What Only True Fans Know About Hallmark Star Eva Bourne

Hallmark fans will likely recognize Eva Bourne (also known as Eva Allan) as Clara from the fan-favorite TV show "When Calls the Heart." She remained a recurring character through seasons two through five of the heartwarming period drama but became a part of the main cast for seasons six through eight until she left the show in 2021.

Bourne is also known on the Hallmark channel as Hannah from "Garage Sale Mysteries," playing the daughter of Lori Laughlin's leading character Jennifer Shannon. More recently, she starred alongside Rushi Kota in the made-for-TV movie "Make Me a Match," which debuted as part of Hallmark's 2023 June Weddings event.

As you can see, Bourne has made quite the imprint on the feel-good network over the past few years. However, only true fans know some things about the actress, including her original career goal and the most notable TV shows she's appeared in before and since her Hallmark debut.

If you're a fan of Eva Bourne's work on Hallmark, you might be surprised to learn that the star didn't always plan to go into show business. Though she became involved in school plays while growing up in Creston, British Columbia, she initially pursued a career in dentistry after graduating from high school.

"I grew up in a very small town, so the idea of becoming an actor as a career was absolutely not in my mind as a possibility at all," she explained to Survived the Shows. "I was working as a dental assistant and had just started school for dental hygiene, and I was just not doing well. I fell victim to hearing people's approval and moving forward with something that was safe, but not going to necessarily challenge me in life."

The unhappiness she felt prompted her to reexamine her choices, and she ultimately decide to drop out of the dentistry program to study acting. After reflecting on what she truly wanted to achieve in life, she suddenly had an epiphany: She wanted to be an actor. As Bourne recalled: "I think I was watching 'Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind' all day in my dorm room and something just clicked. [I] called my parents [and] told them I was quitting school, moving to Vancouver, and going to theatre school. And here we are."

After studying acting, Eva Bourne started making guest appearances in several well-known television shows, some of which may be surprising to long-time viewers. She gained her first acting credit in 2009, appearing in the USA detective fiction "Psych" for one episode. In 2010, she had a three-episode arc as Devanna on the sci-fi show "Caprica."

In the same year, she landed a starring role in the Canadian sci-fi horror film "Beyond the Black Rainbow." While the movie received mixed reviews, Bourne spoke positively about this early experience in her acting career, telling The Pop Culture Principal, "As an actor, it was a great way to start out because I was able to be so emotionally connected to that storyline and the character Elena. It was the best experience that I will probably ever have as an actor because it was so different and so out there."

Since her film debut, the Hallmark actress has also guest appeared on series such as "Emily Owens M.D.," "Falling Skies," and even "Once Upon a Time." Most recently, she landed a recurring role on Netflix's original thriller series "Devil in Ohio." It's clear her career is on the rise and she has a bright future ahead of her.