Not to be outdone by Andie MacDowell, who dove into “The Way Home” pond in her underwear during the series’ most recent season on Hallmark Channel, “When Calls The Heart” star Kevin McGarry left fans breathless with a surprise shirtless scene on the third episode of season 11 — prompting hilarious reactions on social media from colleagues and Hearties.
In the newest WCTH episode, which debuted on April 21, 2024, McGarry’s character — Hope Valley Mountie Nathan Grant — startled Elizabeth, played by Erin Krakow, who had just walked into the Mountie office looking for him. In the throes of changing and still shirtless, Nathan didn’t expect Elizabeth — with whom a controversial romance is finally budding — and quickly tried to cover up as her jaw dropped at the sight of his chiseled abs and muscular arms. Elizabeth was then seen rushing out of the office with a smirk on her face.
The scene — which McGarry has said he had to get in top shape for — tickled their co-stars and fans alike, prompting all kinds of funny reactions online.
Hearties Go Wild For Kevin McGarry’s Shirtless Scene
Clips of McGarry’s shirtless scene, including the one above from the Hearties Team Nathan account, quickly made the rounds online after the episode premiered, with the hashtag #NathanAndElizabeth trending on X (formerly known as Twitter). After a preview of the next episode aired, revealing that Elizabeth will fall into Nathan’s arms at one point, Hearties were practically hyperventilating in their tweets.
One wrote, “With today’s scene and this happening next week I don’t know how much I can take. They have me catching my breath every time they’re together.”
The morning after the episode aired, another tweeted that she wasn’t sure all the Hearties had “gotten up from the floor” yet.
Many fans posted funny GIFs to convey their swooning, including one featuring a hot-and-bothered Blanche from the “Golden Girls.”
“Bahaha E just looked N up and down,” the fan wrote. “Yep… Right there with you girl. We know what you’re thinking.”
In a reply to a fan who said she was just about to watch the recorded episode, another Heartie tweeted a hospital scene from “The Simpsons” and wrote, “I’ll be on standby to revive you! Hallmark needs to market #Hearties heart paddles!”
On the Heavy on Hallmark Facebook page, where fans were asked the following morning if they’d recovered, many fans said they were still on a high from the shirtless scene, including one who wrote, “I’ll be watching that again! And again! And again!“
Kevin McGarry Had to Get in Shape for His Shirtless Scene & His Castmates Made Clear They Noticed
HallmarkKevin McGarry and Erin Krakow as Nathan and Elizabeth on season 11 of “When Calls The Heart”
Currently set in the early 1920s, WCTH’s characters rarely show much skin, given the fashions of the time. Even Jack Wagner‘s character Bill Avery donning an old-time, knee-to-chest bathing suit in season 10 was a big deal to fans. During a cast chat with ET reporter Deidre Behar in July 2023, he said he “did enough push ups where it showed a little pec!”
In a March interview with Behar, Krakow and McGarry giggled about the work he had to put into getting fit for the upcoming season, without fully spilling the details on the shirtless scene to come.
When Behar asked whether Nathan would have any physical changes, given that Elizabeth sports a chic new bob, Krakow exclaimed, “Oh, do we!”
“Nathan’s been working out in his garage a lot,” McGarry laughed, and Krakow then quipped, “Let’s just say you see more of Nathan in season 11 than you ever have before!”
McGarry’s WCTH castmates loved ribbing him online the night the scene aired as they live tweeted during the episode, including Wagner, who tweeted, “ShiiiirtLeeesss 💪🏻💪🏻 Gunzz!!”
Ben Rosenbaum, who plays Mike Hickam and is Krakow’s real-life beau, tweeted a GIF of a shirtless Jack Black in “Nacho Libre,” saying that Nathan’s shirtless entrance now trumps all of his other scenes.
McGarry replied to Rosenbaum, “Is this why you don’t look me in the eyes for the rest of the season?”
Krakow inspired lots of Hearties to toss out pectoral puns about the scene, tweeting as the show started, “I hope tonight’s episode pecs – I mean piques – your interest.”
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