Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett Tease What’s Ahead for Joseph and Minnie in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 11 [Exclusive]
Joseph and Minnie Canfield will be dealing with a challenging family situation in When Calls the Heart Season 11.
The couple and their two kids, Angela and Cooper, are at the center of life in Hope Valley. Since the Canfields arrived in town in season 8, Minnie has taken over running the cafe, while Joseph has stepped into a key role as Hope Valley’s pastor. Both are always on hand to provide a sympathetic ear and words of wisdom when someone is having a tough time. But they may be the ones needing support in coming episodes, actors Viv Leacock and Natasha Burnett teased in a recent interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
Minnie will help heal ‘old wounds’ in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 11
In this season of the Hallmark Channel series, some members of the Canfield family show up in Hope Valley.
“We’re going to meet some family of the Canfields,” Leacock, who plays Joseph, shared. “We’re introducing some new characters.”
“We have some elements that will change the trajectory of a couple of the characters,” he added.
The family reunion won’t be without some tension, Burnett, who plays Minnie, said.
“For Minnie specifically, she’s got, I think, quite a nice season coming,” she said. “She’s still part of the choir, and she of course enjoys that. But she begins other projects and gets involved in those, which is really nice to see. And then she’s dealing with family matters with the kids, and then that rolls over into a family dilemma with Joseph and one of his other family members. So she kind of is there to assist in healing old wounds.”
Viv Leacock talks about working with his kids on ‘When Calls the Heart’
The tight-knit Canfield family have become fan-favorite characters since they arrived in Hope Valley. One reason they’ve made such an impression? Leacock isn’t pretending in scenes with Joseph’s kids Angela and Cooper. They are played by his real-life children, Vienna Leacock and Elias Leacock.
“I’m not acting when I’m on set,” he said. “I’m just being because those are my kids. For real … this is how I would say that line because this is how I said it to them in real life.’”
Leacock still can’t believe that he gets the chance to share the screen his kids on When Calls the Heart. It’s one of the things that he likes most about working with Hallmark. (His other projects for the network include the new movie Legend of the Lost Locket, which also stars Burnett, and the Hailey Dean Mysteries with Kellie Martin.)
“[Hallmark] hired two of my three kids to work alongside of me,” Leacock said. “You show me a network that’s going to do that. I haven’t seen it yet.”
Leacock’s other son, Lennox Leacock, has also become part of the Hallmark family. He appeared in the 2024 Hallmark Mystery movie Crimetime: Freefall with Lyndie Greenwood and Luke Macfarlane.
“I can’t even believe the space that they carved out for us to land in and help tell these stories. Because it didn’t have to be that they hired my children, Leacock said. “But they did.”
When Calls the Heart airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. Episodes also stream on Peacock.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
