When Jocelyn Hudon joined “Chicago Fire,” the show had already aired 11 and a half seasons and spawned multiple spin-off shows. Playing a paramedic named Lyla “Lizzie” Novak, Hudon joined the procedural drama to replace seasoned veteran Kara Killmer, who surprised fans with a sudden exit in 2024. Novak quickly won over fans with her quirky, lively attitude, and Hudon was promoted to series regular by Season 13. But before she was saving fictional lives, “Chicago Fire” actor Hudon played a lead character in the first spin-off of Hallmark’s most popular show.
Hallmark has produced several series, but none has lasted as long as “When Calls the Heart,” which first premiered on the channel in 2014. Based on a book series by Janette Oke, the Western drama follows a teacher in early 20th-century Canada who moves to a small mining town and develops new platonic and romantic relationships. Hudon and Morgan Kohan first appeared on this series in the Season 6 Christmas special in 2018 as long-lost orphan sisters who reunite as adults in Hope Valley.
But this was actually a backdoor pilot for the first “When Calls the Heart” spinoff, “When Hope Calls.” The series followed Hudon and Kohan’s characters, Lillian and Grace, after they returned to their hometown, Brookfield, to run an orphanage and give back to their community. And of course, each character had their own romantic squabbles while struggling to make the orphanage work.
Jocelyn Hudon left When Hope Calls after its first season
While “When Calls the Heart” aired on Hallmark’s cable channel, “When Hope Calls” launched on Hallmark’s streaming platform, Hallmark Movies Now (now called Hallmark+), to convert fans into subscribers. However, it’s unclear how successful this venture was because Hallmark didn’t release reports about the show’s performance, and the company eventually aired the episodes on its cable channel. Great American Family, a rival family-friendly media company, then acquired the show for its second season, creating a Christmas special in 2021.
This acquisition meant “When Hope Calls” could continue, but it came with many changes due to scheduling clashes. At the end of Season 1, Hudon’s character Grace makes a grand trip to England to help Helen find her grandfather. But Hudon couldn’t film the Christmas special, so it was said that Grace moved to London off-screen to create a new orphanage. “When Hope Calls” Season 2 aired in 2025, but the main cast had moved on to new projects, so the remaining lead characters were written off as new characters took center stage.
Hudon did not release a statement about leaving “When Hope Calls.” Since the departure, Hudon has appeared in numerous shows, from “9-1-1” to “Dave,” but “Chicago Fire” is the first time Hudon has found a show to stay on for a considerable amount of time. She has also become a key character across the “Chicago” franchise after making cameos in “Chicago Med” in 2025 and “Chicago P.D.” in 2026.