From 'Smallville' Star to Hallmark Sweetheart — See Our 8 Favorite Erica Durance Movies, Ranked

Raquel Lekic

February 27, 2024 at 5:44 PM·6 min read

Whether you recognize her for her work in heartfelt romance films on Hallmark, or know her for her role on the superhero drama series Smallville, since she and Lois Lane parted ways, Erica Durance has continued to make waves on the big screen and the small screen.

Born in Canada, the 45-year-old actress was brought up on a turkey farm before she made the big move to Vancouver to pursue a career in showbiz. Before her big break in Smallville, Erica's career consisted of commercials and background work.

Erica Durance, 2005
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From 2004 to 2011, Durance brought Lois Lane to life on the screen in Smallville before taking on her next big role in Saving Hope as Dr. Alex Reid, which she played from 2012 to 2017. She entered the superhero realm once again with a stint in the acclaimed TV series, Supergirl.

Since then, Erica Durance has transitioned to a career defined largely by television movies that we can't get enough of — especially on Hallmark. One of her earliest Hallmark roles was in Wedding Planner Mystery (2014), and since then, her starring roles have only made us love her more.

Here, take a look at our ranking of the best Erica Durance Hallmark movies — where do your favorites fall on the list?

Erica Durance Hallmark movies, ranked

8. We Need a Little Christmas (2022)

Julie (Erica Durance) is experiencing her first Christmas without her husband, as she learns to manage life as the new sole owner of the architectural design firm she and her husband once ran together, and also as the mother of a child who is grieving the loss of their father.

Julie decides to send her son to a Christmas day camp where he forms a friendship with Irene (Lynn Whitfield), an older, widowed woman who lives next door to them that fills her time with volunteering. As Julie and Irene get to know one another, they lean on each other to enjoy the holiday season they both deserve.

"Sometimes we'll focus purely on the romantic space of love and that kind of intimate relationship," Durance told MediaVIllage. "There's a place for that, and that's awesome, but there are a lot of us at different places in our lives, and we have different types of relationships."

She continued, "We don't often see stories about struggling to connect with your child or somebody that is grieving the loss of [someone]. I found it all relatable, with so many different relationships and interactions that were all so different and so sweet. I just felt this had a little piece of something for everyone who watches."

7. Unexpected Grace (2023)

When Noelle's daughter Toni ties a message to a balloon looking for a friend, it's found by a girl named Grace, who is new in town and looking for friendship as well. Grace responds to the note, only for it to be discovered by Noelle, as Toni suddenly passed away two years ago.

Their correspondence back and forth leads to an in-person meeting, where Noelle meets Grace's father Jack (Michael Rady), leading to a friendship none of them could have anticipated.

"I think things come to you in your life when you’re going through your own stuff," Erica Durance told Monsters & Critics in 2023. "I’m going through quite a big change in my own life, and I’m managing my own level of grief."

She continued, "This movie came along, and I could identify with it. I’ve been trying to balance is my experience of how we walk with the loss of something, how we walk with our own grief and yet stay open to possibilities in the future of new experiences."

6. Wedding Planner Mystery (2014)

Erica Durance stars as Carnegie Kincaid, a young wedding planner who finds herself mixed up in this enticing whodunit, as she ends up being framed for a crime she didn't commit. Durance stars alongside fan-favorite Hallmark hunk Andrew Walker in this Hallmark mystery.

"She is a feisty go-getter who finds all sorts of mishaps, but she is fearless and determined," Durance told Starry Mag of her character in 2014. "She is up to the challenge. She is a woman who loves love and found a way to be as close as she can to it by being a wedding planner."

She continued, "She loves the romance of it and the perfection of it, but it doesn’t necessarily coincide with her own life. She is working to balance those things. I liken the movie to a murder mystery with a little romance and a little comedy in it."

5. Open by Christmas (2021)

While helping out her parents with their move, Nicky, played by Alison Sweeney, discovers an anonymous note from high school of someone confessing their true feelings for her. Nicky and her best friend Simone (Erica Durance) set out on a journey to find this anonymous author.

All the while, in Simone's life, she feels stuck between a rock and a hard place, as she feels distance growing between she and her teenage son as she plans to re-marry soon. Together, these two women lean on one another in this story of both love and friendship.

4. A Scottish Love Scheme (2024)

Lily (Durance) and her mother Cait embark on a trip to Scotland to visit the place where her mother grew up. While there, Lily's mother is reunited with her childhood best friend, as well as her son, Logan (Jordan Young), who Lily has known since she was a young girl.

When the two mothers see their children enjoying each other's company, a match-making scheme is put in place to bring the two together.

3. North to Home (2022)

The McBride sisters, Hannah (Erica Durance), Beth (Kimberley Sustad) and Posy (Lyndsy Fonesca), all gather to celebrate their mother's (Barbara Niven) birthday. While their mother sees an opportunity for a family reunion, each of the three women are enduring their own personal struggles, threatening the perfect birthday that she has in mind.

2. Ms. Christmas Comes to Town (2023)

Beloved shopping channel host, known as Ms. Christmas (Barbara Niven), receives a terminal diagnosis ahead of the holiday season. She, along with her successor known as Ms. Holiday (Durance), who is unaware of her diagnosis, as well as her travel nurse (Brennan Elliott) that's posing as the network head's godson, embark on a holiday tour where she highlights local products and spreads Christmas cheer before retiring.

1. Color My World With Love (2022)

Emma's (Durance) daughter Kendall (Lily D. Moore) is a talented artist with Down Syndrome. When she meets Brad (David DeSanctis), a romance begins between the two of them and they eventually become engaged. Emma is apprehensive at first, fearing Kendall isn't ready for such a big step, but with the help of Brad's family friend Nic (Benjamin Ayres), she starts to see that Kendall is capable of living life on her own terms.

Want more of your favorite Hallmark actresses? Click through below!

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