As more and more Hallmark stars are leaving the network for rival GAC Family, one Grey’s Anatomy star is coming on board! Jaicy Elliot will be starring in an upcoming movie on Hallmark that is all about body positivity.
According to TV Insider, Jaicy Elliot, who has portrayed surgical resident Taryn Helm since Season 14 of Grey’s Anatomy, will lead Hallmark’s new original film, Romance in Style. Benjamin Hollingsworth of Virgin River will also star. Elliot will play aspiring plus-size fashion designer Ella, who wants to create clothing for women just like her, while Hollingsworth will portray Derek, a “Prince of Publishing.” The official synopsis for the film reads:
Ella’s unique designs inspire publishing mogul Derek to include plus-sized fashion in his magazine. It’s not long before Derek realizes Ella’s influence reaches far beyond the catwalk.
The upcoming movie will air as part of Hallmark Channel’s “Fall Into Love” annual programming event. Romance in Style is set to premiere on Saturday, August 13 at 8 p.m. EST and will mark Elliot’s first Hallmark movie. Ben Hollingsworth previously starred in Love Under the Olive Tree.
The film’s body positivity message is part of an ever-growing “equation” for Hallmark that showcases inclusivity within their movies. In a statement, Jaicy Elliot praised Hallmark for what they’re doing:
I am so thrilled to be part of this new conversation we are currently having about self-acceptance and the positive spreading of that message. Hallmark is opening an important dialogue about female empowerment and breaking through the oh-so-thick ceiling of social misconceptions we have collectively built.
Romance in Style will also feature model and designer Candice Huffine. The film is executive produced by Ellie Kanner and Joey Plager, produced by Juliette Hagopian, and co-produced by Michael Shepard. Elli Nakamichi, meanwhile, serves as an associate producer.
The other movies for Hallmark’s “Fall Into Love” event include Alexa and Carlos PenaVega’s Love in the Limelight, Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell’s Dating in the Delaneys, and Davida Williams, Richard Harmon, and Tracy Austin’s Game, Set, Love.
Romance in Style will certainly be a departure from the norm for Jaicy Elliot, as she is best known for her role as Helm on Grey’s Anatomy, with occasional appearances over on spinoff Station 19. Following the end of Season 18 of the ABC drama and the shutdown of the residency program at Grey Sloan, her character’s future in the upcoming season is unclear. Her casting in a Hallmark movie bodes well for the actress continuing to explore new horizons. Maybe she can be the network’s next recurring star?
Jaicy Elliot’s new movie definitely sounds intriguing. It will be interesting to see if she will start starring in more Hallmark movies. Fingers crossed it happens, or perhaps even something more permanent in the form of a show on the network, depending on her future on Grey’s Anatomy.
While waiting for Romance in Style, be sure to check out every upcoming Hallmark movie and prepare for even more romances and mysteries in the coming months.