How Nikki DeLoach & Kristoffer Polaha First Met 21 Years Ago & Then Worked Together Again on Hallmark’s ‘Grand Ole Opry Christmas’

Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha are starring in the new Hallmark Channel movie A Grand Ole Opry Christmas and they actually first worked together 21 years ago!

Both of the actors have been fan-favorites on Hallmark for the past decade, but this if their first time working together for the network.

Ahead of the premiere of their new movie, Nikki and Kristoffer are reminiscing on their long friendship.

Keep reading to find out more…

See their then and now photos below and keep scrolling to read what they said about working together again.

NIKKI DELOACH’S MESSAGE

In 2004, @polahaha and I worked together for the first time on a show called “North Shore.”

21 years later, we did our first Hallmark movie together. 21 years of being there for each other through the peaks and valleys of an industry that in one year can make your dreams come true and in the next crush your soul. 21 years of being there through loss and grief. 21 years of walking in our faith. 21 years of babies being born and watching them grow into the amazing humans they are today (fun fact: I was one of the first to hold @calebpolaha when he was born in Hawaii 🥹).

Throughout this movie, art was imitating life at every turn. Mac and Gentry mirrored the lifelong friendship that Kris and I have been so blessed to keep. Before filming began, we were invited to the @opry. I will never forget this backstage moment. @ridersinthesky was warming up in their dressing room while putting on a pre-show for everyone to enjoy. Kris and I hung at the entry, soaking it all up. We turned to each, tears in both our eyes, overwhelmed with gratitude. Kris said, “We waited ten years to do our first Hallmark movie together, and boy was it worth the wait to have this experience with you.”

Tomorrow “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” airs. I’m grateful for so so much. And at the top of that list is the fact that I was able to bring this story to life with one of my best friends, who also happens to be an incredibly gifted artist.

Love you @polahaha. Here’s to friendships that last a lifetime and continuing to hold each other’s biggest and wildest dreams.

KRISTOFFER POLAHA’S MESSAGE

You beat me to the punch, darling. Now it’s my turn.

I’ll never forget standing in a grassy field with you on the North Shore of Oahu next to the hair and makeup trailer, mountains to our left, ocean to the right. Turtle Bay for the pilot, (and for the record you, me, @prideofgypsies, Corey, and Jay were the only actors that survived the recasting from pilot to series – and you the only female!) and I remember thinking, “this girl has joy, she has moxie, she has grit, she’s brave, and she’s a super nova. I like @nikdeloach .” We played good friends on that show and life certainly did imitate art.

So much life has transpired since then and you were always someone I checked in with along the way. You always held space for those big, deep conversations, the ones that help a person take stock and learn and grown. Huge phone calls over the past two decades where we talked about nothing superficial. (On one of those calls, about a year and half ago, you even said I would land a job like the one I’m working on now, which left you holding the bag for all our press these past few months. You literally called it! And also – sorry I wasn’t there to help. But also – thank you for crushing it!)

We’ve worked together a lot over the past 21 years too, but it’s funny that we’ve both been on Hallmark for roughly the same amount of time and never worked together.

Until now.

It is curious to me, but it feels like a cycle has completed somehow and that this movie signifies the mark of a new chapter. A bright new season for both of us.

Watching you shine as the star of this film was a treat. You are a wonderful leader, thoughtful and kind all the way up, down, and over.

I know this film will serve as a snapshot of friendship throughout time and I love how personal this story is to you, it really is your time to shine and I’m so proud that I’ve had a perfect backstage view for all of it.

I can’t wait for the world to watch A Grand Ole Opry Christmas tonight on @hallmarkchannel, it’s a special one.
_______

There are so many country music icons who are making cameo appearances in the movie!