Hearties still have a little ways to go until “When Calls the Heart” Season 6 debuts, but at least there are some new cast details to help hold them over. “Melrose Place” alum Rob Estes will be popping up on the Hallmark Channel series for a couple episodes next season.

When the 55-year-old pops up on the period drama he’ll be portraying “Theo Richardson, a mysterious artist from Abigail Stanton’s (Lori Loughlin) past,” according to Entertainment Tonight. Though he will already have some sort of connection with Abigail, what exactly that connection will be remains to be seen.

Plus, when someone new shows up in Hope Valley, everyone in town instantly learns about it and always wants to learn more about that person. What will the other residents think of Theo? What kinds of relationships will he form with the likes of Bill (Jack Wagner), Lee (Kavan Smith), Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) or the many others on “When Calls the Heart”?

rob estes wcth
Rob Estes is joining “When Calls the Heart,” which stars his former “90210” co-star, Lori Loughlin. Pictured: Estes at a photocall for “90210” during the 2009 Monte Carlo Television Festival at Grimaldi Forum on June 10, 2009 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

In real life, Loughlin and Estes have quite the connection because the two co-starred on The CW’s “90210” as Debbie and Harry Wilson. Meanwhile, Hearties themselves already have a connection with the actor playing Theo, too. Estes has shown up on Hallmark before, having starred in Hallmark Channel’s “The Edge of the Garden” in 2011 with Sarah Manninen, as well as Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas” in 2014.

This news of his “When Calls the Heart” arrival comes two months after it was revealed that Kevin McGarry and Chris McNally would be joining “When Calls the Heart” for Season 6, as well. The former, who was in Hallmark flicks like “A Song for Christmas” and “Love at First Bark,” is playing a new mountie named Nathan Grant. He’s a “strong, silent type [that ] takes all his responsibilities to heart as the new Mountie in town,” according to a Hallmark press release.

Meanwhile, McNally has joined the show as Lucas Bouchard, “a charming gambler and saloon owner who is hiding more than a card up his sleeve,” the same release shares. Hallmark fans will recognize the actor from a few different movies on the network, including 2018’s “The Sweetest Heart” with Julie Gonzalo.

Hopefully, all of this news will make the wait for the “When Calls the Heart” Christmas special, which airs later in 2018, a little bit easier. Season 6 of the show is expected to premiere shortly after that, in early 2019.

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