Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving- Full list of cast for the Hallmark movie

The Hallmark Channel continues its Spring into Love lineup with the third installment of its newest movie series, Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving, premiering on April 5, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Part of a four-part franchise that follows a family of adult foster siblings navigating new chapters in their lives, Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving focuses on Josh, a Mathematics teacher, and Ella, an English teacher, as they respond to after-school program funding cuts. As per Hallmark.com, the two educators partner up for fundraising initiatives and, in the process, form a meaningful bond.

The Hearts Around the Table series originally planned for Hallmark+, now airs first on the Hallmark Channel, followed by streaming the next day. According to a RomComReviewer report dated March 19, 2025, each instalment highlights one sibling’s journey, with Mindy Cohn playing Angie, the foster mother, across all four films.

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving stars Jake Epstein and Stephanie Bennett in lead roles, set against the backdrop of community, education, and familial support woven into weekly Sunday dinners.

The main cast of Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving

List of the primary cast members from Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving:

• Jake Epstein as Josh Adler
• Stephanie Bennett as Ella Hawthorne
• Mindy Cohn as Angie Hartman

Jake Epstein as Josh Adler

In Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving, Jake Epstein plays Josh Adler, a high school Mathematics teacher facing the fallout from budget cuts that threaten vital after-school programs. As one of the adult foster siblings raised by Angie, Josh steps into a leadership role, working to find solutions that support both his students and the broader school community.

His response begins with grassroots fundraising and gradually expands as he seeks a more substantial donation. Through this process, Josh partners with fellow teacher Ella, and their shared commitment to education leads to a growing personal connection.

As per Hallmark.com Jake Epstein is known for a range of roles across television, film, and theatre. He earned recognition for his performance as Craig Manning in Degrassi, a role that won him a Gemini Award. On television, he has appeared in recurring parts in ABC’s Designated Survivor, USA’s Suits, and NBC’s Gone.

His stage work includes portraying Gerry Goffin in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, as well as leading roles in touring productions such as Spring Awakening, American Idiot, and Billy Elliot: The Musical.

Epstein is also set to appear in upcoming projects, including Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, Hulu’s The Hardy Boys, the independent film Terror in the Country, and Lifetime’s Candy Cane Candidate.

Stephanie Bennett as Ella Hawthorne

In Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving, Stephanie Bennett portrays Ella Hawthorne, an English teacher who works closely with Josh at their local high school. When after-school programs face funding cuts, Ella steps up to collaborate with Josh in organizing fundraising efforts.

As the film progresses, Ella’s professional partnership with Josh deepens into a personal connection, marking her growth from a determined educator into someone open to new emotional experiences.

Stephanie Bennett is a Canadian actress from Vancouver, British Columbia. She began training as a ballet dancer before shifting her focus to acting in 2010. Her television credits include roles in Netflix’s Travelers, Freeform’s Shadowhunters, and History Channel’s Project Blue Book, as reported by Hallmark.com.

She has also led series such as CBC’s 21 Thunder and The Romeo Section. In the TV movie space, she’s known for Listening to Love, Love in Yellowstone, and Stolen Dreams, which earned her a Leo Award. Her Hallmark work includes The Nine Lives of Christmas and The Last Bridesmaid.

Mindy Cohn as Angie Hartman

In Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving, Mindy Cohn plays Angie Hartman, the foster mother of Josh and his siblings.

Angie serves as the central figure throughout the Hearts Around the Table series, providing stability and emotional support. She brings her adult foster children together for weekly Sunday dinners, reinforcing the bonds that remain strong long after childhood

Angie’s role in Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving continues this pattern, as she encourages her children to face their personal and professional challenges with unity and resilience. Her character represents continuity and care in a narrative that focuses on growth, connection, and family.

As per Hallmark Mindy Cohn is widely recognized for her long-running role as Natalie Green on the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life, which aired from 1979 to 1988. Discovered by the show’s producers while they were researching at her school, Cohn quickly became a household name.

She went on to voice Velma for over a decade in the Scooby-Doo franchise and appeared in television series such as Hot in Cleveland and The Middle. Cohn currently appears as Ann Holiday in Apple TV+’s Palm Royale and will next be seen in the upcoming Al Pacino film Billy Knight. She holds a degree in cultural anthropology from Loyola Marymount University.

Supporting cast and their characters of Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving

• Kathryn Davis as Kiki Mercer
• Ashley Newbrough as Jenna Whitaker
• Steve Lund as Andrew Clarington
• Mishael Morgan as Shari Adams
• Brendan Morgan as Evan James
• Millie Davis as Gina Taylor
• Monica Rodriguez Knox as Sandra Prentice
• Justice James as Rory Nelson
• Jocelyne Zucco as Ms. Curtis
• Troy Blundell as Rick Bander
• Vijay Mehta as Vik Gupta
• Diane Johnstone as Dierdre Taylor
• Al Bernstein as Principal Geller
• Chris Gorys as Logan
• Priya Rao as Jane Gupta

Production, direction, and plot details

The official logline for the movie, as per IMDb, reads:

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"When after school programs see their funding cut, Teachers Josh and Ella turn to fundraising before banding together in search of a larger donation, falling hard along the way."

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving is the third entry in Hallmark Channel’s four-part Hearts Around the Table film series, premiering as part of its Spring into Love event.

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving will air on April 5, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, followed by streaming availability the next day on Hallmark+.

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving follows Josh and Ella, two teachers who, after seeing their school’s after-school program funding cut, take on the challenge of raising funds. Their professional collaboration eventually turns personal as they work toward a common goal.

Directed and edited by Mike Donis, Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving is produced by Brain Power Studio in collaboration with Hallmark Media. The writing team includes Paula Tiberius, with Beth Stevenson and Nancy Yeaman serving as executive producers.

The visual storytelling is led by cinematographer Aldo Quirván, while Stephen Krecklo and Sean Nimmons-Paterson composed the film’s score. Production design was handled by Maria John with Nicole Lankar as art director.

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving is part of a weekly rollout of four connected stories. While each film focuses on a different sibling, a recurring cast and unified themes of family and personal growth tie them together. The runtime for Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving is 1 hour and 24 minutes.

Stay tuned for more updates on Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving.

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