Prolific Hallmark Actor Dies at 48: ‘Still in Shock’

Heavy Friends and fans are mourning the death of Hallmark actor Chris Gauthier

Character actor Chris Gauthier, who’s appeared in at least 17 Hallmark Channel projects since 2013 — from “Three Wise Men and a Baby” to “The Christmas House” movies — has died at age 48. The Canadian actor’s death has sent shock waves through the entertainment community.

Gauthier’s manager told TVLine that Gauthier “passed suddenly and unexpectedly following a short illness” on February 23, 2024. Two days later, Chad Colvin — a partner at Gauthier’s talent agency, TriStar Appearances — confirmed on Facebook that the actor had died, beginning by writing, “This doesn’t feel real. How can it? A world without you in it is a much darker place.”

He continued, “So much so that when his wife reached out to me yesterday with the news, I wept tears of disbelief for hours. It’s taken me til now to fully mentally and emotionally steel myself to write this.”

Many fans and friends, including his Hallmark colleagues, have expressed their shock and sadness over Gauthier’s death on social media, extending their condolences to his family. According to Entertainment Weekly, Gauthier is survived by his wife, Erin, and their two sons, Ben and Sebastian.

Here’s what you need to know:

Hallmark Channel Pays Tribute to Chris Gauthier

As news of Gauthier’s death spread on February 25, Hallmark Channel posted a brief tribute to the actor on social media, with a photograph of him in one of his many Hallmark roles.

“We are sorry to hear about the passing of Chris Gauthier,” the post read. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.”

Multiple Hallmark stars replied to the post, including “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” star Crystal Lowe.

“He was one of the loveliest men around,” she wrote. “So funny and kind. And the world is missing out today. He will be missed”

Tyler Hynes, who shared multiple scenes with Gauthier when they played colleagues in “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” left two emoji on Hallmark’s post and when he shared it in his Instagram Stories: “🤍🕊️”

Nikki DeLoach commented, “Sending so much love to his family and friends. ❤️‍🩹”

Loretta Walsh of “When Calls The Heart” wrote, “A total gem of a human, such a lovely and talented guy ❤️”

Hallmark star Brennan Elliott, who appeared with Gauthier in 2023’s “Ms. Christmas Comes to Town,” posted a since-deleted tribute to the actor on Instagram, writing that he was “still in shock” over the news.

Full List of Hallmark Movies Featuring Chris Gauthier

Colvin, Gauthier’s talent agent, wrote in his tribute that “Chris was the literal textbook definition of a character actor.”

He continued, “You may not have known his name but you knew his face, you knew his voice, and you knew that if he was onscreen, you were in for a helluva ride.”

That work as a character actor landed Gauthier roles in over at least 17 Hallmark movies since 2013. According to IMDb, they included the following:

• Joey Lilac in “After All These Years” — 2013
• Serge in one episode of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” — 2014
• Celebrity Judge #2 in “Recipe for Love” — 2014
• Priest in “I Do, I Do, I Do” — 2014
• Serge in “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From the Heart” — 2016
• Peter in “Hearts of Spring” — 2016
• Ed in “Christmas Cookies” — 2016
• Igor in “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Home Again” — 2017
• Lou Bellemore in one episode of “When Calls The Heart” — 2018
• Howard in “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Heist and Seek” — 2020
• Marvelous Jim in “The Christmas House” — 2020
• Bryan in “If I Only Had Christmas” — 2020
• Mr. Jing-a-Ling in “The Christmas Promise” — 2021
• Marvelous Jim in “The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls” — 2021
• Kevin in “Three Wise Men and a Baby” — 2022
• Randy in “Retreat to You” — 2023 (pictured above)
• Murray in “Ms. Christmas Comes to Town” — 2023

Gauthier was also known for his TV roles beyond Hallmark, including playing Smee in “Once Upon a Time” and Vincent on “Eureka.”