The Crystal Clear Signs Chad Michael Murray Is Done With Hallmark

Hollywood seemed to lose interest in Chad Michael Murray after his "One Tree Hill" exit in 2009, so he was fortunate that he later discovered the joy of making holiday magic with the Hallmark Channel. However, when the Great American Family (GAC) network swooped in and went all Grinch on Hallmark by stealing its Christmas stars, Murray was among those who defected to the new channel.

In 2018, Murray appeared in his first Hallmark movie, "The Beach House." He went on to star in a handful of the network's festive flicks, including "Love in Winterland" and "Road to Christmas." Regarding his passion for making these types of movies, he said in a "Sidewalks Entertainment" interview, "I've always told myself that no matter where I was in my career, I would always make sure that I would take the time to do one of these every year." But by 2021, he was turning to GAC to help him scratch that itch for wholesome seasonal programming. His appearance in his first GAC movie, "Angel Falls Christmas," didn't necessarily mean that he was done with Hallmark for good. However, by 2023, he was gearing up for his third film with GAC, "Christmas on Windmill Way."

It's unclear why Murray chose the newer network over the one that first embraced him. But with the way his career has been going, he might be able to completely extricate himself from a thorny situation: the fan backlash some GAC actors have faced for abandoning Hallmark.

The Hallmark talent who left for Great American Family gets serious side-eye from some fans because Candace Cameron Bure told The Wall Street Journal that GAC embraces "traditional marriage" — this means no LGBTQ+ stories. She also said the channel's content is more faith-oriented, which Chad Michael Murray may have found appealing. "I feel stronger and safer walking onto my sets every day knowing that I have God with me every day," he told Fox News in 2022.

According to Murray, his convictions heavily influence the roles he chooses. However, he's not just interested in appearing in movies with religious undertones. In 2024, he starred in the Netflix rom-com "Mother of the Bride," and Lindsay Lohan learned she would be reunited with her first kiss when Murray signed on to star alongside her in the "Freaky Friday" sequel, "Freakier Friday." Murray has had some episodic TV work to keep him busy as well: the CTV drama "Sullivan's Crossing," which also airs on The CW. He even shot a 2024 holiday film for a network that isn't Hallmark or GAC — "The Merry Gentlemen" is another Netflix original.

Further proving that he might be growing too big for Hallmark or GAC, Murray has been thinking about other future projects he'd like to be involved in. He told ET he'd love to film a sequel to "A Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff for the sweetest reason. After his daughter watched the original, she said to him, "You need to make another one of those, Daddy."