Netflix’s Christmas lineup is full of some absolute bangers, from classics like Love Actually and Nativity, to newer hits like Champagne Problems.

And the latest festive flick to capture viewers’ attention is A Merry Little Ex-Mas, a holiday rom-com that reunites ’90s icons Melissa Joan Hart and Alicia Silverstone, alongside Oliver Hudson and Jameela Jamil.

Yet for many, it was newcomer Pierson Fodé who truly stood out. The 34-year-old actor plays Chet, the charming love interest of Silverstone’s character.

• Love Actually’s Martine McCutcheon recreates iconic airport scene in real-life


• ITV Coronation Street's Brooke Vincent in tears as she opens up on painful family tragedy

Fans may also recognise him from The Wrong Paris, where he stars opposite Miranda Cosgrove.

But behind his fit, muscular appearance, Fodé has faced a life-altering health struggle. On the Hinesights Podcast, he revealed a harrowing brain injury that left him temporarily unable to function.

“I was like a vegetable,” Fodé admitted. “I lost six months of my life from my memory. It started with a sinus infection in 2018. I was prescribed antibiotics, but I was allergic. It caused inflammation and swelling in my brain, leading to seizures, blackouts, and arrhythmia.”

The horrific ordeal triggered a period of depression, Fodé admitted, and forced him to confront just how fragile life can be.

Temporarily losing his memory was amongst the hardest parts. He revealed: "You and I could be having a conversation, and I would start panicking because I'd reset in the middle of the conversation.

"I'd forget where I was, who I was talking to. All my short-term memory just left. And then my long-term memories just started slowly peeling back over the next month to three months.

"To the point where I would look in the mirror, and I couldn't figure out who the guy was in the mirror."

Today, Fodé says he has fully recovered and is committed to helping others who have, like him, experienced serious trauma.

Fodé first broke into acting in 2012 with a guest role on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and has since built a diverse career.

He is known for roles in The Bold and the Beautiful, Tacoma FD, Dynasty, Animal Kingdom, and The Real Bros of Simi Valley as well as films including Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, The Man from Toronto, and The Wrong Paris .

Outside of acting, Fodé has worked as a model, collaborating with huge brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, G-Star, and Vanity Fair. He enjoys motorcycling, skydiving, and parkour, and actively volunteers with charities such as St. Jude, Heifer International, and Saving Innocence.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas is now streaming on Netflix.