Inside Hallmark Star Meghan Ory's Relationship With John Reardon

If you need one more reason to believe in the magic of Hallmark, how about the creator of your favorite televised romance movies being responsible for a long-term love match? Meghan Ory and John Reardon were cast in the Hallmark Entertainment production of "Merlin's Apprentice," a 2006 two-part mini-series that had the actors coupling up first on camera, then off, in a romance that has lasted more than a decade.

Both born and raised in Canada, Ory, and Reardon share their lives and their career choices. Ory has appeared in multiple Hallmark movies, including "The Memory Book," "Debbie Macomber's Dashing Through the Snow," and "The Secret Gift of Christmas," and played the role of Abby in the Hallmark series "Chesapeake Shores." She was also Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the series "Once Upon a Time." Reardon, too, has spent time with Hallmark, starring in the movies "Love on the Sidelines" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and in episodes of "When Calls the Heart." The actor has starred as Charlie Hudson in the TV series "Hudson & Rex" since 2019.

While their acting gigs have taken them all over Canada, and through Los Angeles, the couple always makes time for each other and their growing family. 

The on-screen chemistry shared by Meghan Ory and John Reardon in front of the camera on "Merlin's Apprentice" was due in part to their real-life chemistry behind the scenes. "I was doing my wardrobe fitting and he walked in the door with a friend of mine," Ory recalled to Valley News about her first interaction with Reardon on the mini-series. "I saw him and thought, 'He's sooooo dreamy.'"

The couple met years earlier, but became good friends while working on the series together. Their romance, however, had to wait until after filming was done. "I never think it's a good idea to date somebody you're working with," the "Once Upon A Time" cast member explained. After they moved on from their shared, project, though, all bets were off and the dating commenced. Their courtship turned into a marriage, with the duo exchanging vows in 2008.

In 2018, Ory gave birth to the couple's first child, and followed with a second in 2019. A third little one was welcomed in 2022, with Ory sharing in an Instagram post she filmed the sixth and final season of "Chesapeake Shores" while pregnant and fighting severe morning sickness. She thanked Reardon for his help during all of it, calling him her "rock."

Both Meghan Ory and John Reardon have had successful careers, and with that, busy schedules and busy lives. Yet, the couple early in their relationship decided to make their time together a priority. "We have the rule that we try not to go more than two weeks without seeing each other," Ory told Valley News. 

One way the acting duo has been able to keep close is by working together. Ory earned a role as a recurring character on her husband's popular TV Show "Hudson & Rex," appearing in multiple episodes. And they're on the hunt for even more on-screen time.

 "We have been looking for the right project to do together for a while now," Reardon told Nice Girls TV. "It has been tricky because we have three kids and one of us always watches them while the other is working. But we are going to find a way to make it happen soon." It may be time for Hallmark to upgrade Merlin's apprentice to an official wizard, and give two of its stars a second chance to be in love both on and off camera.