Shubhabrata Dutta
Directed by Amy Barrett, Hallmark’s ‘Hats Off to Love’ is a romantic movie that follows a young woman named Stella, who designs hats and fascinators for Rosalind, a socialite of Kentucky High Society. With the Bradberry Hat Competition knocking on the door, Stella must design a hat that earns Rosalind the top spot. However, she needs help understanding the high society and creating a hat that embodies it. This is where Rosalind’s son Christian enters the scene. He is training a horse to compete in the Louisville Derby. As they help each other, a romance slowly blooms. Since the narrative is set against a derby, the visuals ensure that the pomp and show of the event are highlighted.
Where Was Hallmark’s Hats Off to Love Filmed?
While the story is set in Kentucky, the filming of ‘Hats Off to Love’ took place entirely in Florida, specifically in Tampa, Odessa, and Belleair. Principal photography reportedly began on January 27, 2025, and lasted for just over two weeks before wrapping up in mid-February the same year. The cast and crew thoroughly enjoyed filming at various locations, especially at the race courses. While the cast got to dress up in sharp, sophisticated, and bright clothing, the crew had fun capturing the exuberance of a derby.
Tampa, Florida
The scenes incorporating the races were filmed at Tampa Bay Downs, a horse racing facility located at 11225 Race Track Road, Tampa, FL 33626. The crew captured the race course, the indoor spaces, and the area around the facility to add realism to the narrative, considering the derby is one of the main attractions of Kentucky. The facility belongs to the neighborhood of Westchase, a census-designated place (CDP) in Hillsborough County. It opened in 1926 and is one of America’s most well-known racing courses.
Odessa, Florida
Additional outdoor scenes were filmed at the Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, a census-designated place (CDP) in Pasco County. The rustic and rural landscape enabled the crew to add contrast to the visuals. It is run by the Quantum Leap Farm, Inc., an NGO that aims to improve the quality of life and promote personal growth via equine-assisted therapies, offering services like therapeutic riding and hippotherapy, a therapeutic approach utilizing the horse’s movement to strengthen the systems impacting speech, language, social communication, cognition and swallowing.
Belleair, Florida
The crew also lensed some indoor scenes at the Belleview Inn in Belleair, a town in Pinellas County. The inn’s grandeur, combining the classic and the modern, provided the crew with backdrops that suited the narrative’s aesthetic. The lobby was specifically used to capture a few scenes. With 35 guest rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, and exclusive access to the semi-private beach of the Sandpearl Resort, the Belleview Inn promises its guests a sophisticated and heartwarming vacation experience.
Hats Off to Love Cast Details
The ‘Hats Off to Love’ cast is led by Ginna Claire Mason, John Clarence Stewart, and Holly Robinson Peete. Born in Nashville, Ginna grew up loving singing and dancing, which eventually took her to the grand stage of Broadway, which became her stepping stone into movies. John was inspired by her elder sister to take the stage in high school and has never had to look back ever since, slowly and steadily giving shape to his talents as an actor/singer/songwriter. Holly Robinson Peete has a degree in psychology and French. While pursuing higher studies at the University of Paris, she sang in nightclubs and performed with jazz musician Lionel Hampton. ‘Hats Off to Love’ is Ginna and John’s first Hallmark project together and their first movie together as well. John and Holly worked in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’
Ginna Claire Mason as Stella
Mason plays Stella in ‘Hats Off to Love.’ Her performance as Glinda in Broadway’s ‘Wicked’ and its various National Touring productions between 2015 and 2022 received widespread acclaim. She made her TV movie debut in 2022 with Hallmark’s ‘A Holiday Spectacular,’ where she plays Maggie. Her other Hallmark performances include Heidi in ‘A Heidelberg Holiday’ and Violette in ‘A Carol for Two.’
John Clarence Stewart as Christian
Stewart plays Christian, Stella’s counterpart, in the movie. He made his TV debut in 2015 as Officer Griffin Katz in ‘Gotham.’ In 2016, he was cast as Alex Wesley in ‘Luke Cage.’ However, he is primarily known for his performances as Simon in ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,’ a role he reprised in the movie ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas,’ Lionel in ‘What/If,’ and Big Teak in ‘P-Valley.’ ‘Law & Order’ fans will also notice him as Detective Vince Corgan in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’ His other credits include Clint in ‘The Mysteries of Laura,’ Officer Keith Roosevelt in ‘Blue Bloods,’ Marcus in ‘Skin Deep the Series,’ and Rafer in ‘A Killer Romance.’
Holly Robinson Peete as Rosalind
Holly Robinson Peete plays Rosalind, the socialite for whom Stella designs the hat. Peete is a veteran actress with many popular shows to her credit, including ’21 Jump Street,’ where she plays Officer Judy Hoffs, ‘For Your Love,’ where she plays Malena Ellis, and ‘ Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,’ where she plays Vanessa Russell. She reprised the character of Officer Judy Hoffs in the movie ’21 Jump Street.’ Holly has been a part of many Hallmark projects, like the ‘Morning Show Mysteries’ collection, the ‘Christmas in Evergreen’ collection, ‘The Journey Ahead,’ ‘The Christmas Doctor,’ and ‘A Family Christmas Gift.’
Joining Mason, Stewart, and Peete as additional cast are Holly Robinson Peete as Rosalind, Darla Delgado as Odette, Rena Strober as Hannah, and Alex Trumble as Davidson. They are joined by Kristin Wollett as Mandy, Holly Ward as Annie, and Cindy Karr as Blanche. The extended cast includes Alexis Baca as Hannah’s friend, Jennifer Brewer as Rosalind’s friend, Sallie Glaner as the judge, Steve Heinz, Giovanni Greco, and JC Anthony as Luncheon guests, Valeria Feliciano as the Hotel Lobby guest, Megan Monroe Stockton as a Derby guest, and Deborah Kosnett as one of Rosalind’s competitors in the hat competition.
