Did Laura Osnes Ditch The Hallmark Channel For Great American Family?
Several Hallmark Channel stars have been making the switch to the Great American Family network. Is Laura Osnes the latest actor to jump ship?
Many Hallmark fans may not be too familiar with Osnes, considering she only began working for the network in the past several years. Her Hallmark film debut came in 2019 with the release of the movie, "In the Key of Love." Over the next couple of years, Osnes landed several more projects with the network, including "One Royal Holiday," which she was extremely appreciative of. In an interview with Broadway Direct, the actor revealed that "One Royal Holiday" came when there was little to no work because of the pandemic, so she was extremely grateful for the opportunity. "I started crying. I was shocked. I was just so grateful and excited," she said.
Osnes seemed to love Hallmark, and it looked like the feeling was mutual as she continued to get some big roles, but a new network has been taking even the most loyal Hallmark actors over to their side. Since the launch of the Great American Family network in September 2021, it has slowly taken over Hallmark and its actors. Candace Cameron Bure, Danica Kellar, Trevor Donovan, and so many more have switched to the new network, per People. One by one, actors fled Hallmark, but has Osnes? We're here to fill you in on whether she has become a Great American Family actor.
Laura Osnes released first project with Great American Family network
It looks like Laura Osnes followed in several of Hallmark stars' footsteps. According to the actor's IMDb, Osnes has not worked on a Hallmark project since 2021, after her role in the film "Christmas in Tahoe." Although this was her last movie with Hallmark, Osnes has kept busy with another network.
In November 2023, Osnes starred in "A Dash of Christmas," released through the Great American Family network. "A Dash of Christmas" is sure to give you your Christmas movie fix, because in the film, Osnes plays a businesswoman who has to learn how to bake in order to land a dream job, per Great American Family. With the help of a hunky baker, Osnes finds herself in a sudden Christmas bake-off.
The actor teased the project on social media and seemed to be pretty happy about the new gig. She shared, "Christmas comes early TONIGHT with #ADashOfChristmas ON @gactv... We ate so many treats on set — breads, sprinkles, cookies, frosting, cranberries, coffee (all those night shoots!)... with the sweetest cast & crew that kept each other laughing and light-hearted for two weeks straight!" Although she hasn't officially announced that she has left the Hallmark Channel, it was pretty clear that she was seeking new professional ventures, and "A Dash of Christmas" was the start.
Laura Osnes had trouble keeping a job
Between her last project at Hallmark and her new film with the Great American Family network, Laura Osnes had trouble keeping a job. The difficult situation wasn't because she wasn't a good actor but because of a medical reason.
According to Page Six, Osnes was let go from her Broadway gig in the show "Crazy For You," because she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Osnes revealed to the production that she hadn't gotten the vaccine and didn't plan to because she doesn't "trust" them. After discovering this, the show dropped Osnes from the gig and replaced her with actor Sierra Boggess. The outlet reports that Osnes could have taken a COVID-19 test to continue her role, but she did not.
Osnes initially refused to comment on the situation, but a year later, the actor refuted some of the things in the article to The Tennessean. She claims that the situation went down less dramatically than the article made it seem. Although they suggested she could have taken a Covid test to continue working, she claims she wasn't given the option. "The article kind of made it seem like I lied. Like I was vague about my status that I had put my coworkers at risk," she said. "It mischaracterized me, my reputation, and how everything went down." Lucky for Osnes, her reputation wasn't completely tarnished, as we now know she was able to land a gig with the Great American Family network.