How Stephen Huszar Pranked Katie Cassidy’s Parents the First Time They Met

Heavy/Hallmark Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar in Hallmark's "A Royal Christmas Crush"

In interviews to promote their new Hallmark romance, “A Royal Christmas Crush,” actors Stephen Huszar and Katie Cassidy have gushed over one another and shared how a real-life romance blossomed between them on-set earlier this year. They’ve said that within a week after working together on the movie, which premieres on July 8, 2023, sparks were flying and they began discovering lots of common interests.  

“It just happened, it’s sort of hard to explain,” Huszar told Us Weekly. “I just think the more we got to know each other, we realized we’re basically the same person, just in different skin … I’ve never met someone that’s so similar in ways that I am.”

Though they kept things “professional” on the movie set in March, as soon as filming was done the pair dove into their relationship head first, traveling around the world together including stops in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. They even decided to surprise Cassidy’s parents in Portugal, pulling off an epic prank. 

Stephen Huszar Dressed Up as a Butler to Meet Katie Cassidy’s Parents

Cassidy, who starred in the long-running CW series “Arrow,” had an up-and-down relationship with her biological father, 1970s pop star David Cassidy. She told People in 2022 that she didn’t meet him until she was in fourth grade and that she was raised by her mom, model Sherry Williams, and the man her mom married when Cassidy was a little girl — an emergency room doctor Richard Benedon.

As she and Huszar traveled the world together after wrapping their Hallmark movie, they learned that her parents were traveling too.

Though her parents had seen Huszar in photos and videos, Cassidy explained, “He had never met my parents before and we surprised them in Portugal.”

“We were at the hotel they were at,” Cassidy explained to Marie Claire. “I was hiding behind the (front) desk. He dressed up basically as a butler. The guy at the front gave him his top hat and coat and he pretended to be the butler with an accent to my parents.”

“The accent was horrible,” Huszar interjected.

But Cassidy said her mom was far more interested in how Huszar looked than how he sounded.

The actress recalled, “My mom was like, ‘That’s so weird. I have to take a picture of you … My daughter, she’s seeing someone and you look exactly like him.”

“I said, ‘He must be a good-looking chap,'” Huszar quipped.

“And then I popped out from behind the desk and all was revealed,” Cassidy said. “It was really fun.”

On June 1, Cassidy posted an Instagram photo of herself kissing Huszar on the cheek when he was dressed as a butler and captioned it with the hashtag “PrinceCharming.”

The couple told Marie Claire that after the big surprise, they then took her parents sailing, which came easily for Huszar, who said his first paid job was as a sailing instructor.

“Katie’s father’s a big sailor,” Huszar said. “So that was lots of fun. Good bonding moment!”

Stephen Huszar & Katie Cassidy Discovered They Have Lots of Common Interests

Cassidy and Huszar have said in multiple interviews that after their first week of filming, they started to get to know one another better and couldn’t believe how much they had in common. One of the synchronicities for her was noticing his crystal bracelets.

She told Entertainment Tonight, “I think we went for lunch or something, and I noticed his crystals. I love crystals. And we started bonding over spirituality and I started to get to know the real Stephen.”

The couple has also bonded over taking action on matters important to them, including supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. On June 18, Cassidy shared photos of her and Huszar in her Instagram Stories from a campaign event.

Days later, on June 23, the couple also joined the picket lines of the WGA writers’ strike in Los Angeles, which Cassidy shared on Instagram.

On her post, she wrote, “I stand by my fellow creative HUMAN beings! It’s an honor to march in solidarity 👏🏼”

“A Royal Christmas Crush” premieres on July 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Hallmark Channel.