Who Is Jack’s Mom on ‘When Calls the Heart’? That’s Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields, When Calls the Heart, Hallmark Channel interview

On the Season 3 premiere of When Calls the Heart, Jack Thornton’s mother Charlotte surprises him with a visit. She’s in town to figure out what’s going on between her son (Daniel Lissing) and school teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow). Charlotte is portrayed by Brooke Shields, who says her character is inspired by Annie Oakley in a way. Charlotte knows how to handle a rifle. She knows how to rope, she plays poker, and rides a really fast horse.

Shields can relate, no doubt. She’s also capable in multiple areas. The 50-year-old actress who first gained acclaim as a child actress playing a young prostitute in Pretty Baby later graduated from Princeton University with a degree in French literature. She has written two books, There Was a Little Girl: The Real Story of My Mother and Me and Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. (Sheilds has been an outspoken advocate for those who suffer from postpartum depression.) She has been working as a model since she was eleven months old, when she did her first ad — for Ivory soap. Shields is thought to be the only person who has written for the New York Times and appeared on the cover of Vogue.

When Calls the Heart airs Sundays at 9pm on Hallmark Channel.