5 Hallmark Channel Movies That Star When Calls The Heart's Erin Krakow

Erin Krakow is one of Hallmark's most recognizable leading ladies as the star of the network's hit historical drama, "When Calls the Heart." Her filmography is also fairly unique. Since getting her start on the hit Lifetime show, "Army Wives," she's spent the majority of her career creating original content for Hallmark. In addition to "When Calls the Heart" and specials, Krakow has starred in 12 original movies for the network.

That's a lot of films to watch. Although Hallmark is best-known for its Christmas movies, original films air on the network all year. While some of Krakow's movies have merry vibes, others have a summer feel, and you can watch them any time you want in the streaming era. However, every Hallmark fan knows that not every fictional romances is created equal. It's only fitting a few of Krakow's Hallmark movies are naturally better than the rest. 

In 2024, she re-kindled her professional chemistry with her former "When Calls the Heart" co-star, Daniel Lissing, years after he left the show. Krakow's chemistry with another popular Hallmark hunk is also so good, both films they made together are delightful. These are five of the best Hallmark movies to watch when you need to escape Hope Valley for awhile, but have already watched the best shows Hearties shouldn't skip, and are still missing Krakow's charm. 

Every once in awhile, a Hallmark movie pours on the cheese, but is still delicious. "Christmas Above the Clouds" is a retelling of the classic tale, "A Christmas Carol," with Erin Krakow as Ella Neezer (get it?), an extremely Grinchy business executive who forces her struggling assistant, Bobbi (Emily Tennant), to spend Christmas Day on a plane with her on a flight to Australia. Her ex-fiancé, Jake (Tyler Hynes), is also on the flight, when she's visited by ghosts from the past, present, and future. Ella is forced to come to terms with how her difficult personality impacts the people around her. She doesn't like the person she sees, and it helps her rediscover the magic of Christmas and different kinds of love.

Krakow plays an insufferable boss well. This Christmas classic has been retold countless times, but the undeniable spark between Krakow and Hynes (which likely inspired their Hallmark movie reunion) makes "Christmas Above the Clouds" stand out (especially in the flashback scenes). And if you're finding it hard to root for anyone, there's always Bobbi, who deserves to be home with her sick son for Christmas. 

There are so many reasons why Hallmark fans new and old need to watch "Santa Tell Me." The premise is a lot of fun and a little bit magical. Erin Krakow plays Olivia, an interior designer and TV personality whose letter to Santa from childhood starts sending her messages about a quest to find the love of her life — who it says is named Nick — by Christmas Eve. When she starts falling for her co-worker, Chris (Daniel Lissing), however, she questions everything. "Santa Tell Me" poses an interesting question: What's worth trusting more, fate or your heart? 

"Santa Tell Me" was a hit for Hallmark, reuniting Krakow and her former "When Calls the Heart" co-star, Lissing, who played her first husband, Jack Thornton, in the historical drama. Their chemistry definitely looks different in 1910 than in a modern story, but it's still there. The need for so many Nicks in one movie means Hallmarkies are treated to four hunks in total: Benjamin Ayres, Christopher Russell, and Kurt Szarka play Nick A. Nick B. and Nick C., respectively.

You can't go wrong with a "One Tree Hill" alum on Hallmark, but Robert Buckley isn't the only reason Erin Krakow's "Blind Date Book Club" is worth checking out. Her character, Meg Thompson, is a book store owner in Nantucket, so the setting is another strong figure in the story, and will help you feel like you're having a little getaway while on the coach. Meg's known for her matchmaking skills, which is a fun detail. Despite running a successful bookstore that features a buzzy event called the Blind Date Book Club where singles come together to discuss a mystery book of her choice, she's not sure she's left her former life as a real estate agent completely behind. 

Meanwhile, Buckley stars as Graham Sterling, a successful YA author who doesn't want to be pigeonholed by his mega-successful book series. He writes a historical romance under a pseudonym, and goes to Meg's bookstore in the hopes that she'll choose his novel for her mystery book club. They fall in love while Meg is giving Graham constructive criticism of the novel, and she figures out his secret identity. Her business is later threatened when the couple gets exposed and Meg is accused of bias toward Graham. Krakow and Buckley have great chemistry and fun banter, but "Blind Date Book Club" is about more than romance. It's about rediscovering your dreams and fighting for them. The movie is a love letter to Hallmark fans who double as bibliophiles.

"The Wedding Cottage" is one of Erin Krakow's most unique Hallmark movies. She stars as Vanessa, a wedding guide writer who has to convince a reclusive artist, Evan (Brendan Penny), to renovate his family's now-rundown cottage so that a bride who won a contest can have her dream wedding. They bond during the renovation process, but their trust is tested by a miscommunication. Krakow and Penny have a dynamic connection that, while not exactly hot and heavy, is hard to look away from. 

Plus, the couple getting married make up a heartwarming story about a veteran getting the confidence to dance again after an injury. "The Wedding Cottage" goes a little bit outside the lines of what fans might expect from Hallmark, which is always refreshing. The recluse leading man is always easy to root for, and while Vanessa is definitely type A, she's not grating. The best Hallmark movies leave you wanting more even after the happy ending, and this one delivers there.

Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes starred in their first Hallmark movie together in 2021, "It Was Always You." Krakow's Elizabeth is a dentist who is comfortable in her organized life, which is very meticulously planned. That includes her upcoming wedding to her childhood friend and fellow dentist, George (Giles Panton). But when George's brother, David (Hynes), returns home and Elizabeth is forced to spend unexpected alone time together, everything she thinks she knows about her future changes. 

The "falling for the wrong brother" trope is a classic, but it's used just sparingly enough to feel new every time. Plus, Hynes plays the perfect "edgy guy with a good heart." And Krakow and Hynes' chemistry is palpable from the first time they share the screen. The vibes are so steamy between them, Hallmarkies still want a sequel, something Krakow told People in 2024 she'd be "very, very happy" to provide for them, a year before her second project with Hynes, "Christmas Above the Clouds," was announced.