Stephen Huszar has graced Hallmark audiences' televisions since 2011, and fans have loved him since his debut movie, "Time After Time." Even though he had a minor role to start, he's now a leading man in several Hallmark films. Like many actors, Huszar caught the acting bug after appearing in a school play — in his case, a second grade production of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." In reflecting back on his experience, he said, "I really had no idea what I was doing, but I sure had a heck of a good time singing and dancing with all my friends up on that school stage. I guess that experience kind of stuck with me when I looked to pursue something I was passionate about."
While we love watching Huszar in romantic Christmas movies on TV, life imitated art when he actually fell for his co-star, Katie Cassidy, on the set of their Hallmark movie for 2023's Christmas in July lineup. If you've ever wanted to know more about Huszar, from his many projects outside of the Hallmark Channel to whether he has a wife or a girlfriend, we have everything you need to know and more below.
Who is Stephen Huszar?
Hallmark Media/Photographer: Allister Foster
Stephen Huszar grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and spent his childhood sailing. His family encouraged him to take up different activities, and he would spend time learning how to sail. His competitive nature was kindled by his parents, who encouraged him to take up sports that would allow him to spend time outside. In an interview with Heavy.com, he said, "I grew up very curious about the world and competed in sports that allowed me to travel and be outside including skiing, sailing and windsurfing."
Huszar co-founded the anti bullying organization Mindful World back in 2013. He describes the site as, "A content production company that focuses on bringing conscious media and impactful stories to a mainstream audience." He hopes to help people, not just children, deal with bullies in their lives, whether it's an external or internal force.
The site has a variety of different experts and speakers that host virtual summits. Among the hosts is Huszar himself. His company produced the movie "Milton's Secret," along with other social-emotional curriculum used in schools nationwide.
Stephen Huszar Hallmark Movies
Bettina Strauss/Crown Media
Prior to his Hallmark debut, Huszar began his acting career in the 2004 thriller "The Cradle Will Fall." Since then, he saw increasing success, appearing on shows such as "Corner Gas," "Paradise Falls" and "Supernatural." He appeared in Canada's cult classic series, "LetterKenny," from 2016-2019. But it's safe to say that he's best known for his many Hallmark roles.
Huszar first delighted Hallmark audiences with his starring role in "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Bone to Pick" in 2015. He went on to appear in the series "Chesapeake Shores" and in all three installments of the Ruby Herring Mysteries series with Taylor Cole. And for any Hallmark actor worth his or her salt, they have to appear in a few Christmas movies. Huszar is no stranger to bringing the Christmas cheer, as he has starred in "Return to Christmas Creek," "Undercover Holiday" and "A Homecoming for the Holidays." In 2023 alone, he's already starred in three Christmas movies: "Love in Glacier National: A National Park Romance," "A Royal Christmas Crush" and "Navigating Christmas," which will premiere Nov. 17.
Stephen Huszar + Katie Cassidy Love Story
Stephen Huszar and Katie Cassidy in "A Royal Christmas Crush" (2023). (Johnson Production Group/Hallmark)
While Hallmark romances are often idyllic fairytales, for Huszar, his love story literally began in a Hallmark movie. Huszar was filming his recent Christmas movie, "A Royal Christmas Crush," when he began unironically crushing on his co-star. In the movie, Huszar plays a royal prince who enjoys a stay at the Royal Ice Hotel. A woman named Ava accepts an opportunity to work at the famed hotel but winds up falling into a whirlwind romance with the prince.
Ava is played by Katie Cassidy, who is well-known for her recurring role on the CW series "Arrow." She was married to Matthew Rogers from 2017 until their divorce in 2020. Cassidy took the pandemic time to heal and wait to meet a new person organically. Fast forward a few years, and a new couple has emerged.
The pair met in March 2023 over a shared meal. It was only two weeks into filming "A Royal Christmas Crush," but sparks already were flying. The two originally bonded over their shared love of crystals and similar spiritual paths. It helped that the two didn't know of each other or anything about one another before meeting on set. This allowed them to develop a genuine relationship built on a strong friendship.
The couple even remembers the exact moment they started to view themselves as more than just co-workers. In an interview with OkBliss, Cassidy shared, "I remember there's this one scene in the barn where I literally am looking at him, and that was the moment for me. I'm not kidding you. I'm, like, leaning on the table and he's saying his lines and I just like, I think I like almost fell over." Luckily, the two knew how to keep it professional in the moment.
Cassidy shared, "This may sound a little cheesy, but when you know, you know. Or it's meant to be. It's the universe. And timing is everything."
Huszar echoed her sentiment, saying, "It's just getting to know someone and seeing that, well, there is a lot of commonality there, and there's a lot of respect there. In many ways, not just our art form but other things in our lives. So that made it very interesting and different."
Cassidy and Huszar have already traveled internationally together, worked together and taken a holiday to meet Cassidy's family. And they have already made their relationship status "Instagram official" with a picture of them together that simply said, "Welp, cats out of the bag ... Happy Monday!"
