Rachel Boston & Brendan Penny Hallmark Movie Pairing Story

How Hallmark's Dream Team Rachel Boston and Brendan Penny Found Each Other

Hallmark Channel fans have a new favorite duo to cozy up to this holiday season. Rachel Boston and Brendan Penny star in The More the Merrier, premiering November 28, 2025, but their on-screen chemistry wasn't just magic—it was meticulously planned. The fan-favorite actors opened up exclusively about how their unlikely pairing came to be, revealing a story that's as heartwarming as their new Christmas film.

A Cruise to Remember

The journey to The More the Merrier began one year ago aboard the Hallmark Christmas Cruise. Boston, 43, and Penny, 47, met for the first time and instantly clicked after bonding over laughter during shipboard activities. "We met one year ago on this cruise, and we made each other laugh a lot," Boston shared in an interview with People. "We did not know each other before then at all, and we had a really good time on the cruise."

During the cruise's dress-up night, the duo took their collaboration dreams into their own hands. They approached Tatiana Erasme, Hallmark's head of casting, with a bold request: "We threw the idea that we haven't worked together yet, we'd really love to, and if that was a possibility, to strongly consider it. And it landed," Penny explained. Their playful improvisation on the cruise—where they invented backstories as "newlywed" contestants in a game show—foreshadowed the comedic chemistry they'd bring to the film.

From Cruise to Christmas Eve

The gamble paid off spectacularly. In The More the Merrier, Boston plays Dr. Alice, an ER physician volunteering for a Christmas Eve shift, while Penny stars as Dr. Brian, a new cardiologist. When their rural hospital gets snowed in, the doctors face a baby boom on a rare birthday, forcing them to collaborate and connect amidst the chaos. "Though they may have different approaches to medicine—and to life—there’s a spark between them, and by the end of their shift, it’s clear that this may be the Christmas Eve that changes them both forever," reads the synopsis.

Baby Boom on Set

Recreating a baby boom brought its own set of joys and challenges. "I loved it so much. They were so little," Boston said of working with real newborns. Penny added: "When they came on set, you could hear a pin drop... But in between setups, it was just dead quiet." The actors noted the surreal experience of seeing the typically boisterous Penny go silent around infants, joking it was "the only time I have ever seen Brendan be silent." The pressure to perform perfectly during short windows with the babies only heightened their dedication to the roles.

A Heartfelt Connection to Real Heroes

The film also pays tribute to real-life hero Damar Hamlin. Penny's character works with Abbott's HeartMates program—a support network for children with heart conditions founded by Hamlin after his on-field cardiac arrest. "What he's doing over there... is absolutely fantastic. So it was a real privilege to be able to promote it," Penny shared. Boston echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how Hamlin "made Buffalo very proud" through his advocacy and the movie's portrayal of his impactful work.

"We created this whole backstory where we were newlyweds, and we had just this whole thing that we played. And then they were like, 'Ooh, maybe we could play them, they could be doctors.'" — Rachel Boston

For viewers, The More the Merrier promises a blend of festive cheer, humor, and heart—much like the real-life friendship between its stars. As Boston quipped, "You were hilarious, specifically," to Penny's deadpan "I was hilarious," their off-screen rapport shines through, making this Hallmark pairing one for the books.