Katherine Barrell & Stephen Huszar on O’ Little Christmas Market, Their Meet-Cute, and Finding Compromise

Few things capture the magic of Christmas quite like Hallmark’s O’ Little Christmas Market, which combines outdoor festivities, nostalgic charm, beautiful decorations, and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and romance.

Katherine Barrell and Stephen Huszar are Hallmark veterans, but they’ve never starred together. Yet they acted like old friends on-screen, and that natural connection sells this kind of film.

They were incredibly easy to talk to, and their enthusiasm for O’ Little Christmas Market and for the work they did together shone through the interview.

Katherine Barrell and Stephen Huszar star opposite each other in O’ Little Christmas Market, where, after meeting by accident at a train station, sparks fly.

It wouldn’t be a Hallmark film without a meet-cute or a classic misunderstanding, but this holiday film worked because Olivia (Barrell) and Grayson (Huszar) needed to team up to fulfill their dreams.

Grayson’s architectural firm was hired to buy the land where Olivia’s cherished Christmas market was held, and even though they initially had opposing goals, their attraction sizzled.

When they finally teamed up, you saw a different side of their characters as they immersed themselves not only in their dream and each other, but also in the nostalgic fun of the holidays.

One of the best parts of the film was watching Olivia and Grayson realize they had held on too tightly to family duties and needed to take a leap of faith in their dreams and in each other.

The timeless romance and emotional vulnerability worked beautifully in this holiday film.

If you needed any more reasons to tune in, check out our interview with these two below:

I’m such a big fan of the festive season, and that Christmas market was very festive. What were your favorite parts of the Christmas market?

Stephen Huszar: Did we fish for those baubles at some point?

Katherine Barrell: We did. That was fun. Getting to interact with the baubles was fun.

Stephen Huszar: That was fun. I didn’t know it was a bauble because I’m Canadian, and I think they’re ornaments in the United States.

There are many fun activities outside. There are such great little stands. Everyone had their really neat, nice knitted sweaters.

Katherine Barrell: Our supporting cast was just so great. They brought the story to life with all the different characters and their personalities. It was wonderful to walk through and do those big group scenes with everybody. 

I also adored the miniatures and the designs. Did you guys do any of the art for the actual film?

Katherine Barrell: No. They actually brought in a miniature artist. So all the really close-ups you see of my hands aren’t actually my hands. They’re the actual artists who built those props.

The art department actually brought her in on the days we did all the detailed shots of those props. She would fix things, set things up, and work on them, and then they would be filming around with the camera, which is pretty cool. So no, we didn’t make anything,

Stephen Huszar: But we stood in the middle of a 3D printer where our miniatures were made. So we were kind of a part of that creative process.

I also enjoyed the connection you shared. It looked very natural. How did you build that?

Stephen Huszar: Kat’s the most open, warm-hearted person in the world. How could I not?

Katherine Barrell: I feel the same way. Steven and I got along so well immediately. You don’t have much time when you meet your co-stars, and it’s usually just a day or two beforehand.

So you talk about who you are, talk about life, and hope to connect with that person. We had some great chats, and I think we really enjoyed hanging out together. I guess that showed.

Stephen Huszar: I also remember I had an audition just before I started shooting. You’d invited me over to your house, so I was able to actually meet the family and see your actual house, too. So that was helpful.

Katherine Barrell: That was really nice. I didn’t know if you wanted me to mention it, but I remember. It was fun to introduce you to my family and have you in the house. That definitely helped, because you then knew what my life was like.

So, it’s Hallmark. Will be expecting the typical meet-cute?

Katherine Barrell: Of course. It wouldn’t be Hallmark without a meet-cute. I liked our meet-cute. It was very great.

Stephen Huszar: It was in a train station, not an actual train station, but I don’t think anyone would think it wasn’t because it was a gorgeous building.

Hamilton’s got some great architecture, a similar architecture that happened in all these great cities, Chicago, Winnipeg, Hamilton, all around the same time, around the turn of the century. So they got these beautiful, beautiful interiors. You go, you’re going to enjoy it seeing it.

For different reasons, Olivia and Grayson fear taking that leap of faith to jumpstart their dreams. How did you push one another towards those, and in your romance?

Katherine Barrell: I think, for them, the thing that really unlocked it was finding the compromise. Where could they work together?

They were both scared on their own, but once they found ways to merge their ideas and become a team, I think they really gained the confidence that came with having each other’s support and working together.

That’s when I really noticed that things had changed for them.

Stephen Huszar: Yes, what Kat said.

And for our final question, which part of the O’ Little Christmas market do you think will appeal most to Hallmark fans?

Katherine Barrell: It’s a real classic Hallmark movie. It’s got a real timeless quality about it. I think Christmas markets are a tradition shared by many cultures all over the world, and there’s something really special and kind of nostalgic about them.

This is a really classic Hallmark romance that will feel very traditional and familiar in the best of ways.

Stephen Huszar: Yes, yes, and yes. I also think the miniature model world that Kat’s character, Olivia, builds will be really unique. We don’t see much of that, so I think people look forward to seeing it.

O’ Little Christmas Market airs Saturday, July 11 at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel and the following day on Hallmark+.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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