Tyler Hynes Tells Us All About Hallmark's An Unexpected Christmas

This year, Hallmark has gifted us with the most all-new, original festive films than ever before. If the slate of 41 movies in their Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas lineups feels overwhelming, let us help you plan your viewing schedule. After the shopping of Black Friday as worn you out, be sure to gather the family for the premiere of An Unexpected Christmas on Friday night. With subtle nods to a few of our favorite contemporary classic rom-coms, and starring two juggernauts of the cheerful holiday genre, Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hynes, this one is a must watch.

Lenz and Hynes play Jamie and Emily, a couple who recently split up. Or rather, Jamie broke up with Emily but as he heads home to visit his family for Christmas, he has yet to fess up to the family that he ended the relationship with a woman they all adored. In a quirky—yet perfect for a rom-com scenario—twist of fate, Emily is sent to his hometown for work. When Jamie and Emily arrive at the train station at the same time, his family, none the wiser of their relationship status, swoops them both up to head home. Jamie offers Emily a deal. He will help her with her marketing campaign for work if she keeps up the charade that they are still together through the week of Christmas. What happens next includes hilarious slip ups that nearly reveal the truth, Santa-themed Karaoke, a Griswold-sized Christmas tree, and Hynes sporting some classic plaid Christmas jammies.

©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/ Allister Foster

Hynes, who has previously told us about his desire to revitalize the golden age of romantic comedies, recently spoke to Southern Living about this movie and playing a character that isn't getting it all right, the beauty in portraying a flawed character.

"Jamie is like this guy who is just a dunce. He's just messing it all up That's the power of this character. Hopefully we're rooting for him." He added, "Because we're all human beings and as much as we want to escape and imagine some very handsome, Henley wearing guy is gonna sweep us all off our feet. It ain't looking like that in real life. So, you need the Jamies of the world to be like okay, Jamie exists and he's just as romantic. And in my opinion. My personal opinion, this is where the true romance is. People who are too slick and too shiny, they're the really dangerous ones."

Hynes gives credit for tackling this more relatable male lead to his friend, Paul Campbell, whom many may recognize is also an actor in other Hallmark films, but he's also a writer. Campbell wrote An Unexpected Christmas.

"I mean this is the thing like there can be an impetus in these movies to like just make him the guy that doesn't exist that you want to admire, that you want to wish would exist. And that's fine. And maybe there's certain movies for that. But where possible, when someone like Paul, the incredible writer that he is, writes a character that's got some things to him. You want to go, okay great. So, if this is what we're doing, let's do that and use it as a super power. Let's lean into it. Let's not shy away from it. And so that you can have that moment amongst liking him or understanding him, moments where you can go no, no I've dated this guy. This guy is messing up right now. There are opportunities I think in some of these movies to do that. It's important not to shy away from it."

There is also movie magic in the chemistry between Hynes and his costar, but he once again gives credit away.

©2021 Crown Media United States LLC/ Allister Foster

"Joy [Bethany Joy Lenz] works very hard. She cares about what she's doing, and she tries to imbue scenes with some naturalism. And she does cool things like we walk out of a store, she's fixing her boot and I go, yes! Yes! More of that! More of this stuff. Where we do things that are not just standing and talking. She's very good at her craft and she's a very good human being."

While Hynes may may be too humble to take credit of the success of this movie, he channels some major Hugh Grant in Love Actually or Knotting Hill kind of vibes for this role, while adding his own unique spin. As Jamie tackles to find his professional voice as a speech writer, figure out where he went wrong with Emily and how to fix it, and all the while keeping the Christmas spirit alive and well for his family, Hynes in the role of Jamie is certainly a man who makes a few mistakes, but you will be cheering for him throughout. Don't miss An Unexpected Christmas, premiering November 26 at 8PM EST.

WATCH: How Tyler Hynes Hopes Hallmark is Creating a New Golden Age of Romantic Comedies

In addition to the new movie, Hynes will be bringing us more Christmas cheer as he once again takes over the studio on the Hallmark Channel Radio on SiriusXM. He'll be playing his favorite holiday tunes on Thanksgiving Day at 6PM EST and the show will repeat Friday 11/26 at noon; Monday 11/29 at 9AM EST and Tuesday 11/30 at 9PM EST.