What The Leading Ladies Of When Calls The Heart Look Like In Real Life

The Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" has become a fan-favorite period drama, but it would be nothing without the talented and versatile actors who make up the cast. Many of the women on the show, like Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, and Andrea Brooks, practically have to morph into different people to portray their characters, who live in a completely different time period in a fictional frontier mining town. The series is set in the early 20th century, so the hair, makeup, and wardrobe is stylized to fit the time period, especially early on in the show. Season 1 takes off from the year 1910, with vintage-inspired costuming that was more historically-grounded than later seasons, when brighter, more modern colors started to be introduced.

The show has actually received some backlash for the wardrobe, with some critics arguing that the costuming isn't as period-accurate as it could be. Costume designer Barbara Gregusova spoke out in 2016 to defend the styling of the characters, revealing that the request for a less-realistic color palette came directly from the network. "Hallmark wanted me to still do 1910 but with a modern feel," she told TV Insider. "I usually call it a 'stylized 1910 period' because we are trying to keep some of the period silhouettes, but when it comes to the color palette, it's definitely brighter and very Hallmark-ish because it's very colorful." But even with a modern twist on the costuming, the actors still look much different in real life than they do on screen. Just as fans may be curious about the real-life partners of the "When Calls the Heart" leading ladies, they might also wonder about what the female stars on the show look like in real life, without their characters' antique wardrobes.

Erin Krakow stars as Elizabeth Thornton in "When Calls the Heart," and just like her onscreen persona, the actor behind the character has been on a very eventful hair journey since the show began. In Season 1, Elizabeth's brunette hair starts out with long, soft curls, which eventually transform into loose, tamed waves throughout the years. By Season 11, her character undergoes a major hair makeover to mark the beginning of a new chapter, as seen in the photo on the left, after she cut her long tresses into a chin-length bob — a style that Krakow actually rocked in real life. The actor's hair style has frequently mimicked a similar look to Elizabeth's hair in the show, until Krakow started to embrace her hair's natural texture.

As documented on her Instagram page, Krakow began wearing her natural curls more often around 2025, posting frequent selfies showing off the bouncy texture. Around the same time, Krakow announced in November 2025 that she was pregnant with her first child, and began posting more photos with personal life updates that featured her natural curls. She even embraced her curls for a red carpet appearance in March 2026, stepping out to celebrate the premiere of the "When Calls the Heart" spinoff series, "Hope Valley: 1874." As seen in the photo on the right, Krakow was practically glowing as she flaunted her hair's curly texture during the event.

Pascale Hutton is the actor behind the character Rosemary LeVeaux Coulter, a theatrical, high-energy resident of Hope Valley who works as the editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, and is the co-owner of The Queen of Hearts cafe. Through the busy hustle and bustle of her daily life, Rosemary still manages to always look glamorous, as demonstrated in the photo on the left. There is no denying that Hutton looks gorgeous when she's in character, but her real-life look is even more stunning. When she's not filming, Hutton embodies the essence of a modern blond bombshell, like in the photo on the right, which was taken at a red carpet event in 2020. The pic shows Hutton rocking a bright red lip and straight, flippy hair, as opposed to Rosemary's more subtle rosy lips and old-school curls. 

In August 2026, Hutton posted an Instagram selfie where she looked practically unrecognizable from her "When Calls the Heart" character, sporting a short, wispy, and straight hairstyle — a major departure from Rosemary's voluminous curls. In March 2026, Hutton shared a transformation video on Instagram with the caption "Rosemary comes to life," where she documented the hair, makeup, and styling process that turns her into her "WCTH" character. The time-lapse video first shows Hutton as her usual self, with pin-straight hair and a fresh makeup-free face, before she sits in the glam chair to get all dolled up, while her hair is curled with rollers to achieve Rosemary's signature vintage look.

Andrea Brooks, who plays Dr. Faith Carter on "When Calls the Heart," doesn't have a drastically different look from her on-screen character, but she certainly opts for trendier styling when she's not on set. In the show, fans are used to seeing Brooks with tight, bouncy blond curls, frequently with delicate tendrils framing her face, much like the photo on the left. But in her real life, Brooks' look is considerably more modern. She is often seen wearing her hair in crimpy beach waves with a trendy middle part, as depicted in the photo on the right, taken during a Hallmark press event in 2020.

When she's in character on "WCTH," Brooks' makeup is usually very minimal and natural, especially when Faith is busy on the job as the town physician. In real life, Brooks also goes makeup-free occasionally — like when she's training for half-marathons — but she's not afraid to kick the glam up a notch for fancier events. She tends to add more definition around her eyes when she hits the red carpet, and sometimes even ventures out for a pop of color with her lipstick. Meanwhile, her character hardly ever wears a full glam makeup look, except for episodes with special occasions, like Rosemary's silent film, "The Scarlet Heart," which takes place during Season 13. Brooks' character Faith stars as the lead character Lady Octavia, for which she dons a more dramatic makeup look than her usual style. As seen in a behind-the-scenes Instagram photo Brooks shared from the set, she appears with heavy eyeliner and a glamorous deep-pink shade of lipstick.

Lori Loughlin's journey on "When Calls the Heart" has been anything but simple, and she's undergone a major transformation since the show's 2014 premiere. The "Full House" alum started playing Abigail Stanton in the first episode of the series, where she's dressed in practical, modest clothing and sports a fresh-faced, natural makeup look, as shown in the photo on the left. But in real life, Loughlin is known for having a much glitzier appearance. She is often seen with glossy, blown-out hair and full-glam makeup when attending posh Hollywood events, like in the photo on the right, taken on a red carpet in Beverly Hills in 2026.

During Season 6, Loughlin was written out of the show due to her involvement in the college admissions scandal, which made headlines in 2019. Loughlin wound up serving a 2-month prison sentence in late 2020, while the production of "WCTH" moved forward without her. However, she later made a triumphant return to the show with a surprise cameo during the Season 13 finale, where she looked even more radiant than ever. Like other Hallmark stars over 50 who are aging like fine wine, Loughlin has practically been aging in reverse, and before & after pics of Lori Loughlin could hint that she's no stranger to cosmetic tweaks.