Erin Krakow Celebrates Friend and ‘When Calls the Heart’ Co-Star Chris McNally on His Birthday
Too sweet for words! Erin Krakow sent some love to her When Calls the Heart co-star Chris McNally on his birthday, shouting out her fellow Hallmark Channel actor for his kindness – and his memorable sweet tooth.
Erin Krakow says Chris McNally is ‘an absolute treat to work with’
On Nov. 8, Krakow took to Instagram to celebrate McNally’s birthday. She shared a series of photos of her and the Lucas Bouchard actor enjoying candy and cookies on the When Calls the Heart set, as well as an image of them showing off twin gingerbread houses.
“Happy Birthday @chrismcnally! You are an absolute TREAT to work with and I’m so grateful you’re my friend!” she captioned the post. “I adore you for so many reasons: your kindness, creativity, sensitivity, excellent taste …but your sweet tooth & pavlovas are a special bonus!”
Some fellow Hallmark Channel personalities also chimed in on Krakow’s post with well-wishes for McNally, including Holly Robinson Peete and Jesse Hutch.
Chris McNally is not leaving ‘When Calls the Heart’
Krakow’s post comes weeks after the stunning conclusion to When Calls the Heart Season 10. In the season’s penultimate episode, Krakow’s Elizabeth Thornton character suddenly called off her engagement to Lucas just weeks ahead of their planned wedding. In the cliffhanger finale, Lucas won the governor’s election. Then, a mysterious stranger confronted him on election night. Exactly what happened next isn’t clear, but in the episode’s final moments, an alarmed Bill (Jack Wagner) informed Elizabeth and Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) that Lucas was in trouble,
The season-ending twist left many of the show’s fans wondering if McNally might be leaving When Calls the Heart. However, even though his romance with Elizabeth is over, Lucas isn’t saying goodbye to Hope Valley.
“We’re not gonna lose Chris McNally,” Krakow told ET in a post-finale interview. “I mean, he’s fantastic. I can’t imagine that. Our show just grew and changed when we brought in Kevin and Chris.” McNally and McGarry joined the Hallmark Channel drama in season 6.
Krakow also said fans will get answers about what happened to Lucas early in When Calls the Heart Season 11.
“I can say that the good news is that those questions will be answered,” she said. “And pretty much right away, so we’re not gonna have to wait too long in season 11 to get those answers.”
McNally is looking forward to Lucas’s journey in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 11
Hearties who loved the Lucas-Elizabeth pairing were devastated to see the couple’s relationship unexpectedly flame out in season 10. McNally says he understands their disappointment. At the same time, he’s looking forward to his character’s journey in When Calls the Heart Season 11.
“I think it’s a good storyline all across the board,” the actor said in a conversation with The Edify After Show (via YouTube). “I think it allows for a lot of shifts and changes to happen. And through those shifts and changes we get to follow the characters and explore more stories in Hope Valley. And from Lucas’s point of view, this whole venture into government and what not, it’s not something that could have been explored had he and Elizabeth gotten married.”
“I understand and am empathetic to the audience members and the Hearties and fans who were really gunning for this and really wanted a wedding in season 10,” he added. “I think it’s going to be a massive disappointment. I also feel that sometimes characters are ripped apart and things change. And that’s part of life.”
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