‘Candy Cane Candidate’ on Lifetime – Plot, Cast, Premiere, & Photos

Photo Credit: Lifetime.

Lifetime is airing Candy Cane Candidate in December as part of their “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” event. It follows successful movie premieres such as The Holiday Fix Up. Read below for details on the plot and cast, see photos, and a preview of the film.

Candy Cane Candidate on Lifetime: What is the Movie About?

Julia (Jacky Lai) is a natural born leader who returns to her hometown of North Falls for Christmas. She’s drowning her sorrows in eggnog, cookies, and Yuletide after losing the city council campaign when she runs into Parker (Jake Epstein). He was her old high school rival, the know-it-all who beat Julia in the race for senior class president. When the North Falls mayor resigns, the town holds an emergency election, and Julia and Parker once again faceoff. But, as they campaign their way through Christmas and plan a toy drive together, Julia begins to see a different side of Parker. As the political race comes to a head and the ice between them is slowly thawing, Julia and Parker discover winning isn’t everything.

See a preview of the movie courtesy of Jacky Lai’s Instagram below:

Who is in the Candy Cane Candidate Cast?

Jacky Lai as Julia

Jacky Lai is an actress who’s been seen in episodes of Beyond, Shadowhunters, and V-Wars. Lifetime holiday movie fans will remember Jacky from last year’s A Sugar & Spice Holiday. This year, she guested on an episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and recently completed the film Eraser: Reborn alongside Dominic Sherwood.

Jacky Feels Like a Princess

Co-star of Candy Cane Candidate, Jacky Lai dressed up like a princess for a Lifetime event this December. “Wow what an incredible first experience, and with a team that made me look and feel like a goddess,” she wrote on Instagram.

She posed for photos in a short white flowing dress at the Beverly Hilton in California.

Making Movies with Friends

Jacky took a big group photo while filming her newest Lifetime movie that she shared with her Instagram followers in October. She wrote, “What it’s like to make a movie with friends.. #bts“

Jacky in 2020 Christmas Movie

You may also recognize Jacky from the 2020 Christmas Lifetime lineup of “A Sugar & Spice Holiday” co-starring Tony Giroux.

Jake Epstein as Parker

Jake Epstein portrayed Craig Manning in the popular Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Later, he transitioned into theater work, making his Broadway debut in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. After performing in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jake returned to TV, recurring in Designated Survivor and Suits. This is his second holiday film releasing this year. His first was Hallmark Channel’s Eight Gifts of Hanukkah alongside Inbar Lavi. Up next for Jake is a main role in season 3 of The Umbrella Academy.

Supportive Brother

Jake was supporting his sis at her Stratford Festival debut! He wrote, “She did it! (And did it so well) Congrats to my sis on her official Stratford Festival debut! I may have cried 4 times during the show… #littleshopofhorrors #audrey #audrey2 #siblinglove“