HallmarkDB
    MoviesPeopleGuidesChatWatch Talking Hallmark on YouTube
    1. Home
    2. People
    3. Lea Thompson
    Lea Thompson headshot

    Lea Thompson

    Actress · Director·Born 1961·Active 2005–2021
    View on IMDbView on TMDB

    Career at a glance

    12Hallmark films

    1 at Christmas

    Audience rating6.1 / 10

    across 12 rated films

    Weirdness3.9 / 10

    Mostly standard issue

    Best reviewed

    Next Stop, Christmas7.0

    Lea Thompson works the city beat. Across 14 films since 2005, six are set in a big city rather than the usual small town under fake snow, and she fronts most of them, with nine leads to her name. She also keeps a steady company of collaborators: Zack Shada, Joe Penny, William R. Moses and Jessy Schram each turn up in eight of her films, so this is less a one-off career than a recurring world she returns to. Her best-reviewed is Next Stop, Christmas from 2021 at 7.0, with Love at the Christmas Table and the mystery Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder close behind. Christmas, oddly, is the exception here, only one holiday title in the bunch. If you want a Hallmark regular who spends more time on busy streets than snowy squares, she has been at it for years.

    Follow & about Lea

    • Instagram@lea_thompson
    • X@LeaKThompson
    • Facebook@LeaKThompson
    From
    Rochester
    Married to
    Howard Deutch
    Lea Katherine Thompson is an American actress, singer, dancer and director.
    From Wikipedia

    Lea’s signature

    Across 12 films, Lea often plays a police officer and is often set in the big city.

    • the big city5 films
    • a police officer4 films
    • mistaken identity3 films

    8 films

    Lea has shared more Hallmark sets with Joe Penny than with anyone else.

    8 films, one enduring on-screen pairing.

    Known for

    Certified weirdNext Stop, Christmas poster
    Next Stop, Christmas7.0

    as Evelyn Reynolds · 2021

    Weirdness 10/10

    Love at the Christmas Table poster
    Love at the Christmas Table6.4

    as Elissa Beth Dixon · 2012

    Weirdness 3/10

    Final Approach poster
    Final Approach4.8

    as Alicia Bender · 2007

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: Vanishing Act poster
    Jane Doe: Vanishing Act6.1

    as Cathy Davis · 2005

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster
    Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part6.2

    as Cathy Davis · 2005

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: The Wrong Face poster
    Jane Doe: The Wrong Face6.3

    as Cathy Davis · 2005

    Weirdness 4/10

    On-screen partners

    Joe Penny headshot
    On-screen couple

    Lea’s most frequent on-screen partner is Joe Penny, with 8 films together — top-billed alongside each other in 6 of them.

    • Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder (2008)·
    • Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss (2007)·
    • Jane Doe: Ties That Bind (2007)·
    • Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall (2006)·
    • Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well (2006)·
    • Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part (2005)·
    • Jane Doe: The Wrong Face (2005)·
    • Jane Doe: Vanishing Act (2005)
    • Jessy Schram8
    • William R. Moses8
    • Zack Shada8
    • Scott Paulin2

    Recurring roles

    Lea is a recurring face in Jane Doe.

    • Jane Doe8 films

    Where Lea fits in

    The corners of the Hallmark universe Lea keeps turning up in. Each one is a full ranked guide.

    • 🏙️Big-city movies
    • 🧁Baking & cooking movies
    • ✨Supernatural movies

    All 12 movies

    Newest first

    2020s

    1 film
    • 2021Next Stop, ChristmasActress as Evelyn Reynolds · Christmas7.0Weird 10/10

    2010s

    2 films
    • 2012Love at the Christmas TableActress as Elissa Beth Dixon · Holiday6.4Weird 3/10
    • 2011The CabinActress as Lily MacDougal · Family Gathering5.3Weird 3/10

    2000s

    9 films
    • 2008Jane Doe: Eye of the BeholderActress, Director as Cathy Davis · Misunderstanding6.3Weird 3/10
    • 2007Final ApproachActress as Alicia Bender · Airplane4.8Weird 3/10
    • 2007Jane Doe: How to Fire Your BossActress as Cathy Davis · Big City6.2Weird 7/10
    • 2007Jane Doe: Ties That BindActress as Cathy Davis · Big City6.0Weird 3/10
    • 2006Jane Doe: The Harder They FallActress, Director as Cathy Davis · Big City6.3Weird 2/10
    • 2006Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It WellActress as Cathy Davis · Big City6.1Weird 3/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: The Wrong FaceActress as Cathy Davis · Big City6.3Weird 4/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us PartActress as Cathy Davis · Big City6.2Weird 3/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: Vanishing ActActress as Cathy Davis · Suburb6.1Weird 3/10

    Lea’s standouts

    • Next Stop, Christmas poster
      Highest ratedNext Stop, Christmas (2021)

      Best-reviewed of the 12, at 7.0/10

      7.0
    • Final Approach poster
      Most divisiveFinal Approach (2007)

      Lowest-rated of the 12 — every filmography has one

      4.8

    In pictures

    A quick look at Lea’s Hallmark run — headshot and the posters fans know best.

    • Lea Thompson headshotLea Thompson
    • Next Stop, Christmas poster
    • Love at the Christmas Table poster
    • The Cabin poster
    • Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder poster
    • Final Approach poster
    • Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss poster
    • Jane Doe: Ties That Bind poster
    • Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall poster
    • Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well poster
    • Jane Doe: The Wrong Face poster
    • Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster
    • Jane Doe: Vanishing Act poster

    Lea’s creative circle

    Most directed by

    • Armand Mastroianni3 films
    • James A. Contner3 films

    Most written by

    • Dean Hargrove8 films
    • Ethlie Ann Vare5 films
    • Stephen Niver5 films
    • Adam Armus3 films
    • Nora Kay Foster3 films

    Who Lea works with

    The cast and crew Lea keeps ending up on set with — the regular faces you’ll recognise from one film to the next. Bigger circle, more films together.

    Lea Thompson's most frequent co-stars, sized by shared filmsJessy Schram: 8 films togetherJessy Schram8 filmsJoe Penny: 8 films togetherJoe Penny8 filmsWilliam R. Moses: 8 films togetherWilliam R. Moses8 filmsZack Shada: 8 films togetherZack Shada8 filmsScott Paulin: 2 films togetherScott Paulin2 films

    Movies by year

    Lea Thompson Hallmark movies by release year320052311112021

    Ratings profile

    Average 6.1 across 12 rated movies — each dot is one film.

    Rating distribution for this filmography1510mean 6.1Final Approach: 4.8The Cabin: 5.3Jane Doe: Ties That Bind: 6.0Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well: 6.1Jane Doe: Vanishing Act: 6.1Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss: 6.2Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part: 6.2Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder: 6.3Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall: 6.3Jane Doe: The Wrong Face: 6.3Love at the Christmas Table: 6.4Next Stop, Christmas: 7.0

    People also ask

    How many Hallmark movies has Lea Thompson been in?
    We have 12 Hallmark movies on file for Lea Thompson, spanning 2005–2021.
    What kind of Hallmark movies is Lea Thompson known for?
    Lea is best known for romances set in the big city, often with mistaken identity.
    What is Lea Thompson's most popular Hallmark movie?
    Next Stop, Christmas (2021) has more audience votes than any other Lea Thompson Hallmark film, so it's the one most people have actually seen.
    Who does Lea Thompson usually star with?
    Lea's most frequent on-screen partner is Joe Penny — the two have led 8 films together as a Hallmark romantic pairing.
    Is Lea Thompson still making Hallmark movies?
    The newest Lea Hallmark credit we have is from 2021; nothing later has turned up yet.
    How many Hallmark Christmas movies has Lea Thompson made?
    Lea Thompson turns up in 1 Hallmark Christmas movie.
    What was Lea Thompson's first Hallmark movie?
    The earliest Lea Hallmark title we have is Jane Doe: Vanishing Act (2005).
    Where is Lea Thompson from?
    Lea is from Rochester.
    Is Lea Thompson married?
    Yes — Lea is married to Howard Deutch.
    What does Lea Thompson do in Hallmark movies?
    Lea Thompson works on Hallmark films as actress and director.

    Data & sources

    Lea’s filmography, credits and ratings are compiled from IMDb, TMDB and Wikipedia, then checked and tidied by the Talking Hallmark team. Last updated June 2026.

    Catalogue curated by Alanna of Talking Hallmark. About the project

    Talking Hallmark

    Love talking about these as much as watching them?

    So do we. Come hang out on the Talking Hallmark channel, where we dig into movies just like this one, episode after episode.

    Watch the latest episode
    I watched Hallmark’s WORST Christmas movie (so you don’t have to)

    “I watched Hallmark’s WORST Christmas movie (so you don’t have to)”

    HallmarkDB

    The complete Hallmark movie database. Built to surface the unusual ones, as the research desk for the Talking Hallmark YouTube channel.

    Curated by Alanna of Talking Hallmark.

    Explore

    • Movies
    • People
    • Database
    • Guides
    • Chat
    • About

    Browse

    • Christmas Movies
    • Most Unusual
    • Hidden Gems
    • Royal Romance
    • Time Travel
    • Small Town Stories

    Talking Hallmark

    • Watch on YouTube
    • Christmas Guide
    • Unusual Movies Guide
    © 2026 HallmarkDBAn independent fan project, not affiliated with Hallmark Media.