“When Hope Calls” is a family-oriented American TV drama series that first aired on Hallmark Movies Now on August 30, 2019. Later popping up on the Hallmark Channel in 2020, “When Hope Calls” enjoyed enough popularity to premiere its second season on GAC Family on December 18, 2021.
“When Hope Calls” is the “When Calls the Heart” spinoff that fans of the latter always hoped would happen. “When Calls the Heart” is based on an ‘out-of-the-past’ series of books called “Canadian West” by Janette Oke. This article will provide details about the main and recurring cast members of “When Hope Calls” and information about the possibility of a forthcoming third season.
Main Characters of “When Hope Calls”
“When Hope Calls” centers its plot largely around two orphaned sisters, Lillian Walsh and Grace Bennett, who have chosen to translate the pain of their childhood separation into something positive by opening a compassionate orphanage of their own as adults.
Set in the western Canadian town of Brookfield in 1916, the rotating cast of main and recurring characters includes a host of famous and first-time actors that audiences have come to adore, most of whom hail from Canada.
The following list provides information on the main characters of “When Hope Calls” and the actors who portray them.
Lillian Walsh
Portrayed by Morgan Kohan, the sister Lillian is organized and family-oriented. Her maternal presence is a grounding one for younger sister Grace and the children the Walsh sisters help at their orphanage. Fans particularly loved her defense of two of her boys who became targeted as suspects related to the town fire in the first season episode entitled “From The Ashes.” Kohan has a strong training background in her craft, having started out as a dancer and then attended the Triple Threat Program at Randolph Academy in Toronto.
Grace Bennett
Played by Jocelyn Hudon, Grace is the somewhat more unpredictable and adventuresome of the two lead sisters. At the end of the first season, she even disappears to London to be married, as everyone finds out at the start of season two in an episode entitled “A Country Christmas!” Jocelyn Hudon shares co-star Kohan’s dance background, having been a ballerina at the National Ballet School of Canada from a young age. Likewise holding a post-graduate degree in PR, she may be recognizable to viewers from her appearances in Adam Sandler’s “Pixels” or Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Strain.”
Charlie “Chuck” Stewart
Greg Hovanessian brings as much charm and cheer to the character of Chuck Stewart as Chuck himself does to the town of Brookfield. Chuck is the local veterinarian and kind-hearted love interest of Grace Bennett. A lifetime athlete who has amassed awards in everything from parkour to martial arts, Hovanessian has likewise racked up impressive television and film credits that include “Nikita,” “eHero,” “Covert Affairs,” and “Mayday.”
Tess Stewart
Played to perfection by Wendy Crewson, Tess Stewart is Chuck’s mother and the owner of the big ranch in Brookfield that serves as the backdrop for many of the show’s important plot moments. A mother of two, a film producer in her own right, and a friend to Harrison Ford off-screen, Crewson surely knows something about making “that face” when she disapproves of something or needs to make her presence felt. Tess is somewhat suspicious of Grace’s past and does not fully support the flirtation between her son and the younger of orphanage owners.
Constable Gabriel Kinslow
Ryan-James Hatanaka brings humor and intelligence to the role of “Mountie Gabe,” as he is called, and this dashing character quickly catches the eye of Lillian Walsh with his handsome face and heroic nature. This is not too far from RJ Hatanaka in real life either, as the actor not only holds a black belt in karate but also serves as a fight director in numerous theatrical productions across North America. Hatanaka has appeared in “King Lear” with Annette Bening and John Lithgow for “Shakespeare in the Park” and also in “Romeo and Juliet” at The Guthrie Theater.
Maggie Parsons
As the town nurse who is as new to Brookfield as Lillian and Grace, Maggie Parsons has an inquisitive nature and a resourceful mind that show her to be a woman ahead of her time. Maggie is played by the incredibly worldly Hanneke Talbot, who descends from a British mother and a Canadian/Irish father. Talbot grew up in Kuala Lumpur and has lived in a multitude of diverse places including Australia, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the UK.
Sam Tremblay
Though he is a drifter who has wandered into town with mysterious origins, there is nothing undefined about Sam’s popularity with audience members on “When Hope Calls.” Sam serves as the handyman at the orphanage, doing odd jobs for the sisters. Marshall Williams brings charisma to his portrayal of Sam that showcases the same star quality the actor has brought to his other film and television credits such as “Glee,” “The Ice Road,” and “Headcase.”
Ronnie Stewart
Neil Crone plays Ronnie, who is Tess’ brother-in-law and Chuck’s uncle. Ronnie runs the local hotel and is good-hearted at the root but sometimes connects with shady individuals that can cause him trouble down the road. Neil Crone brings a lifetime of stunning credits as a writer, actor, and Second City veteran improvisor to this character, and there are many moments in Ronnie’s wry delivery where audience members get to see how Crone earned the hallowed Canadian Comedy Award. Crone is likewise a decorated newspaper columnist and children’s author.
Abigail Stanton Hogan
Veteran television actress Lori Loughlin plays the sweet widow Abigail, who is from Hope Valley. Abigail stands up for the women of Hope Valley, defends the row houses by working in the mines, and is responsible for bringing the telephone to the quiet little town. She serves as a source of strength and friendship for the other women in the town and an example to her adopted son, Cody. Fans will recognize Loughlin for her long tenure as Rebecca Donalson-Katsopolis on the immensely popular 1980s family drama, “Full House.”
Recurring and Guest Characters of “When Hope Calls”
Beyond its stellar cast of main characters, “When Hope Calls” is also rife with excellent recurring and guest characters that make the show that much more intriguing. The following list details some of the more prominent guests and recurring characters that contribute so much to this show’s infectious watchability.
Joe Moody
Jefferson Brown plays the owner of the Brookfield General Store, Joe Moody, with warmth and effective grace. Joe is a helpful, honest man who is an ally to the sisters and other townspeople of Hope Valley. Browne himself has professional and personal accolades to spare, having won the prestigious Best Male Performance title at the 2013 Canadian Comedy Awards for his role in “Please Kill Mr. Know It All.” He also took home Best Actor in 2007 at the Canadian Filmmakers Film Festival and has been seen in recurring roles such as “Rookie Blue,” “Degrassi,” and “Being Erica.”
Nathan Grant
Nathan is a Mountie from Hope Valley who helps Mountie Gabe take down the shady banker of the town, Mike Sinclair, among other adventures. Played by Kevin McGarry, Nathan first appears in season six of “When Calls the Heart” as a suitor to main character, Elizabeth. McGarry has made a name for himself since mistakenly making his way into a high school theater class that left him with the acting bug. Though he has a degree in Creative Writing, he studied Theatre Arts at Fanshawe College in London and has starred in “Saw: The Final Chapter,” “Open Heart,” and “Heartland.”
Where Can You Watch “When Hope Calls?”
Fans of “When Hope Calls” can get their viewing fix on a number of streaming platforms and channels these days. The TV show can be streamed on Hallmark Movies and the Hallmark Movies Now Amazon channel. Viewers can also elect to download their episodes of “When Hope Calls” from Vudu, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, and Apple iTunes.
Will There Be A Season 3 of “When Hope Calls?”
As period-piece TV shows go, “When Hope Calls” has been one of the most popular original series productions for Hallmark movies, and season two left fans with high hopes of a third return to Brookfield.
Though no official renewal or season premiere date exists yet for the third incarnation, “When Hope Calls” season two left room for many plotline continuations that fans across social media are lobbying to see picked up again.
How Many Episodes and Seasons of “When Hope Calls” are There?
“When Hope Calls” currently has two complete seasons and 12 total episodes. Each season contains six episodes of roughly 40 minutes each.
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