Kevin McGarry & Kayla Wallace: The Real-Life Love Story Behind This Hallmark Couple
They say not to mix work and romance, but for Hallmark Channle stars Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace, they've proven that when the love is true, there's no use denying it. The happy couple started working together on Hallmark's hit series When Calls the Heart during its sixth season in 2019, where McGarry played the role of Nathan Grant and Wallace played the role of Fiona Miller.
The couple went public with their relationship via Instagram in 2020, and the rest is history. Here, we take a closer look at this lovely couple and their relationship over the last few years.
?2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Courtesy Albert Camicioli/Johnson Production Group
Get to know Kevin McGarry
The Hallmark actor we know as Nathan Grant in When Calls the Heart became interested in acting in a rather unique way — as a freshman in high school, he mistakenly entered the wrong classroom and found himself in a theatre class.
He went on to graduate from George Brown College with a degree in Creative Writing, enrolled in Fanshawe College in London, Ontario to study theatre arts and studied at the Pro Actors Lab, but before pursuing acting professionally, he did some modeling work… in the form of catalogs and Harlequin book covers!
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?2022 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Craig Minielly
“I did model when I first came to Toronto. I was not good at it,” McGarry said on the Grass is Greener podcast. “But the only thing I really got down was on the catwalk walk or the runway walk…putting your shoulders back to slide off the jacket and then doing the over-the-shoulder motion in one move,” he joked, while also recalling a gig he had in a Sears catalog. “I’m from a small town, and back then we had the Sears Wishbook. And they were like, ‘McGarry’s in the Wishbook, page 170,’ or whatever it was.”
Since then, you can find McGarry in a range of Hallmark films including Checkin' It Twice (2023), Feeling Butterflies (2022), My Grown-Up Christmas List (2022), The Wedding Veil (2022) and many more.
Get to know Kayla Wallace
Kayla Wallace, who studied at The Canadian College of of Performing Arts, knew that a career on the stage was what her future would hold. She broke out into the Hallmark scene as Fiona Miller in When Calls the Heart in 2019, but has appeared in numerous television shows and films outside of the network.
Her TV work includes parts in Ice, The Good Doctor, The Magicians and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. She has also starred in the movies Heatwave (2022), Undercover Cheerleader (2019), Terrified at 17 (2019), Counterfeiting in Suburbia (2018), Killer Ending (2018) and Once Upon a Prince (2018).
?2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Albert Camicioli
On Hallmark, you can catch her in two films: My Grown-Up Christmas List (2022) and Feeling Butterflies (2022), both in which she starred alongside none other than her real-life beau Kevin McGarry.
Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace fall in love
The year was 2019 when the duo first began working on When Calls the Heart together, but it wasn't until 2020 that they went public with their romance on social media. The Instagram flick was of a series of polaroid photos of the two, with the caption reading, "Photo evidence. ??."
Since then, the couple hasn't shied away from sharing their love with fans across their social media accounts. Shortly after that initial post from McGarry, Wallace took to her own Instagram to share a sweet photo of an ornament adorning her Christmas tree that was a photo of the two of them. The caption read, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." An ode to the Christmas classic, Elf!
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And perhaps one of the couple's most heartfelt declarations of love came from Kayla's Instagram account when she made a post celebrating Kevin's birthday:
"Sunshine of my life, the source of 99% of my laughter: my dearest, Kevin. Happy Birthday to you ??" How adorable is that?
Love on and off the screen
In 2022, the happy couple had the chance to work together on-screen once again. Feeling Butterflies was their first Hallmark movie together.
The story followed Emily (Wallace), a butterfly expert who runs a company that releases butterflies at special occasions such as weddings. Garrett (McGarry) hires Emily for his daughter's birthday party. The three form a connection and something starts to blossom between Garrett and Emily.
?2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Courtesy Albert Camicioli/Johnson Production Group
Later in the year, they once again co-starred in My Grown-Up Christmas List. The touching story follows the bond between Taylor (Wallace) and Luke (McGarry) over the course of several Christmases together. When they first meet, Taylor is a journalist returning home after her mom's passing and Luke has just returned home from his military duty. In My Grown-Up Christmas List, we watch their relationship blossom from friendship into something more.
?2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Albert Camicioli
Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace say yes to forever
In December of 2022, the happy couple shared a video to their Instagram revealing their engagement. "Forever??," read the caption, the video depicting the couple in a loving embrace as the camera pans up from Wallace's stunning ring.
One thing is for certain: we couldn't be happier for them! After all, with Hallmark being such a hub for love, it's no surprise that so many of their wonderful stars have found romance within the network.
Related: Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally: The Hallmark Couple’s Real-Life Love Story
In an interview with Deidre Behar from Entertainment Tonight via The Hallmark Channel, Kayla Wallace revealed that life as a fiancée is "somehow more magical than before." She continued, "We're just so happy and we're just enjoying this time right now together." Beaming, Wallace joked, "I feel like I have a coat hanger in my cheeks!"
?2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Albert Camicioli
What Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace are doing next
As far as wedding plans, Kayla Wallace also revealed in the interview that she has a vision and the planning is underway. "I bought a dress, so there's that," she excitedly shared. The wedding day itself, however, is still to be determined. "[We're] just waiting to find a date that works with our schedules," she said.
Fans of the couple might be wondering when we'll see these two on the screen together next, and while we don't know of anything yet, here's to hoping they'll reunite sooner rather than later. After all, who has better movie chemistry than a real-life couple?
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