Robbie Simpson has worn many creative hats, actor, director, producer, but his most personal work may have unfolded not behind the scenes or on a scripted set, but on Hallmark Channel’s Finding Mister Christmas. For the first time, the multi-hyphenate wasn’t portraying a character or helping shape someone else’s narrative. He was showing up as himself.

Speaking exclusively to Gayety, “I kind of summarize it that I just love to tell stories,” Simpson said. “If you’re an actor, then you’re helping someone else’s dream become the reality. But when I’m directing or producing, I get to have that vision, and I love it.”

That desire to create and connect has carried him through years of work in front of and behind the camera. But reality TV, he quickly learned, offered a different kind of storytelling entirely, one that demanded vulnerability instead of performance.

That was the first time that I ever told my story,” he said of filming the series. “On this show, I’m always telling someone else’s story or their fictional stories.”

Hallmark’s Finding Mister Christmas marks the network’s growing embrace of LGBTQ+ representation, and Simpson’s presence, as the show’s only gay contestant, placed him at the center of a cultural moment and a personal turning point. Unlike a scripted romance, there was no character to hide behind, no predetermined arc, no safety in fiction. The story was his.

Healing in Unexpected Places

One of Simpson’s most profound moments came not during a heartfelt conversation but during a physical challenge. After securing a win and feeling genuinely supported by the other contestants, he realized something inside him had shifted.

“I feel like I was able to heal some trauma that had been still there,” he said. “We never know as adults what’s going to keep coming up.”

The acceptance he felt during filming helped quiet insecurities he carried long before stepping onto the Hallmark set. The moment wasn’t about television, it was about growth.

Authenticity Over Perfection

Being the only gay contestant came with its own pressure. Simpson was aware of how viewers might look to him as a representative of the broader LGBTQ+ community. Ultimately, he chose the only approach that felt honest: being specific, not symbolic.

“Because actually the more specific you are about your story, the more universal the message is,” he explained.

He also went on to add, “If I had had Robbie to watch on the Hallmark Channel when I was 10, that would’ve been huge. That would’ve been so important because I’m also being myself. I’m not playing a character. I’m telling my story, my real story.”

“I think if my mom had seen Robbie on finding Mr. Christmas, perhaps when I came out to her, it would’ve just been a little bit easier. So that’s why I’m there.”

Instead of trying to embody an ideal, he focused on authenticity, the kind that resonates beyond a demographic label.

Why Real Stories Matter

Simpson also believes reality TV carries a unique emotional power that scripted shows, even the most beloved queer-inclusive ones, can’t always match.

“It hits different when there’s a real human being on your TV screen that is telling you their real authentic story from their point of view,” he said. “You just feel more connected.”

That connection, between contestants, between storytellers and audiences, is exactly what keeps him passionate about his craft, no matter the medium.

With Finding Mister Christmas, Robbie Simpson didn’t just join a holiday romance competition. He stepped into a story that was finally, unmistakably his own — and discovered that truth can be more transformative than any role he’s played.