Why Brant Daugherty Says He Needed to ‘Freak Out’ Over New Hallmark Movie

Heavy/Hallmark Brant Daugherty in "Joyeux Noel"

With the SAG-AFTRA strike over and actors able to promote their work again after 118 days, Hallmark star Brant Daugherty wasted no time sharing a project close to his heart. On November 9, 2023, Daugherty celebrated on Instagram that he could finally “freak out” over what made his newest Christmas movie on the network, “Joyeux Noel,” so important to him.

“This one was special for me,” Daugherty wrote on Instagram.

Not only did Daugherty star in the movie with Jaicy Elliot; he also wrote the script with his wife Kim — a feat that was on his Christmas wish list last year. That goal finally came to fruition when “Joyeux Noel” premiered on October 29.

Daugherty’s post was one of many shared by Hallmark actors the day after SAG-AFTRA had reached a three-year agreement with AMPTP. Since the network’s Countdown to Christmas kicked off on October 20, many holiday movies have aired without their stars being able to share details about them — until now.

Brant Daugherty Explains Why He’s So ‘Invested in the Response’ to His New Movie

In his November 9 post, which included multiple press photos from the “Joyeux Noel,” Daugherty wrote, “I wasn’t able to discuss or promote anything due to the strike but now that it’s over… let me freak out for a second here.”

“This one was special for me,” he continued. “My wife @kimdaugherty_ and I wrote the script together so I’ve been very invested in the response… and I’m very proud to say that our movie was the most-watched cable program of the entire day! So I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who watched, tweeted or supported the movie in any way. I’m really grateful to all of you.”

Daugherty also thanked Elliot and director Jessica Harmon, as well as “the entire Bulgarian/French crew who made it happen.”

“And a big thank you to @hallmarkchannel for taking a chance on our script pitch and helping us get it to this point,” he added.

At Christmas Con in December 2022, Daugherty told fans that he and his wife were already hard at work on a Hallmark Christmas script that he hoped would be produced by the network for this year’s holiday slate.

The couple, who’s expecting their second child in early 2024, has written and starred in other movies, including 2019’s “A Christmas Movie Christmas” for UpTV and the 2023 thriller “Alone in the Dark” for Tubi. But to get a script accepted by Hallmark, known for its top-rated holiday fare each year, is a feather in their cap.

When hundreds of fans gave their reviews of the “Joyeux Noel” on the Heavy on Hallmark Facebook page, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

One woman wrote, “I loved it! And I also noted in the scrawl that Brant Daugherty and Kimberly wrote it. That’s cool!”

In December 2022, Daugherty told TV Fanatic that he wanted to continue both writing and starring in family fare, which is a far cry from prior roles in films like “50 Shades of Grey.”

“I want to make sure my kid can see what I do,” he said. “It’s something that not only my 19-month-old son can watch but my 90-something-year-old grandmother loves too. She was not the biggest fan of ’50 Shades of Grey,’ I’ll tell you that.”

“Joyeux Noel” is scheduled to re-air on the Hallmark Channel at the following dates and times:

Many Hallmark Stars Have Posted Retrospective Photos & Videos From Their Recent Movies Now That They’re Free to Promote Their Projects Again

Daugherty wasn’t the only one quick to celebrate their recent and upcoming Hallmark movies on social media as soon as the strike restrictions were lifted. Many Hallmark stars have posted retrospective behind-the-scenes photos, videos and reflections on movies that have already aired but they still want to celebrate.

Tamera Mowry-Housley looked back on her movie “Haunted Harmony Mysteries: Murder in Major G,” which premiered in October, via an Instagram post on November 9.

Thanking the team at Hallmark, she wrote, “I can’t thank you enough for letting this woman play one of her fav roles to date! Love me some #Gethsamane Brown.”

For Hunter King, the strike ended just days after her Christmas movie, “The Santa Summit,” premiered, but she encouraged fans to watch a re-airing of it. She posted a video of behind-the-scenes footage she’d taken during the shoot and narrated it, sharing her favorite memories.

She wrote, “So happy I can finally post about this! We had SO much fun making The Santa Summit🎅🏼 I hope anyone who watches is able to tell how much fun we truly had! Feeling so grateful to have worked with so many talented, kind, and not to mention really really funny people! #TheSantaSummit airs again tomorrow Nov 10th on @hallmarkchannel ❤️”

Tyler Hynes also shared photos from the set of his recent movie, “Never Been Chris’d,” calling the cast and crew “lovely human beings, spectacularly talented who poured their hearts” into the movie.