‘The Christmas House’: See Where It Was Filmed & Meet the Cast

The Hallmark Channel premiered a new Christmas movie on Sunday, November 22, called The Christmas House. This movie featured Hallmark’s first LGBTQ storyline involving one of the main characters. The movie is re-airing on Friday, June 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern. Read on to learn all about where it was filmed and to meet the cast who are bringing the movie to life.

The movie stars Ana Ayora (Andi), Robert Buckley (Mike), Treat Williams (Bill), Sharon Lawrence (Phylis), Jonathan Bennett (Brandon), Brad Harder (Jake), and Mattia Castrillo (Noah.)

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‘The Christmas House’ Was Filmed in Canada

The Christmas House was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, just this fall.

One of the locations was Victoria, according to a tag in a sweet Instagram post that Bennett shared about the movie.

ET Canada reported that the movie was also filmed in Vancouver.

Ayora, who stars in the movie, shared some photos from filming.

Bennett shared a selfie with co-star Buckley.

Bennett told ET Canada that this movie would have meant a lot to his “younger” self. “I imagine what this would have meant to younger me, to see two men who are in a loving relationship, going through the process of adopting a baby to start a family of their own… that is such a great story of unconditional love. And they are doing it with their family, which is so important to me. I wish I had a movie like this to watch when I was younger.”

Bennett said Buckley wrote the script and came up with the idea because it was based on his real-life family.

Buckley shared this selfie during filming:

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Meet the Cast

The synopsis for the movie reads: “Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis and patriarch Bill, have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike Mitchell and Brandon Mitchell – home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house, will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband Jake make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi, his high school sweetheart.”

Robert Buckley plays Mike. He starred in Love in Store, which aired on The Hallmark Channel in August. His many credits include iZombie (Major Lillywhite, 71 episodes), The Christmas Contact, Dimension 404, Powerless, Play It Again Dick (Gaston), Hart of Dixie, 666 Park Avenue (Brian), One Tree Hill (Clay for 57 episodes), Lipstick Jungle (Kirby for 20 episodes), American Heiress (Matthew Wakefield for 36 episodes), Fashion House (Michael Bauer for 70 episodes), and more.

Ana Ayora plays Andi. Her many previous credits include In the Dark (Sarah Barnes), Captain Marvel (Agent Whitcher), Major Crimes, Banshee (Nina Cruz), Chop Shop (Sofia), Redeemed, Castle, Phoenix Falling, Marley & Me, and more.

Treat Williams plays Bill. He’s perhaps best known among Hallmark fans for his role as Mick O’Brien on Chesapeake Shores. His many other credits include Christmas on the Square, Run Hide Fight, Blue Bloods (Lenny), Chicago Fire (Benny), Drunk Parents, Rocky Mountain Christmas, American Odyssey (Col. Stephen Glen), Operation Rogue, White Collar (James Bennett), Against the Wall (Don), Martino’s Summer, Front of the Class, Chasing a Dream, Heartland (Dr. Nathaniel Grant), Brothers & Sisters (David Morton), Everwood (Dr. Andy Brown), Miss Congeniality 2, Good Advice (Jack), Eddie Dodd (Eddie Dodd), and much, much more.

Sharon Lawrence plays Phylis. She’s a prolific actress with many credits to her name. Just a few of her credits include Dynasty (Laura Van Kirk), On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Louise), Shameless (Margo), Criminal Minds, Poinsettias for Christmas, My Myself and I (Eleanor), How to Get Away with Murder, The Ranch (Brenda), Queen Sugar, The Last Tycoon, Rizzoli & Isles (Dr. Hope Martin), Game of Silence (Diana), Drop Dead Diva (Bobbie), One Tree Hill (Sylvia Baker), The Line (Jayne), Monk (Linda Fusco), Hidden Palms, Desperate Housewives, Ladies Man, NYPD Blue (Sylvia Costas), Fired Up, and much more.

Jonathan Bennett plays Brandon. Bennett’s prolific acting background includes Snow Falls, Love on Repeat, Christmas Made to Order, Awkward (where he played Ethan), Hit the Floor, A Christmas Kiss II, Mean Girls, A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale, and more. He starred in two episodes of All My Children back in 2001 and 2002 and was in two episodes of Veronica Mars in 2004 at the beginning of his career. He hosts Halloween Wars on the Food Network.

According to IMDb, Bennett came out as gay in 2014. He is happily dating Jaymes Vaughan of The Amazing Race, Hollywood Life reported, and said that one day when he proposes, he wants to use a flash mob.

Brad Harder plays Jake. He’s perhaps best known for his role as Officer Heard on Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. He’s also appeared in The Twilight Zone, The Magicians, No Tomorrow, A Christmas Miracle, and more.

Harder shared on his Instagram that he’s just not only excited to play the first married gay couple on Hallmark, but he’s thrilled that his real-life son gets to play his baby on screen. In real life, he’s married to Graham Arychuk. Harder’s full name in real life is Brad Harder Arychuk, but he goes by Brad Harder professionally.

 

Mattia Castrillo plays Noah. This is his first credit on IMDb.

Also starring are:

• Gabriela Reynoso (Elena)
• Michelle Harrison (Kathleen)
• Chris Gauthier (Marvelous Jim)
• Aidan Wright (Teen Mike)
• Ashley Hart (Teen Andi)
• Shawn Alexander Gilmour (Teen Troy)
• Zara Nikou Sichani (Rosa)
• Nathan Parrott (Young Mike)
• Coco Conn (Young Andi)
• Hayden Carmichael (Young Brandon)
• Mapuana Makia (Executive 1)

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