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    Rachael Leigh Cook headshot

    Rachael Leigh Cook

    Actress · Writer·Active 2016–2026
    View on IMDbView on TMDB

    Career at a glance

    11Hallmark films

    3 at Christmas

    Audience rating6.4 / 10

    across 9 rated films

    Weirdness3.9 / 10

    Mostly standard issue

    Best reviewed

    Tis the Season to be Merry6.8

    Most recent

    Caught by Love2026

    Give Rachael Leigh Cook a script and she will carry it on her own back: she top-bills 11 of her 12 Hallmark films, and she has been doing it steadily since 2016. Winter is her natural weather. Half her titles land in the cold months, often in a small town, and three are outright Christmas movies. She plays it all straight, no winking at the camera, which suits the warm and earnest register she works in. Her best-reviewed is "Tis the Season to be Merry" from 2021 at 6.8, with "Cross Country Christmas" and "Frozen in Love" a hair behind at 6.6. What is telling is that she has no fixed partner. She rotates co-stars and anchors the picture herself, which is exactly why she is a safe pick for a quiet night in.

    Follow & about Rachael

    • Instagram@rachaelleighcook
    • X@RachaelLCook
    • Official siterachaelleighcook.com
    From
    Minneapolis
    Married to
    Daniel Gillies
    Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), She's All That (1999), and Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and in the television series Into the West and Perception. She is also the voice behind various characters in Robot Chicken and Tifa Lockhart in the Final Fantasy series, starting with the English version of the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Since 2016, her television appearances have primarily been made-for-TV movies on the Hallmark Channel.
    From Wikipedia

    Rachael’s signature

    Across 11 films, Rachael frequently leans into Christmas, frequently plays a winemaker and is often set in small towns.

    • Christmas3 films
    • small towns4 films
    • a winemaker3 films

    Coming up next

    Newest title for Rachael
    • 2026Caught by Love poster
      Caught by Love

      Actress · Not yet rated

    3 films

    Rachael has shared more Hallmark sets with Brendan Penny than with anyone else.

    3 films, one enduring on-screen pairing.

    Known for

    Frozen in Love poster
    Frozen in Love6.6

    as Mary Campbell · 2018

    Weirdness 4/10

    Summer Love poster
    Summer Love6.4

    as Maya Sulliway · 2016

    Weirdness 3/10

    Autumn in the Vineyard poster
    Autumn in the Vineyard6.5

    as Frankie Baldwin · 2016

    Weirdness 4/10

    Cross Country Christmas poster
    Cross Country Christmas6.6

    as Lina · 2020

    Weirdness 2/10

    Tis the Season to be Merry poster
    Tis the Season to be Merry6.8

    as Merry Griffin · 2021

    Weirdness 3/10

    A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas poster
    A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas6.2

    as Willow · 2019

    Weirdness 3/10

    On-screen partners

    Brendan Penny headshot
    On-screen couple

    Rachael’s most frequent on-screen partner is Brendan Penny, with 3 films together — top-billed alongside each other in 3 of them.

    • Valentine in the Vineyard (2019)·
    • Summer in the Vineyard (2017)·
    • Autumn in the Vineyard (2016)
    • Laura Soltis3
    • Marcus Rosner3
    • Jeremy Guilbaut2
    • Jill Teed2
    • Keith MacKechnie2

    Recurring roles

    Rachael is a recurring face in In the Vineyard.

    • In the Vineyard3 films

    Where Rachael fits in

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

    • 🧁Baking & cooking movies
    • ❄️Winter movies
    • 🏘️Small-town movies
    • 🐶Dog & pet movies
    • 💢Enemies to lovers

    All 11 movies

    Newest first

    2020s

    5 films
    • 2026Caught by LoveActress as Annie · Resort TownNot ratedWeird 5/10
    • 2025Sisterhood, Inc.Actress as Megan · Big CityNot ratedWeird 5/10
    • 2023Rescuing ChristmasActress as Erin · Christmas6.4Weird 8/10
    • 2021Tis the Season to be MerryActress as Merry Griffin · Christmas6.8Weird 3/10
    • 2020Cross Country ChristmasActress as Lina · Christmas6.6Weird 2/10

    2010s

    6 films
    • 2019A Blue Ridge Mountain ChristmasActress as Willow · Christmas6.2Weird 3/10
    • 2019Valentine in the VineyardActress as Frankie Baldwin · Valentine's Day6.2Weird 3/10
    • 2018Frozen in LoveActress, Writer as Mary Campbell · Suburb6.6Weird 4/10
    • 2017Summer in the VineyardActress as Frankie Baldwin · Rural/Farm6.2Weird 3/10
    • 2016Autumn in the VineyardActress as Frankie Baldwin · Small Town6.5Weird 4/10
    • 2016Summer LoveActress as Maya Sulliway · Big City6.4Weird 3/10

    Rachael’s standouts

    • Tis the Season to be Merry poster
      Highest ratedTis the Season to be Merry (2021)

      Best-reviewed of the 11, at 6.8/10

      6.8
    • A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas poster
      Most divisiveA Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas (2019)

      Lowest-rated of the 11 — every filmography has one

      6.2
    • Rescuing Christmas poster
      WeirdestRescuing Christmas (2023)

      The strangest of the bunch — 8/10 on our weirdness scale

      6.4

    In pictures

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

    • Rachael Leigh Cook headshotRachael Leigh Cook
    • Caught by Love poster
    • Sisterhood, Inc. poster
    • Rescuing Christmas poster
    • Tis the Season to be Merry poster
    • Cross Country Christmas poster
    • A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas poster
    • Valentine in the Vineyard poster
    • Frozen in Love poster
    • Summer in the Vineyard poster
    • Autumn in the Vineyard poster
    • Summer Love poster

    Beyond Hallmark

    Where else you might recognise Rachael from — notable roles outside the Hallmark catalogue.

    • He's All Thatas Anna Sawyer
      2021
    • Love, Guaranteedas Susan
      2020
    • Psychas Abigail Lytar
      2006 · TV
    • Criminal Mindsas Maxine
      2005 · TV
    • Ghost Whispereras Grace Adams
      2005 · TV
    • 11:14as Cheri
      2004
    • Batman Beyond: Return of the Jokeras Chelsea Cunningham (voice)
      2000
    • She's All Thatas Laney Boggs
      1999

    Rachael’s creative circle

    Most directed by

    • Scott Smith2 films

    Most written by

    • Marina Adair3 films
    • Rick Garman3 films

    Who Rachael works with

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

    Rachael Leigh Cook's most frequent co-stars, sized by shared filmsBrendan Penny: 3 films togetherBrendan Penny3 filmsLaura Soltis: 3 films togetherLaura Soltis3 filmsMarcus Rosner: 3 films togetherMarcus Rosner3 filmsJeremy Guilbaut: 2 films togetherJeremy Guilbaut2 filmsJill Teed: 2 films togetherJill Teed2 filmsKeith MacKechnie: 2 films togetherKeith MacKechnie2 filmsMadison Ryne Smith: 2 films togetherMadison Ryne Sm…2 films

    Movies by year

    Rachael Leigh Cook Hallmark movies by release year22016120171201822019120201202120221202320241202512026

    Ratings profile

    Average 6.4 across 9 rated movies — each dot is one film.

    Rating distribution for this filmography1510mean 6.4A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas: 6.2Valentine in the Vineyard: 6.2Summer in the Vineyard: 6.2Rescuing Christmas: 6.4Summer Love: 6.4Autumn in the Vineyard: 6.5Cross Country Christmas: 6.6Frozen in Love: 6.6Tis the Season to be Merry: 6.8

    People also ask

    How many Hallmark movies has Rachael Leigh Cook been in?
    We have 11 Hallmark movies on file for Rachael Leigh Cook, spanning 2016–2026.
    What kind of Hallmark movies is Rachael Leigh Cook known for?
    Rachael is best known for Christmas movies and romances set in small towns.
    What is Rachael Leigh Cook's highest-rated Hallmark movie?
    Tis the Season to be Merry (2021) is Rachael's best-reviewed Hallmark film, with a 6.8/10 audience rating.
    What is Rachael Leigh Cook's most popular Hallmark movie?
    Frozen in Love (2018) has more audience votes than any other Rachael Leigh Cook Hallmark film, so it's the one most people have actually seen.
    Who does Rachael Leigh Cook usually star with?
    Rachael's most frequent on-screen partner is Brendan Penny — the two have led 3 films together as a Hallmark romantic pairing.
    What is Rachael Leigh Cook working on next?
    Rachael has a new Hallmark title on the way: Caught by Love (2026).
    Is Rachael Leigh Cook still making Hallmark movies?
    Yes — the most recent Rachael Hallmark film we have is from 2026, so the credits keep coming.
    How many Hallmark Christmas movies has Rachael Leigh Cook made?
    Rachael Leigh Cook turns up in 3 Hallmark Christmas movies.
    What was Rachael Leigh Cook's first Hallmark movie?
    The earliest Rachael Hallmark title we have is Summer Love (2016).
    Where is Rachael Leigh Cook from?
    Rachael is from Minneapolis.
    Is Rachael Leigh Cook married?
    Yes — Rachael is married to Daniel Gillies.
    What does Rachael Leigh Cook do in Hallmark movies?
    Rachael Leigh Cook works on Hallmark films as actress and writer.

    Data & sources

    Rachael’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

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