Pretty sweet! Eloise Mumford has been a staple on Hallmark Channel since 2012 — and the leading lady is just getting started.
The 36-year-old actress made her network debut with 2012’s Christmas With Holly, which has since been dubbed a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Her holiday movie success continued with roles in 2015’s Just in Time for Christmas, 2018’s A Veteran’s Christmas and 2021’s One December Night.
Outside of her festive films, Mumford starred in 2021’s The Baker’s Son and 2022’s Presence of Love before joining Dan Jeannotte for 2023’s Sweeter Than Chocolate.
In the rom-com — which premieres on Saturday, February 4, as part of Hallmark’s “Loveuary” programming — the actress plays chocolatier Lucy Sweet.
“The lure of this chocolate shop is that they sell these cupid chocolates that when you eat them, you meet your true love,” Mumford revealed in a January 2023 video shot on set. “Dean Chase, who is a reporter, comes to town to do a story on the shop and perhaps expose whether or not this is true.”
Jeannotte, who plays Dean, teased in the clip that “sparks fly” between their characters despite their opposite views on love.
In a preview for the movie — which is inspired by Lizzie Shane’s book by the same name — fans learned that there is a “secret ingredient” in the chocolate that Lucy won’t share with the reporter.
“It’s love, isn’t it? Say it’s love!” Dean said in the Hallmark clip released last month, to which Lucy replied, “It’s not love.”
After the journalist claimed he was disappointed by her response, the baker quipped, “Is the cynic disappointed in the lack of love in my family’s magic chocolate recipe?” Dean insisted he’s “not a cynic,” which got a laugh out of Lucy.
“Right, right, you’re a realist,” she said, to which he fired back, “Yeah, something like that.”
While their characters seemed to get off on a rocky start, Mumford and Jeannotte appeared to have an easier time getting along while filming. “I ♥️ these humans,” the Right Stuff alum captioned a series of December 2022 snaps from set.
Mumford gave fans a glimpse at her makeup trailer, the camera crew’s festive ugly Christmas sweaters and a group shot featuring her costar before wrapping.
The picture also included her movie mom, Brenda Strong, who plays original chocolatier Helen. “We ❤️ you back!!!” Strong commented on the behind-the-scenes sneak peek.
Jeannotte exclusively told Us Weekly in February that his bond with Mumford was easy and fun. “Eloise and I got along famously. It was so good working together,” the Bold Type alum revealed. “We didn’t know each other beforehand, but we just kind of clicked immediately.”
He noted that once the stars were given “free reign to improvise and ad lib,” they couldn’t stop laughing. “We were both just kind of cracking each other up,” Jeannotte added.
Sweeter Than Chocolate airs on Hallmark Channel Saturday, February 4, at 8 p.m. ET.
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