"I feel a responsibility": Jonathan Bennett on telling gay love stories

Washington, DC [US], November 9 : Actor Jonathan Bennett has shared the "responsibility" he feels in portraying gay love stories on the Hallmark Channel, as his latest film, A Keller Christmas Vacation, premieres on the platform, reported People.

Bennett, 44, known for his role in Mean Girls, said in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE that he aims to make storylines so engaging that audiences cannot change the channel, regardless of whether they typically watch films featuring gay relationships. "I want them to see that our love is just like everyone else's. So my responsibility lies there in making the story so good that you can't not watch it," he explained.

The actor has previously starred in Hallmark films, including The Christmas House, The Holiday Sitter, Christmas on Cherry Lane, and the Groomsmen trilogy, which have been praised for their nuanced depictions of LGBTQ+ relationships, according to People.

In A Keller Christmas Vacation, Bennett plays Dylan, who joins his family on a European holiday river cruise. Just before leaving, Dylan proposes to his longtime boyfriend, played by Anand Desai-Barochia, but receives a "not right now" response, setting off an emotional journey for his character. Bennett drew on past experiences of rejection from auditions and screen tests to deepen the portrayal, reported People.

Bennett's co-stars praised the inclusive storytelling. Brandon Routh, 46, said, "It's great that we have people like Jonathan who are helping move society, evolution, humanity forward by telling human stories... hopefully give us some ability to learn how to be better people." Eden Sher, 33, added, "There's no calling it out as like, 'Jonathan's is the gay storyline.' It really just incorporates everyone; it's inclusive."

In addition to acting, Bennett co-created and hosts Hallmark's reality competition series Finding Mr. Christmas, which airs Mondays on the channel.

A Keller Christmas Vacation premieres on Hallmark Channel, according to People.

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