The Way Home needs to cast Margaret Qualley and it’s obvious why

If there weren’t enough generations of the Landry family to get to grips with, fans are secretly hoping for another in the form of Margaret Qualley. She’s not yet in The Way Home, but it could work.

Three seasons into The Way Home and the mysteries aren’t letting up. Between an abandoned baby, an unidentified time-traveling couple, and Jacob’s unexplained return home, the binge-worthy TV show could easily be Hallmark’s most confusing.

At its core is the story of women through the ages. Del, Kat, and Alice are each struggling to get to grips with their past, present, and future, not helped by the fact they have a time-traveling pond at the end of their garden.

As The Way Home Season 3 takes shape, fans are calling for Margaret Qualley to be added to the cast. If you don’t know why, we’ve broken down her secret connection to the show.

Margaret Qualley has a big connection to Del’s Andie MacDowell

If you haven’t already picked up on it, Margaret Qualley is the daughter of Andie MacDowell, who plays Del in the present timeline. Both are actors, and the pair have worked together onscreen before.

Netflix

Prior to her role in The Way Home, we obviously know MacDowell from her roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Groundhog Day, and St. Elmo’s Fire. But before the Hallmark show came along, she starred opposite Qualley in Netflix limited series Maid, earning her a Golden Globe nomination.

It followed single mother Alex (Qualley), who turns to housecleaning to make ends meet as she escapes an abusive relationship and homelessness.

As MacDowell told Collider at the time: “I was actually astounded that she wanted me to play this because it’s been really important for her to make her own road and to have her own journey. But I feel like she feels secure that she’s already acknowledged herself, independently from me, and she was comfortable with the idea of working with me.”

Qualley added “She’s the best. It seems like it’s the easiest thing in the world for her. She’s so giving and cool.”

While the pair have never publicly stated plans to work together, they also haven’t explicitly ruled it out. Qualley has also never commented on The Way Home itself.

Fans might want her, but it’s looking slim

Given MacDowell and Qualley are actually related, it would be perfect to cast her in The Way Home. However, there are two issues – the role of Young Del has now already been cast, and Qualley’s rising fame is taking her in a different direction.

Hallmark

Before Season 3 started airing, fans were intent on Qualley joining the cast as the younger version of MacDowell’s character Del. As they correctly guessed, new episodes focus heavily on her backstory, including how she met Colton when they were teenagers.

Now, we know Young Del is being played by someone else. Season 3 has introduced a new past timeline in 1974, with both Alice and Kat traveling back to uncover secrets between Del, Colton, and Evelyn. Del – played by Julia Tomasone – comes to Port Haven because of Evelyn, with past experiences like why she loathes the pond in the present day.

From a casting perspective, that’s likely it for Del’s younger self. However, if The Way Home explores a timeline in the 80s or early 90s, they’ll need to look for another actress. Qualley would be the ideal candidate, but there’s another problem.

Thanks to the phenomenal success of new horror movie The Substance, Qualley is now starting to become a much bigger name. She fell just short of an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but she’s firmly on the international radar.

She’s also been seen in Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Drive-Away Dolls, with projects like Blue Moon and Happy Gilmore 2 in the pipeline. To add to the notoriety, she’s also married to Jack Antonoff, who’s best known for producing Taylor Swift’s latest albums.

All of this means it’s increasingly unlikely we’ll see Qualley make a cameo in The Way Home. But anything can happen in Port Haven, so never say never.

You can find The Way Home Seasons 1-2 already on the app, with Season 3 streaming weekly. For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.