‘HATS OFF TO CHRISTMAS!’

CAST BIOS

HAYLIE DUFF (Mia) – As a gifted actress and talented singer/songwriter, Haylie Duff came to worldwide attention in 2004, as popular teen Summer in Fox Searchlight’s biggest surprise hit, “Napoleon Dynamite” and earned a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance. Since then, she’s made her Broadway debut and has participated in various film, television and music projects.

On film, Duff starred in MGM’s “” alongside her younger sister Hilary. She has also appeared in several indie films including the romantic coming of age story “My Sexiest Year,” also starring Harvey Keitel, the dramatic comedy “Legacy” and the quirky independent feature “Tug.” Duff’s other film credits include “Adams Family Reunion,” short film, “The Newman Shower” as well as “Holiday Engagement” and “I Love Your Work.” Most recently, Duff finished working on “Christmas Eve,” an independent film directed by Peter Sullivan and “A Love Like Ours” directed by Matt Berman.

Duff has also enjoyed an accomplished television career. Her small screen credits include roles on the Emmy® Award-nominated “Joan of Arcadia,” “Boston Public,” “Chicago Hope,” “Third Watch” and “American Dreams,” as well as being a series regular on “Seventh Heaven” for two seasons and most recently appearing on ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Duff has also starred in several movies for Lifetime and Hallmark Channel, including “Nightmare,” “Backwoods” and “Deep Cove” on Lifetime Television and Hallmark Channel Original Movies, “Love Takes Wing” and “Love Finds A Home.” Duff has also appeared in several nationwide commercials including Mattel’s Barbie and Hershey’s Ice Breakers.

In 2006, Duff made her Broadway debut in the Broadway Musical, Hairspray playing the role of Amber von Tussle. In 2010 Duff hosted and executive produced MTV’s “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods.” That summer, Duff also appeared in Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss, And What I Wore.

Duff continues to gain musical achievement as a singer/songwriter. She wrote two of the hits on the WEA/Buena Vista release of “Metamorphosis.” She also recorded The Go-Go’s hit “” for the “” soundtrack and also recorded a new version of Madonna’s song “Material Girl” for the release of “Material Girls.”

Currently residing in Los Angeles, Duff enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her beloved dogs.

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ANTONIO CUPO (Nick) – Antonio Cupo was born in Vancouver, Canada. Growing up he performed in numerous theatrical productions both scholastically and regionally, winning him various acting awards throughout high school. By his early 20’s, his love for acting had

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HALLMARK CHANNEL / ‘HATS OFF TO CHRISTMAS!’ – Cast Bios – Page 2 developed into a career. He landed roles in such shows as “The L Word,” Steven Spielberg's “Taken” and James Cameron's “Dark Angel.” Cupo’s career took a turn when an Italian director noticed him in a film called “Hollywood Flies.” The director asked him to play the lead character in a series called “Elisa Di Rivombrosa.” Cupo accepted and with over 14 million viewers in Italy alone, his career instantly sprung to a new level.

Cupo has since worked opposite Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in three films, “September 11 1683,” “Sword Of War” and “Carnera: The Walking Mountain,” interpreting 1934 world boxing champion, Max Baer. Other works include “Elegy” (Penelope Cruz, Sir Ben Kingsley and Dennis Hopper) and a “Rolex” worldwide commercial directed by film director Joe Carnahan. His starring roles in various TV-movies such as “Love Notes” opposite Laura Leighton and “Magic Beyond Words – The JK Rowling Story” opposite Poppy Montgomery have received acclaim and are some of Lifetime networks most viewed movies in the USA. Most Recently, Cupo starred in Hallmark Channel’s Original Movie, “Love At The Thanksgiving Day Parade.” He is currently slated to star in “Robinson Crusoe” (directed by Nick Gomez) season two of Global/Shaw media’s “Bomb Girls” starring both Cupo and Oscar winner Meg Tilly. Cupo’s artistic abilities also expand into music writing and production.

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SEAN MICHAEL KYER (Scotty) – Sean Michael Kyer was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He began his professional acting career at the young age of two, when he was asked to participate in a children’s video. It was proven at a very young age that Kyer had an exceptional talent for listening and taking direction.

From his early start, Kyer carved out a niche in the industry and has been successful in all avenues including commercials, film and television. His resume boasts over a dozen commercial bookings. His film credits include the Canadian Indie Feature “Everything & Everyone” alongside fellow Canadians, Ryan Robbins & Gabrielle Rose, “Rapture-Palooza” starring Anna Kendrick and Craig Robertson and “Girl In Progress” starring Eva Mendes and Matthew Modine.

Kyer’s television credits include recurring roles in the Syfy series “Continuum,” Hallmark Channel Original Series “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove” and Hallmark Channel Original Movie “The Color of Rain,” guest star appearances in DreamWorks’ “Falling Skies,” the CW’s “Emily Owens M.D.,” the Emmy® award-winning Hub Network Series “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour” and the Hub Network’s latest series “Spooksville.”

Kyer has received accolades and recognition for his exceptional performances and this year was nominated for a Young Artist Award and a LEO Award for his role in the television movie “Anything But Christmas,” where he starred alongside industry veteran Christopher Lloyd. Aside from acting, Kyer enjoys a number of sports including ice hockey, golf and baseball. He loves learning magic tricks, playing chess and is an avid reader. Most recently, Kyer developed a passion for horseback riding after filming the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, “The Color Of Rain.” --HALLMARK CHANNEL--