Lori Loughlin Shares Why She Loves Being a Hallmark Heroine
Why I Love being a Hallmark Heroine
By Lori Loughlin
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has cornered the market on spunky small-town sleuths. August 5 (and every Sunday in August), it features Garage Sale Mysteries’ Jennifer Shannon (Lori Loughlin), an antiques dealer with a knack for solving crimes. She’s part of a sorority that includes heroines who right wrongs while making pastries (Alison Sweeney’s Murder She Baked movies) and hosting book clubs (Candace Cameron Bure’s Aurora Teagarden Mysteries). Loughlin reveals why she’s proud to be part of the exclusive circle.
I love mysteries. I grew up watching Columbo, McMillan & Wife, Murder, She Wrote, Quincy. My first thought when I got this role was, “My mom will love this!” And she does. She watches all the Hallmark mysteries, every one, and she always says that I’m her favorite — but I think she’s actually a little partial to Candace.
It’s really important to create a character viewers feel safe with — who they want to spend time with and trust. Jen represents all those things. Like her, I have a husband and family, so I try to bring in my own experiences to make her more relatable. I’m a good girl at heart, and this is the type of material I gravitate toward — it’s my sweet spot. I don’t have a dark side.
To me, these movies feel like a big, warm hug. People want to be taken back to a simpler, slower, more neighborly time. We’re offering fun little capers — good old-fashioned whodunits — that you can watch and then go to sleep without having nightmares. The cases aren’t too taxing to figure out, but we also sprinkle in enough red herrings along the way to keep you guessing, like, “Oh, it’s definitely the butler! But it could be the guy who owns the tire shop.”
There’s a formula to them: You know what you’re going to get. It’s comfort food, and I believe in the product. Every time we do a new one, I say, “Oh, this is my favorite!” — As told to Ingela Ratledge
Garage Sale Mysteries: The Pandora’s Box Murders, Movie Premiere, Sunday, August 5, 9/8c, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services