When Luke Macfarlane stopped by the “Tosh Show,” in December 2023, he and host Daniel Tosh discussed all things Hallmark. Since the actor’s 2014 debut in “The Memory Book,” Macfarlane has appeared in 16 films and counting (mostly rom-coms and a couple of mysteries). And, as he told Tosh, it’s worthwhile to be loyal to the network. Asked if Hallmark pays well, Macfarlane nodded coyly and smiled before revealing that his rate actually goes up with each movie. What’s more, as the actor explained, “If you end up doing one of the ones that kind of hits and is popular, it gets aired more and more, so you eventually get residuals.”
However, it can also be limiting. Delving into how his contracts work, Macfarlane noted, “I’m gonna commit to five Christmas movies or five movies, but I can’t work for any other network — and they name all the other networks — and they can’t be holiday-related movies.” Even so, he’s been able to work around his ironclad deals and branch out.
In 2022, Macfarlane starred in his first big screen project, “Bros,” and he’s also dabbled in other TV gigs. In 2023, he was cast in the Apple TV+ series “Platonic” (Macfarlane turned down a part in the “Barbie” movie for it) and before that, he did a holiday rom-com for Netflix, 2021’s “Single All the Way.” It paid less than Hallmark and Macfarlane was only allowed to do it “because I was outside of my deal with them.”
