Does Viv Leacock Want More 'Hailey Dean Mysteries' With Kellie Martin?

Viv Leacock’s roots with Hallmark date back to the early 2010s, and his role in the Hailey Dean Mysteries franchise still has fans talking.

“When I first came on to Hallmark, I got a chance to work with my amazing friend Kellie Martin on Hailey Dean Mysteries, and five minutes into meeting Kellie, we clicked,” Leacock, 49, exclusively told Us Weekly, while promoting his new project, Legend of the Lost Locket. “We clicked over a mutual love of Lethal Weapon. That was our thing.”

He gushed: “Seriously, five minutes in, I was like, ‘Oh, this is a friend for life.’ We just clicked and it was to the point where you couldn’t tell how long Kellie and I had been hanging out half an hour into watching us work together.”

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Leacock called it “a lucky circumstance” that he formed an instant bond with Martin, 48, while playing Detective Fincher Garland and former prosecutor-turned-therapist Hailey Dean, respectively.

From 2016 to 2021, Leacock and Martin costarred in nine Hailey Dean Mysteries films, solving crimes and ultimately learning who was responsible for Hailey’s fiancé’s death. While Leacock has stayed busy at Hallmark Channel, he longs for more movies with Martin.

“If they want to go [tomorrow], let’s go,” Leacock told Us of a possible Hailey Dean revival, saying he’d reprise the role of Fincher “in a heartbeat.”

The actor teased, “We’ve been chatting about that for years. I’d love to revisit Hailey Dean Mysteries because Kellie and I … I don’t know if I’ve made a friend faster than that in my life.”

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Leacock recalled having “chemistry” with Martin on camera that was made possible by their great relationship off screen.

“Kellie Martin is Auntie Kellie in my house. That is who she is to my kids and my wife. And when I go to LA and visit, that’s who I am to her [kids],” he shared. “We’re family now. So, we definitely would love to do that again.”

When asked what Fincher and Hailey would be doing in 2024, Leacock had a few ideas. “Hopefully Fincher [has] stopped eating so much because he’s got to watch his health a little bit more,” he joked. “Hailey’s still getting into trouble and Fincher’s doing his best to keep her out of harm’s way. That’s still going to be the dynamic.”

Leacock is also open to the idea of a future crossover with Martin’s Hailey coming into his new world of the Legend of the Lost Locket.

In Legend of the Lost Locket, Leacock plays Sheriff Marcus, who assists a British antiques dealer named Amelia (Natasha Burnett) in finding an ancient locket said to bring true love to the owner.

Although the new film premieres on Saturday, April 13, Leacock and his costar Burnett, are both excited about another installment. “I’d be down. Let’s go. I’m all about it,” Leacock said of introducing Hailey to his new character, Marcus, in a possible rom-com sequel.

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Burnett, meanwhile, exclusively told Us that Legend of the Lost Locket was partially created to give Leacock a chance to tap back into his Hailey Dean Mysteries side. (Burnett and Leacock have played married couple Minnie and Joseph Canfield on When Calls the Heart since 2021.)

“We had really wanted to do something, first of all, where I could play British. That was a big one,” Burnett said. “And [Viv] did enjoy being his detective on the Hailey Dean Mysteries. So that was something that he wanted to try and continue on with.”

She added: “So we were trying to find a concept that would bring the two together, and we always knew that as friends between us, we often have the British English and American English differences. So we knew it could bring a little bit of humor to the movie if that could be put in there as well.”

Legend of the Lost Locket premieres on Hallmark Channel Saturday, April 13, at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also stream it on Hallmark Movies Now.