Hallmark Star Felt Character Was a ‘Doormat’ & Wanted Bigger WCTH Role

Hallmark/Heavy A Hallmark star had an idea for "When Calls the Heart."

Hallmark star Josie Bissett attended the 90s Con Event in Daytona Beach, Florida, in September 2024. While she was there, she talked a bit about her “Melrose Place” character, including admitting her character was a “doormat.” The star has previously made some interesting suggestions about the future of a character she played on “When Calls the Heart.”

Josie Bissett Said Her ‘Melrose Place’ Character ‘Cried A Lot’

Bissett played Jane on “Melrose Place” in the 1990s. She also played AJ Foster for four episodes of “When Calls the Heart,” along with the role of Olivia in five Hallmark movies from the “Wedding March” franchise.

During a “Melrose Place” panel for the 90s Con event that Heavy attended, Bissett said she enjoyed her character’s role on the show, but also felt like her character was a doormat at times.

“I really loved playing Jane,” Bissett said. “I really did. I think there was a point where, I don’t think I asked to change… There was a year there where… No, I did feel like I was a bit of a doormat, but just a little bit… I mean, I cried a lot.”

The panel’s host mentioned that season 3 began a shift for her character.

“Yeah,” Bissett said. “And that was fun. But I do and still enjoy that I was the nice girl.”

She Wanted a Bigger Love Story on ‘When Calls the Heart’

Jack Wagner, who plays Bill on “When Calls the Heart,” was on “Melrose Place” with Bissett. The two also played the leading characters on the “Wedding March” franchise of five movies.

They appeared together on “When Calls the Heart” when Bissett portrayed the role of AJ in four episodes from 2017 to 2018. Bill and AJ had a brief romantic interlude.

Bissett told ET Online in 2018 that she thinks AJ and Bill could have a deeper relationship on the show.

“[AJ] is feisty and strong and I love playing that with Jack because we have that banter back and forth,” she said. “…And in this, it’s amped up more, so it’s fun.”

“I think it would be great [if the two had a future together],” she told ET. “I think they would bring out the best in each other, they might bring out the worst as well, but that’s how you grow.”

Bill has had a number of short relationships on “When Calls the Heart,” including a potential love interest just this last season who doesn’t appear to be returning for season 12.

Bissett’s character AJ had a brief romantic story with Bill too. AJ was an auditor who agreed to testify against Henry in season 4, according to the “When Calls the Heart” wiki. But after her family was threatened, she decided to change her story and fake her ledgers. Bill convinced her to show him where the original ledgers were hidden, but they encountered bounty hunters along the way, and AJ even threatened to shoot Bill at one point to escape. When Bill finally put her in jail, she kissed him right before she was locked up and later escaped.

In season 5, AJ returned and turned herself in and Bill escorted her to another town to serve her sentence. Along the way, he was bitten by a rattlesnake and she helped save him. They shared another kiss after Bill said he agreed to try to get her a lighter sentence, leaving the character’s future open-ended.