Erin Cahill Is So Excited To Be A Part of An Ensemble Cast In Hallmark’s ‘Christmas On Cherry Lane’

Plus, the Virginia native shares two dishes that are “non-negotiables” on her holiday table year after year.

If you’ve been missing This Is Us like we have, we have just the holiday movie for you. One of the 40 new flicks Hallmark has gifted us this season in their Countdown to Christmas is Christmas On Cherry Lane, which takes a peek into the lives of three families in three different decades all during Christmastime. The dynamite ensemble cast includes Catherine Bell, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, James Denton, and Vincent Rodriguez III.

Southern Living recently spoke to Cahill about this very special project who told us that she, “loved being in ensemble pieces. I’ve been so fortunate to do some ensemble TV shows. And movies and TV shows like this, to me, are the best way to tell a story. As a viewer you can find yourself connecting with different characters for different reasons. So I think that’s also part of the beautiful thing about ensemble pieces is you get to tell so many different stories, and it appeals to so many more people because there is more of a range in the story telling.”

In her storyline, Cahill stars opposite John Brotherton as a young couple preparing to celebrate the holiday in their brand new home as they are about to become parents for the first time. Their plans for a quiet first Christmas in their new home gets upended when family suddenly arrive at their doorstep. While we won’t give anything away about which decade of the three in this feature her storyline falls into, Cahill said, “I will just say our storyline in particular feels so universal. It could be in any time period. That it was such a joy to get to play in the wardrobe.” Yes, you will see her sporting a pregnant belly, and no she is not pregnant in real life.

Bell and Denton are once again paired as a couple in a mini Good Witch reunion, if you will. They play an empty-nester (Bell) and her fiancé (Denton) who are ready to start a new chapter but her adult children are hesitant to all of the drastic changes. And finally in the third storyline, we see Bennett and  Rodriguez III as a couple who finally get the opportunity to  expand their family but it comes on Christmas Eve as they are in the middle of a home renovation. Throughout each storyline, there is a common thread that slowly, craftily unravels and reveals itself. It’s as thoughtfully and cleverly done and will have you smiling and crying in equal measure. So keep the tissues handy.

In each storyline, we see each family’s distinct Christmas traditions like holiday themed games, and special dishes being prepared, and of course there are some very touching moments that highlight decorating the Christmas tree. The focus on ornaments that are passed down generation to generation is definitely a nod to the fact that 2023 marks 50 years of Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornaments. 

As for her own holiday traditions, Cahill, who was born and raised in Stafford, Virginia, said that for her family, competition is key. “One of my favorite things that we do every year is on Christmas Eve we actually stay up until the wee hours of the morning drinking spiked cider and eggnog and playing games. It is so fun!” After the late night game session, it’s a PJs all day mandate in her household. The games and pajama party are traditions that she upholds every year, even now that she’s married to a Welshman, musician Paul Freeman.

Cahill and Freeman now live both in LA and also in Nashville. Cahill said "Nashville is where my yard is, so it's where my heart is." But with her extended family now spread across two continents, some years they celebrate the holidays in the UK and some years they are here in the USA, but the traditions remain the same. As does the meal. “It is very traditional. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes. Not a Thanksgiving or Christmas goes by in our household without green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese. That’s a non-negotiable. I could live on sides. The meats are great, but it is for me, in this order: green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and then way at the bottom, some form of protein,” the Virginia native told us.

She also said that after a lazy day of sleeping in, opening presents and stuffing themselves on a fabulous meal, Christmas movies are watched every year. We think Christmas on Cherry Lane should be added to the line up this year. It will be a winner for the whole family.

Christmas on Cherry Lane premieres December 9 on Hallmark Channel.

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