Heavy/Getty Hallmark actor Marcus Rosner
Marcus Rosner may not be a dad in real life, but the Hallmark star now has proof he makes a great “fake dad” on film. In a series of photos and videos Rosner posted on Instagram on June 1, 2023, from the set of a just-wrapped Christmas movie for the network, the actor included a video of himself reading a sweet handwritten thank-you note he received from one of his young co-stars.
It’s one of many fun behind-the-scenes moments Rosner has shared from the set of his latest movie. The star has been busy working on other Christmas movies, too, and he’s already made several Hallmark appearances in 2023, playing the late Austin McMurray in Hallmark’s new series, “Ride,” and co-starring in “The Love Club: Nicole’s Pen Pal” with Brittany Bristow. Here’s what you need to know:
Marcus Rosner Posts Sweet Note & Fun Moments From Hallmark Christmas Movie
While Hallmark often tries to keep details on its upcoming movies top secret, Rosner has shared glimpses from behind the scenes of his latest film shoot in Ottawa, Canada, with much of the shoot taking place at an ice skating rink. In the series of videos Rosner shared on Instagram, one featured a sweet thank you note he received on the final day of filming from the young actress who plays his daughter in the movie.
Inside the card, which has the words “THANK YOU” on the front, there’s a brief note written in pencil that says, “I had so much fun working with you! I hope to see you again soon, and I am proud to call you my fake dad.”
The bottom of the card reads “From: Acacia … To: Marcus.” Rosner then switched the camera view to show the expression on his face, clearly touched by the gesture. Though he didn’t tag the actress in his video, the note was likely from young Canadian actress Acacia Hanvelt, who’s appeared in other holiday-themed TV movies and whose talent agency lists “figure skating” as one of her skills.
The Christmas movie also co-stars Celeste Dejardins, whom Hallmark viewers may recognize from her supporting role in all three of the “Flower Shop Mysteries” movies with Brooke Shields and Brennan Elliott in 2016. Though it’s not known how well Dejardins ice skates, she likely knows her way around an ice rink, given that she has been dating Edmonton Oilers hockey star Leon Draisaitl since 2018, according to First Sportz.
While shooting scenes fo the new movie, Rosner took videos — included in his recent Instagram post — of Dejardins filming out on the ice, including a trick the camera crew used to film her skating backward, with her standing on a moving platform in front of the camera. Rosner also shared his own footage of him playing a skating teacher, with extras in the background copying his every move, which he got a kick out of.
“They basically just do whatever I do,” he laughed as he skated around and made funny gestures with his hands. “The problem is I have no fu**ing clue what I’m about to do on any given take, so I just do stuff and they follow me.”
Marcus Rosner is Now a Busy Movie Producer, Too
In addition to acting, Rosner also keeps very busy running his production company, Northern Gateway Films, which he co-founded with his friends, filmmakers Dylan Pearce and Andy Scholotiuk, who were behind his Lifetime movie “Christmas With a Crown,” according to the Edmonton Journal.
“With my connections in Toronto and Vancouver, I was looking for a way to move behind the camera into a production position,” Rosner told the paper, adding that they got financial backing Montreal-based Reel One Entertainment, a worldwide TV film and series distributor.
“I kind of came to Dylan and said, ‘Look, if I can bring these movies back to Edmonton, can we team up and produce them together in town the same way that I saw you guys do ‘Christmas With a Crown’ and the way I’ve seen you do so many others in the last decade in the city?'”
The team now has a giant filming facility in Alberta. The first movie the firm produced under their arrangement with Reel One was called “From Italy With Amore,” released in January 2023 and starring Rosner. In March, he also starred in the Northern Gateway Films “Couple Up For Christmas” and in April, the firm filmed “Christmas Train Parade,” according to the St. Albert Gazette, which said it’s not yet known where the movie will air.
On June 2, Rosner posted on Instagram his reflections on being so busy accompanied by a tattoo on his shoulder that says “…and of course, as always, the answer is balance.”
Rosner wrote, “If you’re like me you just need to know which direction to run. You don’t mind pain, struggle, or sacrifice – you just want to know where to go all-in. Unfortunately, it’s rarely so simple…”
He continued, “From the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep my mind races. Constantly working to figure “it” out. But in the end, after pushing everything to the limit, I always come back to the same inescapable conclusion…”