40 Celebrities You Didn't Realize (or Totally Forgot!) Were in Hallmark Christmas Movies
Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Patti LaBelle—is that really you?
Given that more than 30 originals usually premiere each year, even the biggest Grinch has probably stumbled across one or two Hallmark Christmas movies. Filled with the heartwarming goodness of long-lost loves, sweet romances, and family reunions, these festive films are akin to comfort food during the holiday season.
While there are a few familiar faces you can count on seeing year after year, like Lacey Chabert from Mean Girls, there are other major celebrities who you may have never realized (or completely forgot!) have appeared in one or more Hallmark holiday movies. Seriously, even if you are a devoted "Countdown to Christmas" viewer, you might not remember all of the big names—like Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, and Patti LaBelle. (See?)
Luckily, with three channels (the original Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) airing new and old movies all season long—along with select movies being available on the streaming service Hallmark Movies Now—we have a feeling you'll spot at least one of these celebs during your Christmas movie marathon this year.
Carrie Fisher
It's Christmas, Carol (2012) features Princess Leia herself as a ghostly presence in a modern retelling of the Dickens classic. (Yes, it's just as amazing as it sounds.)
Mariah Carey
The self-proclaimed "Queen of Christmas" not only starred in A Christmas Melody (2015), but she also directed it! It also stars Lacey Chabert, and the two are high school rivals who face off during a school snowflake pageant.
Patti LaBelle
The iconic singer plays a doting aunt-turned-matchmaker in A Family Christmas Gift (2019). Kudos to the writers who worked in an opportunity to showcase her voice in a performance of "O Holy Night."
Lacey Chabert
The Mean Girls star stopped trying to make "fetch" happen (or did she?) and decided to take over the Hallmark Channel. (And we love it!) She's appeared in over 30 films for the network, including A Merry Scottish Christmas (2023).
LeAnn Rimes
Grammy Award-winning Rimes plays a superintendent who is being forced to cut budgets, including a music program, in It's Christmas, Eve (2018).
Anne Heche
In Silver Bells (2005), Anne Heche stars alongside Tate Donovan (who Friends fans will recognize as Joshuaaa) in this holiday romance.
Dolly Parton
It's Christmas at Dollywood (2019), so of course, the iconic singer is on hand to give out some sage wisdom to a party planner who is tasked with decking the halls.
Carson Kressley
The RuPaul's Drag Race judge and former Queer Eye for the Straight Guy expert stars alongside Carrie Fisher in It's Christmas, Carol (2012).
Priscilla Presley
Surely it was a no-brainer to have Elvis's wife appear in Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (2019).
Jennifer Beals
Beals went from Flashdance and The L Word to The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010), in which she's a workaholic who meets an amnesiac Santa.
Kristin Chenoweth
The Tony award-winning Wicked star takes a turn as a youth choir director (naturally) in Hallmark Hall of Fame: A Christmas Love Story (2019).
Billy Ray Cyrus
In the early days of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the country singer—also known as Miley Cyrus's father—starred in the Christmas in Canaan (2009) as a widow who falls for his son's physical therapist.
Ashley Greene
You can spot the Twilight star in Christmas on My Mind (2019) and A Little Christmas Charm (2020).
Shirley MacLaine
That's right—the Oscar-winning Terms of Endearment actress stars as an angel in A Heavenly Christmas (2016).
Teri Hatcher
Hatcher reunites with her Desperate Housewives co-star James Denton in A Kiss Before Christmas (2021), a modern take on It's a Wonderful Life.
Brandon Routh
The former "Man of Steel" from Superman Returns trades his cape for firefighting gear, rescues a bunch of kittens, and falls for a cute cat lover in The Nine Kittens of Christmas (2021).
Christopher Lloyd
The Back to the Future star plays a mysterious train conductor who sends Lyndsy Fonseca back in time (no Delorean needed) to relive fond memories in Next Stop, Christmas (2021).
Kellie Pickler
The American Idol contestant-turned-country-singer starred in her first on-screen role in Christmas at Graceland (2018).
Katee Sackhoff
The Battlestar Galactica and Mandalorian star is out of space and down to Earth, playing a woman who reconnects with her hometown in Christmas Sail (2021).
Jordin Sparks
In A Christmas Treasure (2021), the American Idol winner tries her hand at making gingerbread while flirting with a chef.
Angel Madison is a shopping editor at Hearst Magazines with over 25 years of editorial experience. She writes about parenting, toys, plus-size fashion, sneakers, and more for brands like Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Prevention, and Esquire. Before her time at Hearst, Angel worked as a parenting editor for New Jersey Family and covered entertainment for NBC Universal, AOL, and TV Guide. When she’s not testing the latest footwear trends, adding to her collection of over 100 LEGO sets, or scouting for the hottest new toys, you can find Angel walking long distances (either in the woods or in New York City) and spending time with her daughter.
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