It might be Christmastime, but Hallmark Channel is all about the Easter eggs.
After gifting fans with a few unexpected crossover cameos last year, the network's 2022 Countdown to Christmas has doubled down on the seasonal surprises. Not only did three of its most popular leading men—Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Paul Campbell—team up for Three Wise Men and a Baby, but several more stars popped up in other movies in small roles.
Lacey Chabert's Haul Out the Holly saw not one, not two, but three familiar faces join her festive fun, while Chabert's leading man, Wes Brown, also got in on the cameo action, appearing in My Southern Family Christmas. Plus, two fan-favorites from Hallmark's hit series When Calls the Heart were called (See what we did there?) upon to play small but pivotal parts in two separate movies—one requiring an elf suit to be worn. Not all heroes wear capes, but they do wear pointy ears sometimes.
Check out all of the crossover cameos that went down during 2022's Countdown to Christmas movies:
The We Wish You a Married Christmas star had a small role in Haul Out the Holly, playing the husband of Lacey Chabert's character's best friend. After the movie aired, Polaha shared a fun behind the scenes video from his time on set on Instagram, which also included another one of the movie's surprise guest stars...
Mabius, who stars in the network's popular Signed, Sealed, Delivered film franchise, makes a memorable entrance in Hauled Out the Holly. The Ugly Betty alum appears as Allen, who makes it back to Evergreen Lane just in time for Christmas for an overly dramatic reunion with his wife, Pamela (Melissa Peterson).
Okay, while Elliott doesn't physically appear on-screen in Haul Out the Holly, he gets a sweet shoutout from his frequent co-star Chabert, whose character watches his 2020 TV movie, Christmas in Vienna, in one scene.
"We've done nine Hallmark movies together and he's a dear friend," Chabert explained to TV Insider. "So I was like, 'If I reference anyone here, it has to be Brennan!'"
The Haul Out the Holly leading man, who has starred in movies for the network since 2009, popped up in My Southern Family Christmas as the boss of Jaicy Elliot's character.
Not only did the Lights, Camera, Christmas! leading lady make a brief appearance in Three Wise Men and a Baby as a pediatrician, she also co-wrote the movie with Paul Campbell, who stars alongside Tyler Hynes and Andrew Walker.
"This one is special," Sustad wrote of the movie on Instagram. "These guys poured their hearts and souls into it."
Prior to the Dec. 11 premiere of The Holiday Sitter, Hallmark's first gay-led holiday movie, Bennett made his first 2022 Countdown to Christmas appearance playing Leonard, a very busy teacher carrying a lot of boxes in When I Think of Christmas.
The When Calls the Heart actress has a small but vital role in We Wish You a Married Christmas, playing the main couple's marriage coach who sends them to a special town to rediscover the magic of their relationship.
Hutton wasn't the only When Calls the Heart star to get in on the cameo fun this holiday season, hamming it up as an overly emotional elf that takes photos of children with Santa in Christmas Class Reunion.