Hallmark hunks.” Other fans jumped into the thread, discussing whether he might appear in a Hallmark movie soon.
Paevey, who was also a regular on “General Hospital from 2013 to 2018, per IMDb, noticed the back-and-forth and jumped into the fray himself, tweeting, “Sadly no word of a film…i may take 2024 off from filming, unless the project is with friends. The last 8 months of life in this industry have left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, and i need some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises. I’m weary…”
@rmn827 @DorMcLoughlin @patsyillinois Sadly no word of a film…i may take 2024 off from filming, unless the project is with friends. The last 8 months of life in this industry have left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, and i need some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises. I’m weary…
When fans expressed how saddened they were by his update, he replied, “Oh it’s alright. I had a great run. I like my simple life in my shop, helping little bro, and frequent surfs. I have much to be grateful for, I’ll figure out a way to stay afloat without acting income…who knows, maybe a film will come along. Insurance would be nice, haha. 😬”
One person then asked Paevey if he’d still be open to doing a Hallmark movie. In 2023, he appeared in two for the network — “Fourth Down and Love” with Pascale Hutton and the holiday movie “Under the Christmas Sky” opposite Jessica Parker Kennedy.
“I mean, I’d like to think the powers that be know I’d happily do another film if they wanted me to,” Paevey replied. “But I don’t know anymore…so I’m just gonna do life, and make plans, and work…and whatever happens happens. 🤷🏻🤙”
Many fans were distressed by news reports of Paevey’s tweets, including nearly 200 who weighed in on the article posted to the Heavy on Hallmark Facebook page.
One fan wrote, “Omg please NO!! But you know if you’re weary it’s best for you. But you’ll be sadly MISSED!!! I hope you can re-group and return to Hallmark!!! YOU,young msn, are the reason i got hooked on Hallmark movies!!! 
“
Another commented, “Love Ryan and the movies he is in. Great actor. I pray he will get through this difficult time and I also hope Hallmark gets their act together and have him acting. Stay strong, God Bless.”
Ryan Paevey Responds to Buzz Created by Media Coverage of His Tweets
As entertainment outlets began to pick up on Paevey’s social media exchange with followers, one of those fans tweeted a link on April 11 to TV Line’s article, which featured the headline “Ryan Paevey to Take Acting Break, Says There Is ‘No Word’ of Upcoming Hallmark Channel Movies.”
The fan wrote, “Hey @RyanPaevey apparently your replies made news.”
Paevey responded, “Didn’t even have the balls to tag me. 😂🙄”
When that fan then expressed dismay that Paevey’s replies on X had been reported on by the media, the actor and jewelry maker wrote back, “Meh, tweets are public, so that’s on me i guess. I miss when i could think about something out loud without someone yelling about it. All i said was I ‘may’ take a step back for a bit, and here we are. Le sigh.”
Paevey later added, “They must be hard up for news if they’re scavenging the tweets of a garage jeweler for something to talk about.”
In addition to acting, Paevey has become a skilled jewelry maker with a hugely popular side business called Fortunate Wanderer. On April 1, he tweeted a photo of his latest batch of shipments and told a fan he’d packaged up 450 orders.
Paevey signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark in May 2022, but in February 2024, Hallmark’s EVP of Programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, told Variety the company has recently pulled back on signing new, exclusive contracts with its fan-favorites.
“When I got here, we were sort of on a talent exclusivity spree, and I think we’ve backed away from that, partly because we like our talent to be a lot of other places too,” she told the outlet. “We like people to be able to find them in other places and be excited to come back and see them here. And we’re also constantly looking to expand our talent pool, so getting people for a one-off movie is really exciting for us.”
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Ryan Paevey Didn’t Expect Venting About His Work Would Make Headlines: ‘That’s On Me’