Heavy/Getty Heavy's Top 10 Hottest Pics from the Hunks of Hallmark
One of the tried-and-true traits of a quintessential Hallmark movie is the picture-perfect scenery in the background, from autumn pumpkin patches to quaint Christmas tree farms, as the movie’s leading lady falls for her hunky, kind-hearted leading man.
Frequently referred to by fans as the Hunks of Hallmark, the network’s most popular leading men have countless online fan accounts individually and collectively dedicated to them, including a Hunks of Hallmark Instagram feed.
Though Hallmark keeps all of its romances G-rated and has no plans to change that, its leading men have been known to get fans’ hearts racing and tongues wagging beyond the TV screen, periodically revealing their chiseled abs and bulging biceps in shirtless pics and videos on social media.
So, as a public service, Heavy has compiled a short and completely unscientific ranking of the 10 hottest posts from Hallmark hunks (they had to be shirtless pics from current stars shared within the last two years, as of September 13, 2024), along with the fun and funny reactions they got from fans. Let the countdown begin!
10. Andrew Walker
“Curious Caterer” star Andrew Walker isn’t afraid to post a shirtless photo or video (and he thrilled fans by opening the hit movie “Three Wise Men and a Baby” with a shirtless scene). The only reason Walker is at the entry point of Heavy’s list of the hottest posts is because his social media shares are the most wholesome shirtless photos humanly possible — taken while he’s playing in the sand with his kids or innocently talking to fans with a towel draped around his neck.
Even the video shared here of a shirtless Walker features him teaming up with his wellness advocate wife, Cassandra Troy, as they do a double plank against a tree, laughing heartily throughout. See? Incredibly wholesome. But for plenty of Hallmark fans, that’s pretty darn hot.
9. B.J. Britt
Britt, who will co-star in “The Groomsmen” trilogy on Hallmark+ in the fall of 2024, has shown off his buff biceps in workout photos on Instagram, but it’s his shirtless mirror selfie from March 2022 that landed him on this list.
Fans did not hold back in revealing how hard they were swooning, including one who wrote, “My My My Delicious looking CHOCOLATE Candy 😍” and another who typed, “Ummm…ummm….no words”
An alum of the Marvel show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” per IMDb, Britt has appeared in many rom-coms for various networks, including Hallmark’s 2022 movie “The Holiday Stocking.” But with three movies on the way with Hallmark royalty Jonathan Bennett and Tyler Hynes, and an upcoming weekend of appearances at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, he’s deservedly shimmied his way into the kingdom of Hallmark hunks.
8. Kristoffer Polaha
“A Biltmore Christmas” star Kristoffer Polaha posted this gem on September 7 — a shirtless closeup of him in a reflective moment with his hair wet and perfectly tousled. This isn’t his first rodeo.
Fans immediately flooded the post with comments, including many who said they won’t look at Polaha, 47, quite the same when they connect with him at upcoming fan conventions, including one who wrote, “🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Wowwww. How am I gunna look at you without fainting 😂”
Another person gushed, “Wow !!!!! I have no words !!!! This just stopped me in my tracks!!!!! Young man you are soooooooo handsome !!!! 🥰💥❤️🔥🔥💣🧨”
7. Ben Hollingsworth
Okay, so Ben Hollingsworth isn’t entirely shirtless in the images shared here. But Heavy’s pretty sure the Hallmark actor, who also co-stars on “Virgin River,” has fans everywhere wishing for an encounter with him dressed this way at a future Christmas party — shirtless beneath a festive green suitcoat, sprawled out on a couch.
Fans made sure Holingworth knew how appreciative they were of his 2023 holiday post, including someone who quipped, “And now my favorite color is 💚💚💚”
Another wrote, “For us, it’s good that you Lost your shirt ;) 🔥”
A close second to Holingsworth’s shirtless holiday photo was one he posted on September 5, just ahead of his 40th birthday, which he captioned, “This is 39 and 363 days. My body hurts. My heart does not.”
6. Ektor Rivera
Rivera, who previously appeared in Hallmark movies “Groundswell” and “Sugar Plum Twist,” per IMDb, has been cast as one of the heartthrobs on the new Hallmark+ series “The Chicken Sisters.” The dad of two doesn’t only have fans swooning, but his co-stars, too.
When Lea Thompson, Schuyler Fisk and Genevieve Angelson were interviewed on KATU Lifestyle in early September, they laughed about swooning over Rivera, who plays Sergio, the chef at Mimi’s chicken restaurant in the show.
As the three women giggled, Angelson said, “We found him to be extremely hot. Just really, like, a hot person in general.”
Rivera displayed his “hot person” status in a shirtless post on Valentine’s Day 2024, sweetly telling his fans, “A gift on Valentine’s Day. 🏹 You have to love yourself to love others.”
5. Aaron O’Connell
Aaron O’Connell’s 2022 shirtless pic, taken after a run with his dog, gave fans a full view of the results of his workouts — and they were very thankful, with many commenting on how “hot” the “Junebug” star looked.
One wrote, “Hot Damn!! 😍😍😍” while another commented, “HOT BODY 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥”
“Your wife is one lucky lady and congratulations,” someone else wrote.
Adding to his hotness factor, O’Connell spends his free time volunteering (albeit fully clothed) as a pilot to fly rescue animals to their new owners. Be still our hearts.
4. Jonathan Bennett
Hallmark star and “Mean Girls” alum Jonathan Bennett’s Instagram feed was full of possible contenders to pick for his hottest shirtless photo, including one with fangs (yes, really). But this June 2024 post was double the fun, so it rose to the top.
Taken on a boat in Santorini, Greece, the pic features Bennett, shirtless and standing with with his equally buff husband, Jaymes Vaughan. It drew the most “likes” of his shirtless hottie posts — over 32,000. When Bennett, 43, asked them to write a caption for the post, many left clever comments including several Hallmark colleagues.
Benjamin Ayres’ Romance University account commented, “Santorini? More like Fire-ini! 🔥🔥”
“Beeforini,” quipped Paul Campbell (who shows a little skin in the September 13 premiere of “The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death is Listening.”)
Bennett’s “Finding Mr. Christmas” co-star, Melissa Peterman, weighed in with, “Kringled and Cute!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
3. Victor Webster
“Hannah Swensen Mysteries” star Victor Webster also has a plethora of shirtless pics to choose from (thank you, sir), but this little act of resilience — posting a full-torso photo and flashing that mega-watt smile in June 2023, just two weeks after hamstring surgery at age 53 — won out as the hottest of his hot photos.
Plus, we got a kick out of his amusing caption — “Insert absurd inspirational quote that has nothing to do with shameless shirtless photo. 😂”
Well-wishers and swooning fans filled his comment section, including someone who wrote, “I am in heaven just by seeing this”
One fan declared the pic “absolute perfection” and another wisely pointed out, “Confucius once said, ‘it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop’ which translates loosely to please, God, continue to post more shirtless photos, Vic”
2. Benjamin Ayres
Longtime Hallmark star Benjamin Ayres is frequently seen on social media wearing shirts, sweatshirts and hats that promote Romance University, the merchandise and event initiative he started for rom-com fans in 2022 to raise money for a variety of charities. But every now and then, he ditches the apparel and sends fans swooning with a shirtless photo.
The Canadian actor’s August 2023 image of himself dripping wet by a lake unsurprisingly drew lots of comments from fans who were stunned by what he’d been hiding beneath all those hoodies, including one who commented, ” I had no idea. 👀🙆🏼♀️🤯”
One fan crowned him “Hallmark’s drool-worthy leading man!”
Another wrote, “Clothes on, beautiful. Shirtless, dang ❤️”
1. Tyler Hynes
The fact that Hynes, 38, tops Heavy’s rankings should be no surprise to Hallmarkies, and certainly not to Hynies — the nickname for his devoted fan base. The actor has become one of Hallmark’s most popular leading men, with five movies scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2024: the highly-publicized “Holiday Romance: A Chiefs Love Story” premiering on November 30, a holiday sequel to the 2022 smash hit “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” and “The Groomsmen” trilogy on Hallmark+.
Selecting a “top” shirtless post from Hynes was not easy, given that there are so many to choose from — including a sunset silhouette to close out 2023, others taken in May while carrying his beloved pup, Rusty James (unfair use of adorable prop), and even a September 1 video of him sweetly rescuing a bird while shirtless (come on!).
But the chosen series of black and white photos that top Heavy’s list have all the ingredients for a perfect Hallmark hunk thirst trap: the six-pack on full display, the slicked-back hair, the contemplative close-up, the shimmering necklaces, and the swooning fans. Posted in December 2023, Hynes’ red-hot Instagram post generated nearly 20,000 likes and over 1,600 comments — and an untold number of cold showers.
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The Top 10 Hottest Pics From Our Favorite Hallmark Hunks