Shots Fired! Candace Cameron Bure Seemingly Shades Fan-Favorite Hallmark Role
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Did Candace Cameron Bure just criticize one of her past Hallmark roles? As she ventures into new adventures with The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries, understandably, there will be comparisons to her Hallmark mystery character Aurora Teagarden.
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Cameron Bure left Hallmark in 2022 to join Great American Family. She starred in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries from 2015-2022 on Hallmark and now, she stars in The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries, which kicked off with its first installment, A Case for the Winemaker, on October 5, 2024.
Cameron Bure plays the title character, a former Chicago criminologist who returns to her hometown of Sweet River, Texas.
In A Case for the Winemaker, Ainsley’s friend is accused of a murder that happens in town and her brother, the Sweet River Sheriff, tells her not to interfere with the investigation. Ainsley, of course, doesn’t heed his warning and dives into helping solve the case.
In an October 4 interview with TV Insider, Cameron Bure discussed playing the character and seemed to throw shade at her Hallmark role in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.
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“I love the mystery genre and played a character for many, many movies over 10 years,” Cameron Bure said. “So going back into the mystery genre, I really wanted to find a character that felt different, one that I could resonate with, and also that the dynamics of the other relationships were really interesting to me.”
She continued, “So I love that Ainsley McGregor is a criminologist, so she, by trade, is trying to solve mysteries. She teaches classes at a college, and then she’s also this woman who is an entrepreneur. She opened her own business called Bless Your Arts, which I just loved. It’s an artisan store. It’s kind of like Etsy in real life, so all people from the community sell their homemade crafts and all different kinds of things. I love that about her and felt that was really different.”
The actor appeared to compare Ainsley who is “all in” and “more thoughtful because she has a criminology background” to her former Hallmark mystery character. “She isn’t just this kind of brute force that comes in that’s all action. She’s very, very thoughtful. She puts the pieces of the puzzle together, and it’s really by analyzing everything and thinking it all through,” Cameron Bure explained. “But when it comes to protecting someone or saving something or trying to solve the case at the end, she’s all in.”
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Of course, with more installments of the series in the works, a relationship for the character will play a part, with Cameron Bure confirming, “Ainsley’s romantic interest happens to be her brother’s best friend, so that’s another fun little dynamic that we will play out and stream along in several movies. Sometimes big brothers get protective that way, and it’s like you want to date my best friend. That’s just weird.”
The actor also called Ainsley a more “mature version” of her past character, with many fans believing Cameron Bure slammed her Hallmark role. “I really feel like this mystery series is just a more mature version than the ones I’ve done in the past, not only in the elements of the mystery itself, but also within relationships,” she said.
Look for more Ainsley McGregor Mysteries on the horizon, as the actor confirmed, “We’ve already actually shot the second one, and we’re in the works for three and four.”
She added, “It’s kind of an actor’s dream because you get to really find that person and develop them and create who you want them to be. I love doing franchise work like this a lot, and I know that the fans absolutely love it. You fall in love with characters. You want to know what’s going to happen next, and that’s the beauty and the benefit of doing it like this.”
Cameron Bure previously revealed why she left Hallmark behind, noting in a May 2024 Instagram Story, “It wasn’t so much about leaving as it was about an opportunity to grow a new network that puts faith and family at the forefront of its content. I’m very proud of the work I did at Hallmark for 15 years and love all my friends there ??”
See which Hallmark stars left the network for Great American Family (and why!) in the gallery below.
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