Will Kemp: From Ballet Dancer to Hallmark Hunk, Get To Know The British Dreamboat
Plus, all his best movies — including everything you need to know about 'A Not So Royal Christmas'
Brooding Brits are in short supply over on the Hallmark Channel, but luckily for us, Will Kemp never manages to miss the mark. The 46-year-old Hertfordshire, England native made his Hallmark debut in 2018’s romantic Royal Matchmaker alongside Bethany Joy Lenz, and has been lighting up our screens ever since.
With his dark good looks, enchanting green eyes and suave European flair (not to mention having all the moves on the dancefloor) it’s no wonder he made the list of our 15 favorite Hallmark heartthrobs, ranked! Here we get to know Kemp a bit better, take a look at his best films and hope for Hallmark version the “British invasion” in the near future.
Will Kemp’s early career
Before Will Kemp took to the screen, he had great success on the stage — but not for his acting skills alone. The English performer was actually trained at the Royal Ballet School and was later accepted to dance at the Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP).
Some of his most notable dancing roles include the Gypsy Lover in Fredrick Ashton’s The Two Pigeons at the Royal Opera House, the lead in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and James in Highland Fling at the Sandler’s Wells Theatre, to name a few. It wasn’t until 2004 that he made his on-screen debut.
Getting his start as an actor
Kemp’s earliest acting credits include a role in 2004’s Mindhunters, followed by Van Helsing, an action-thriller that put him on the same screen as Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. As his career progressed, he transitioned into television work as well, with credits in shows like The Great Fire, Reign, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce and Spinning Out.
Who is Will Kemp married to?
Though Kemp maintains a relatively private personal life, he has been happily married to movie music composer Gaby Jamieson since 2002, and the couple have two children together.
“I’m lucky because I am surrounded by great people,” he told Made in Atlantis. “I have a great wife who keeps me very much down to earth, and people who know me know who I am and what really matters.”
Will Kemp Hallmark movies
While we love the work he’s done over the span of his extensive career outside of the network, there’s something about his swoon-worthy, romantic characters that we can always count on the Hallmark Channel to provide — especially when they have a dreamy British accent. Take a look at our favorite Will Kemp Hallmark flicks from over the years!
1. Royal Matchmaker (2018)
Kemp stars alongside Bethany Joy Lenz in A Royal Matchmaker. Lenz plays an NYC matchmaker hired by King Edward of Voldavia to find a suitable match for his son, Prince Sebastian. Working her magic, she comes to break down the prince’s walls — and falls for him in the process.
2. Love, Romance & Chocolate (2019)
Kemp stars as renowned chocolatier Luc Simon in this Hallmark romance. Lacey Chabert plays Emma, who’s heartbroken when her boyfriend ends things right before their romantic Valentine’s Day trip to Belgium. Deciding to go on her own without him, the innkeeper from where she is staying introduces her to Kemp’s character, Luc, and sparks start to fly.
When asked by Parade which he preferred, love, romance or chocolate, he responded: “Do you know what I’ve learned? If you have everything, it’s even better. All of the above.” We couldn’t agree more!
3. Christmas Waltz (2020)
Avery (played by Lacey Chabert) had her storybook wedding planned — only for it to be unexpectedly canceled. However, Roman, a dance instructor, comes along to help her in ways she never anticipated.
“It is very interesting because there is this slight misconception that just because people think you can dance, you can do any kind of dancing,” he said in an interview with the Golden Globes website. “I actually had to learn how to ballroom dance because that was a specific skillset I didn’t have going into this. It definitely helped that I have had classical ballet training and was a professional dancer, but I too was taking a step outside my comfort zone.”
4. Jolly Good Christmas (2022)
Will Kemp plays an architect who crosses paths with Anji (Reshma Shetty), a personal shopper who doesn’t quite agree with his choice of Christmas gift for his girlfriend. When he hires Anji, they find themselves on an adventure in search for the perfect gift — but he may just find something else he didn’t realize he was looking for.
“One of the challenges of this, and I love a challenge, was playing an American, which I have done quite a bit in the past, but also the real challenge of playing an American in London, shooting in London, surrounded by Londoners and the crew,” the Brit told TV Fanatic.
5. The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango (2023)
Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp team up once again. Chabert plays a no-nonsense detective investigating a high-profile murder at a ballroom dance competition. Sent undercover as a contestant, the only problem is she can’t dance. She teams up with dance star Sebastian Moore to sell her story — and hopefully solve the case.
“I love this guy, he is free-spirited, intelligent, and carefree,” Kemp told Digital Journal about his character. “For Sebastian, this is one big adventure, and one big fun opportunity to teach a real detective how to dance, and to be convincing undercover.”
6. A Not So Royal Christmas (2023)
Will Kemp’s newest movie, part of the Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2023 lineup is about a journalist (Brooke D’Orsay) who seeks out an interview with a Count known to remain reclusive, and they send a groundskeeper in his place, played by Kemp. This movie is set to premiere as a part on the Hallmark Channel on December 2, 8/7c, and we can’t wait!
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