Jonathan Bennett was preparing to film a kiss when he noticed more and more people gathering around the set. Crew members had come to watch.
Even the caterers were there.
He was working on The Christmas House in 2020, opposite Brad Harder. The two actors played married men, Brandon and Jake, who were hoping to adopt a child.
In a new interview with Obsessed: The Podcast, Bennett recalls wondering why the scene had attracted such an audience. The director explained that they were about to film Hallmark’s first same-sex kiss. People wanted to witness the moment.
For Bennett, the realization brought a sudden sense of purpose. He describes understanding why telling these stories mattered—and the role he could play in bringing them to a mainstream audience.
It was an affectionate moment between husbands in a Christmas film. For viewers accustomed to seeing only straight couples occupy that space, its simplicity was part of its significance.
Bennett later starred in The Holiday Sitter, the 2022 film that became Hallmark’s first LGBTQ-led Christmas movie. His work continued to make room for gay romance within a genre built around comfort, family and happy endings.
Those stories have a personal connection for him. Away from the cameras, Bennett shares his life with husband Jaymes Vaughan. The couple married in Mexico on March 19, 2022, surrounded by family and friends.
That real-life partnership gives meaning to his determination to portray love stories resembling his own. Two men can fall in love, build a home and celebrate a future together—the familiar ingredients of a romantic film.
In the new interview, Bennett says hostility toward LGBTQ people has strengthened his commitment to that work. He wants to continue creating queer love stories and making sure audiences can see them.
For many viewers, a Christmas movie is a small pleasure at the end of a long day. For someone who has rarely seen their own relationship reflected in that familiar world, it can also offer a welcome feeling of belonging.
The people gathering around the set understood that the kiss marked a change. Bennett’s recollection captures the moment he understood what that change could mean for his own work, too.
📷 Hallmark @jonathandbennett @jaymesv
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