There's a long list of Hallmark Channel co-stars who have taken their romance off-screen and into the real world. Hallmark actors Marco Grazzini and Alvina August, who are engaged and expecting their first child together, are another variety of in-house love story: The pair have starred in a string of loved-up Hallmark films, but never opposite each other. In fact, they met online — not in the candlelit, rose-strewn halls (or so we imagine) of Hallmark HQ.
Best known for his role as Mike in Netflix's mega-popular romantic drama Virgin River, Marco Grazzini is a romance veteran, having starred in Hallmark and Lifetime movies for years. Alvina August, best known for her roles in shows like Lucky Hank and Nancy Drew, gained romance-land acclaim for her role in Hallmark's 2020 holiday film Deliver by Christmas. Grazzini and August's own romance came as a bit of a surprise, with the latter saying, "I believed I would never meet someone that way." Here's a crash course in their love story, from their unconventional courtship to the ways in which their Hallmark and Virgin River co-stars are supporting the first-time parents.
They're Both Hallmark Stars
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Best known for his role as Mike in Virgin River, Grazzini previously had a recurring role in the critically-acclaimed sitcom Kim's Convenience. The Canadian-born actor got his start in made-for-TV movies, and he's since become one of the most recognizable Hallmark stars. You'll find him playing the heartthrob in a collection of much-loved Hallmark romance movies and Lifetime flicks, including 2023's Hearts in the Game, Right in Front of Me (2021), A Valentine's Match (2020) and Christmas Unwrapped (2020).
For her part, Zimbabwean-Canadian actress Alvina August is a TV veteran. She's currently starring in Bob Odenkirk's AMC comedy Lucky Hank and in the Joel McHale-led FOX comedy Animal Control. Previously, she appeared in critically-acclaimed series like Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist, Woke, The Boys and The Good Doctor. And while she's never starred opposite her fiancé, August is practically Hallmark royalty. She was nominated for a Leo Award for her starring role in the 2020 holiday flick Deliver by Christmas. Her other Hallmark credits include A Second Chance at Love, Love in Design and the crime drama Hailey Dean Mystery.
They Met Online in 2014
Alvina August via Instagram
Grazzini and August met on social media in 2014, carrying on a virtual courtship for months before finally scheduling an in-person meeting. In a 2020 interview with AfterBuzz TV, August said that their unconventional romance was not what she expected, but that she wouldn't have had it any other way:
"I believed I would never meet someone that way. I always imagined that I would lock eyes with him across the room and then there would be this magic that I've always seen in '90s movies, I guess. So, yeah, our relationship started off in a very modern sense in that we spoke for three months before we went on our first date. When you see each other, it's just sort of the icing on the cake because we've already got such a strong connection."
Their 2019 Engagement and 2023 Baby News
Alvina August via Instagram
Grazzini popped the question in 2019 while the pair were vacationing in Bali, Indonesia. Then, in April 2023, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together. August shared the happy news on Instagram, posting a photo of her cradling her bump alongside snaps of her sonogram.
The pair's actor friends chimed in with hearty congratulations. Hallmark stars Andrew Walker and Janel Parrish, as well as Grazzini's Virgin River co-stars, shared their happiness at the news. Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays Brady in the series, even offered to unload some supplies on the first-time parents, commenting, "I have sooo much baby gear for you." Grazzini responded, "thanks homie! Gear me."
