Daniel Lissing is excited to be part of season 2 of 'When Calls the Heart' spinoff, 'When Hope Calls,' reuniting with Lori Loughlin.
When Calls the Heart star Daniel Lissing is excited to be part of season 2 of GAC Family's spinoff, When Hope Calls, reuniting with Lori Loughlin.
GAC Family announced on Monday that Lissing has been added to the cast of season 2 of When Hope Calls. He'll guest star alongside Loughlin as well as fellow When Calls the Heart star Carter Ryan. It was previously announced that Loughlin is reprising the role of her When Calls the Heart character, Abigail Stanton, marking her return to acting following her involvement in the college admissions scandal.
The two-part premiere, titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, debuts Saturday, Dec. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
In an exclusive statement to ET, Lissing said, "I'm excited to be invited to participate in the season 2 premiere of When Hope Calls. I'm also very much looking forward to meeting the When Hope Calls team and to be working with my friend Lori again."
Lissing told ET that his role in When Hope Calls will be revealed to fans next Monday, Oct. 11. Fans will recall that Lissing co-starred with Loughlin on When Calls the Heart for years, but shocked viewers when he announced his departure from the show after season 5. As a result, his character, Mountie Jack Thornton, was killed in the season 5 finale.
When Hope Calls is set in Brookfield, a town on the western prairie, and is a TV spinoff of award-winning author Janette Oke's novel series, When Calls the Heart. According to a press release, When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 1, revolves around a Christmas festival happening in Brookfield as the community is one of three contenders in Harper's Bazaar's search for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. The entire town is preoccupied with creating the essence of Christmas for the photojournalist’s lens, though, behind the scenes, residents are not living the spirit of the season. Abigail and her son, Cody, then appear, bringing a troubled boy to Lillian's orphanage.
When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 2, revolves around photojournalist Paul Franklin, who's wrapping his research on the community of Brookfield as a contender for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. Lillian, the orphans, and Gabriel are running out of options to restore the troubled boy's hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to fulfill all holiday wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. Meanwhile, Paul's lens is recording every miraculous moment.
ET spoke with Lissing last February, and he said he was open to reprising his When Calls the Heart character in flashbacks or cameos. He also shared why he had no regrets about leaving the show to pursue other projects.
"It's funny the way the world works. If I had stayed on the show, and been there during season 6 and shot and all that kind of stuff, then I wouldn't have met [my wife] Nadia, you know?" he shared. "And I wouldn't be getting married and I wouldn't be at this place in my life where I feel really in line with what I'm meant to be doing personally and professionally, so no regrets at all. How can I look at my future wife and say, 'Oh, I should've stayed on this job?' She's my life, you know? That's my personal life and that's exponentially more important to me than a job."
RELATED CONTENT:
