Hallmark seems to have the corner on the market in regards to handsome, charming, talented leading men, and there is no doubt that Andrew Walker fits quite effortlessly into this group. He was one of the first actors I ever had the pleasure of interviewing, and his support, encouragement, and confidence in my skills is something that has always brought a smile to my face on those tough days at the office that come to us all. He and I have developed a reciprocal friendship over the past few years, and it is an honor to be able to present our most recent conversation about his upcoming Hallmark film entitled Bottled With Love. 

Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

RH: Andrew, how nice it is to chat with you again.

AW: Always great to chat with you too, Ruth.

I’m so grateful for the wonderful Hallmark movies that are on every Saturday night. And it just so happens that you have a movie coming up this weekend. I was so excited when they announced this one at the TCA’s {Television Critics Association} in February. 

{At this point, Andrew went into “daddy” mode as his little boy, West, was out of school for the day, and they had just come back from a Spring Fling Dance that ranged from ages two to five. As Andrew explained, it was the cutest thing, and I can only imagine. He explained how they were all dressed up for Coco, Moana, and all these different movies. He made apologies for the interruption, but I never see kids as an interruption, especially in situations like this.}

Yes, fortunately, it was announced, and it always happens so quickly. We were almost blindsided by it because I didn’t even know very much about it at the time. I think my deal was solidified earlier that day. And then it was officially announced at the TCA’s. Knowing that I was going to work with Bethany Joy {Lenz} again was just awesome.

I know you both last teamed up for the Christmas movie Snowed-Inn Christmas that was on Lifetime a couple years ago, but this is the first time you both have worked together for a Hallmark movie, right?

Yes, it is.

Snowed-Inn Christmas

That’s what I was thinking. I mean, Snowed-Inn was one of those Lifetime movies that could have been a Hallmark movie. 

Right. Lifetime and Netflix have gotten smart and they have begun to realize that Hallmark is the fastest growing network in the nation, and so they have decided to follow Hallmark’s model and do what they’re doing. So the networks all try to turn out these holiday films in a fifteen-day shoot, and they try to bring in all the actors, directors, and producers that work on Hallmark films along with the crews. They really try to replicate what Hallmark does so well. But I don’t think they don’t typically hit the mark quite as well as Hallmark does.

I think that’s usually the case. Once in a while, I see a Lifetime movie that is of the same caliber of Hallmark movies. In fact–and I’m not just saying this because I’m talking to you–I think that with Snowed-Inn Christmas, you and Bethany Joy did a great job, and it was honestly, in my opinion, the same quality as Hallmark. I was pleasantly surprised and truly thought it was one of Lifetime’s best Christmas movies ever.

Andrew Walker and Bethany Joy Lenz with screenwriter Carley Smale on set of Snowed-Inn Christmas

You know, I think so too. And I think it came down to the director. It was Gary Yates, who has also done numerous Hallmark movies. In fact, I’ve actually worked with Gary four times. He’s like the Christmas king. He really knows how to put great holiday movies together and how to bring out the best performances from everyone. He just did what he does best, and Joy and I had such a fantastic experience. Love In a Bottle, our upcoming Hallmark movie, was actually the second time we’d worked together on a movie. Originally, we first loosely worked together seventeen years ago on a TV show I was on. Joy came on for one episode. I knew even back then from seeing her work that she was really talented. We would regularly have these guest stars that would come through for these episodes, and some really stood out. She was one of them. I remember thinking, “This girl is really talented.” And she was so serious about her work as well.

Snowed-Inn

Then about three weeks later, she booked One Tree Hill, and it was off to the races for her. When Lifetime came knocking, I knew her, but we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. We had some mutual friends, but we spoke on the phone a little bit and then started working together. It was an immediate, quick connection. We just got each other. We have the same sense of humor and work ethic. We had so much freedom with that Lifetime Christmas movie because it was a first-time writer for the network. We had the freedom to rewrite things, and that really helped us. When you build something with somebody, you end up with a stronger bond, and you also get a much more dynamic product. For example, if you and I decided to build a deck at my house, it’s gonna have that much more meaning for both of us. No pun intended, but Joy and I were really able to have the nuts and bolts of what we were doing there in a real way for that movie.

Andrew Walker, Bethany Joy Lenz Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

So fast forward to this movie. I think it’s safe to say we hit our stride. What is so neat about Joy…I nicknamed her the “doctor.” So I was like, “Hey, Doc, what do you want to do on this one?” Because she comes in and really works scripts. She should be a script doctor. She takes something good and makes it great. So when this movie came along, we had an absolutely unbelievable opportunity with Hallmark. The first two days of shooting…as I’m sure you know, Hallmark does have a very strict brand they’re trying to uphold, and they’re really heavily involved with notes about the production and the script. We sent back two days of dailies after those first two days of shooting. We had changed some dialogue in those first two days; we kinda snuck in some dialogue here and there that we wanted to put in. And the network really liked it. On the third day, we knew what we wanted to change. There was a big reveal section in the movie. It’s comparable to You’ve Got Mail. Have you seen You’ve Got Mail?

No, I have not actually seen that movie. I know that You’ve Got Mail is based on other older movies, and I’ve seen those. But I’ve not actually seen You’ve Got Mail. Though I do know the story pretty well.

I hadn’t seen You’ve Got Mail until I did this movie, and so I took a day to watch it and do some research for my role for this movie. The reveal in this movie we both felt could have been a little bit stronger, and if we did the way we were thinking it should go, we felt like the viewers would be a little bit more on edge so we could be a little bit more playful.

{Another sweet interruption by their lovely son…Andrew told his son he was on the phone and patiently asked West to go outside and find Mommy.}

Bethany Joy Lenz, Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

So basically, Hallmark gave us the green light–which was so sweet of them to be so supportive–to do alt {alternate} versions, to actually film our alt versions along with the scripted versions. This was a little bit more work for all of us. We had to perform both the alt version and the scripted version. The director had to find time in his day to do the alt versions. Also, he worked with us on it with the dialogue. Plus, the producer had to give us the green light to go into a little bit of overtime on the days we were doing the alt versions. I mean, we were already working with such a super tight timeline.

Bethany Joy Lenz, Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

We shot the alt version, and we got feedback just about a couple of hours before you and I did this interview that Bill Abbott and Michelle Vicary absolutely adored the movie. In fact, I was sent an email in which they said that there was a big staff meeting earlier, and they told everyone to pay particular attention to this movie because it is spectacular. I was really excited to hear that! We had taken so many liberties in making these changes and tweaks, and I’m really happy with this film and the direction that the network allowed us to go. I think we really pushed the envelope on the comedy aspect and with the structure. We worked on making it not so dialogue-heavy. We didn’t spend so much time telling the viewers; we spent more time showing the viewers. We just cut lines here and there and made sure we weren’t doubling down on what’s being told in the story.

Wow! Well, after seeing the preview show in which I think they showed three clips and with what I have seen since then, I absolutely have fallen in love with the movie before even seeing it. I was already looking forward to it after the announcement in February because both you and Joy are in it, but those clips made me think just how much fun this movie was going to be and how different it was going to be for Hallmark. And it seems like a different kind of role for you too. 

Andrew’s natural athleticism (with his wife) 😉

Definitely. I am playing a fisherman. I feel like in these movies I tend to play more the blue-collar worker. I’m the guy who usually is moving to the country. I am a farmer. Or I have played an athlete before like on Perfect Catch. I actually played a bunch of athletes back in the day. My role in this film was interesting because it had some layers to it. I’m a fisherman, but I come from a very wealthy family.

Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

Essentially, I’m going to be inheriting everything eventually. I’m going to inherit my father’s company. So there’s a bit of a rift. And I think that’s something that Hallmark allowed us to do. It’s really pushing the envelope on the stakes. Hallmark doesn’t really like to show anything too depressing or negative, but in this one, we were allowed to say that my father has health issues. That’s the reason I come back to help with the business, and I eventually figure out that this message in the bottle came from the girl who works at the company–Joy’s character. So basically, I’m a conflicted character. I don’t always see eye-to-eye with my dad. We’re two different people, and that was really neat to be able to play the underbelly of that. I don’t want to give away too much of the ins about what happened on set or expose too much that happened…but very seldom do we have actual tears in a scene between father and son in a Hallmark movie. The actor who was playing my dad {Kevin McNulty} actually tears up a couple of times when we had this bonding experience at the end of the movie, and I guess it really hit home for him with a couple things going on in the movie. It was a really special experience, to be honest.

Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

So we might need a box of Kleenex during the movie, huh?

{laughs} It depends.

There actually was a movie recently on Hallmark that dealt with some issues where I got a bit emotional. The mother had passed, and the father and daughter were trying to deal with that. In fact, I was told that when they filmed their scenes that the whole crew was crying. 

Oh, wow!

Bethany Joy Lenz, Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

So we have seen how Hallmark is beginning to push the boundaries a bit as far as emotions are concerned. It’s not that everything has to be happy all the time. It sounds like your film is following the same pattern. 

I absolutely think it does. And that’s the thing I really enjoy about it. It has those peaks and valleys, those highs and lows, and I think that’s what makes it a great film. Especially when you’re working with the Hallmark’s brand, you don’t really go to the valleys all too often. Sure, there’s always stuff to be excited about with being happy and the possibilities of relationships forming and lots of support around the family and the town. But this one really brought some depth to the story and to the emotions. Not that we did too-too much, but I think we did more than any other Hallmark movie that I’ve been able to be a part of. So it was really refreshing for me.

Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

This is fantastic, Andrew! I was looking forward to watching the movie before, but after talking with you, I am even more excited.

Ruth, I know the real review always comes after you’ve seen the movie, and I always love that. I love hearing your honest feedback.

My pleasure, Andrew. The last time we saw you in a movie was with Rachel Boston in a Christmas In Tennessee for Lifetime. And I think you two were one of the main reasons the movie worked so well. Not that it was a horrible movie by any means, but the story was rather typical, a nice Christmas story. But you and Rachel, I feel, really carried it. I would say that you two elevated the storyline. To be honest, there were some Lifetime Christmas movies I could not get through, but yours wasn’t one of them!

{laughs} That’s good! I’m happy about that! Rachel is another one I’ve known for a long time.

Christmas In Tennessee

That’s what Rachel said when I told her that I enjoyed the movie. She said it was great to work with you again. So now I think it would be great to have both of you work on a Hallmark movie together. The two of you working together would definitely elevate any storyline. You’re both so great together.

Aw, thanks, Ruth. Back in the day, we had a very heavy episode of ER that we did together. She played my wife, and I was a soldier coming back. We arrived back at the same time, and she was pregnant. But I ended up finding out that she had actually been raped by her chief in command. So she wasn’t carrying my baby, but it was a beautiful story about the two of us coming together at the end. But we came from that very hard ER story with lots of pain and emotion to the Lifetime Christmas movie where it was just light-hearted and sweet and fun.

God Bless the Broken Road

Wow! That’s a big difference for sure. Oh, and I did finally get to see God Bless the Broken Road. I actually preordered it, though I know it’s now available on Netflix. My parents and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Such a beautiful film and a wonderful story. Great acting, very emotional at times. I know I was crying at the end. 

That’s an emotional movie, a very heavy one to watch.

I agree. But definitely one that would appeal to the Hallmark audience. Some people even told me they thought it could have been a Hallmark movie, but I think it is probably a little too emotional for the network. 

Yeah, I think a little too emotional to be a Hallmark movie.

Andrew Walker Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh

It might have made it on Hallmark Drama since that channel is beginning to take off, but regardless, it was a great movie. 

I’m so glad you got to see it, Ruth, and that you and your family enjoyed it.

So as to things coming up for you…we have Bottled With Love this weekend, definitely the movie not to miss. 

Yes, originally called Message In A Bottle, and now Bottled With Love.

That was what threw me at first was the name change. But I’ve set my DVR, and I know that I along with fans in the U.S. and Canada will definitely be watching. It looks like a good cast too. I noticed Kate Isaac‘s name.

Bottled With Love
behind-the-scenes

Kate is wonderful, a great person. We have some mutual friends that we didn’t even know we had until day thirteen when we were working together. She was in Los Angeles a week and a half before we started shooting, and she frequented our juice bar multiple times. And she just found out at the very end that was our juice bar! She has started a couple of businesses herself, so we had that in common. She was a lot of fun to work with, and we got to play around a lot. We were really trying to build the relationship, the brother-sister relationship. That’s always fun, you know? You meet somebody, and then you’re like, “Okay, now we’re brother and sister.” In order to do that, we have to devise ways to make that work and show the history between the two characters. She was so down for whatever we were doing. I like to ad lib a lot and sort of feel things out with people. Sometimes they take them; sometimes they don’t. Or vice versa. But that’s the fun of acting. But Kate and I hit it off immediately, and that was great. I’ve also worked with her husband, Aaron {Craven}, on A Bride For Christmas.

A Bride For Christmas

Right! I remember I had interviewed both Kate and Aaron separately, but it took me some time to put together the fact that they were married to each other! And yes, they are both fantastic people. So is there anything else coming up for you?

Well, there is a movie that I am producing that has just been greenlit for Hallmark. I’m not exactly sure where or when it will shoot. We’re still in the very early stages. But I tend to think it might shoot in Vancouver sometime in the fall, but we’ll see what happens.

Photo: Andrew Walker, Danica McKellar Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

So awesome that you’re producing another project with Hallmark. I loved your first one, Love In Design with Danica McKellar. I mean, really it’s a no-brainer. Andrew Walker and Hallmark–you two go together exceptionally well. And I only speak the truth. I see what the fans say about you, Andrew, and while there might be the occasional negative thing said by some random person, your fans jump in and defend you in a big way. The Hallmark fans unquestionably adore you, Andrew, and rightfully so. And the network loves you too. 

I just feel fortunate that I keep working for them. It’s amazing.

What about your independent film, Oxalis?

from Oxalis

Well, it was sold, which we’re really excited about. As far as I know, it’s supposed to be available May 20th. I’m not sure exactly where. I know it’s definitely not something that the Hallmark crowd would watch.

Oh, that I know. It’s one of those things I will watch when no one else is around. I do enjoy supporting indie films, but they are often pretty edgy. 

Did you see Daniel Lissing’s independent film that he did?

Yes, I did.

Okay, so there are things he does in that movie that are pretty risqué. But I think that’s the thing. We’re all actors, and you push the limits and portray people and options that people would do that no one would assume someone would do. I mean, we know the world is filled with many different personalities and diverse people. But there a couple of things in that movie that would not necessarily be things I would want my mom to see me doing. {laughs}

Andrew Walker, Nikki Deloach Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

Oh, I understand, Andrew. And thank you for giving the Hallmark fans fair warning. There are some Hallmark fans out there who watch things that even I wouldn’t dream of watching. I always use Outlander as an example. A fellow Heartie introduced me to that series, and I while I adore the premise, it was a bit out there for me, at least at the time. I may look it up one of these days and watch it from the beginning. I think everyone has varied tastes when it comes to movies and shows. But I tend to think there are many Hallmark fans who, like me, would take an interest in Oxalis. I realize it’s darker, but the premise does intrigue me.

I get that. You’re a movie buff in general, and you like all different kinds of stories.

Yes, and I tend to look at these seemingly shocking films from an artistic standpoint. And the themes are sometimes quite interesting and impactful. It’s a different experience watching indie films, and you often watch stories you don’t see anywhere else.

Andrew Walker Credit: Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Sergei Bachlakov

Right, and someone like you who talks to actors and filmmakers in general, you understand and appreciate how much goes into making an indie film. There’s so much on the line. What we did for Oxalis…I just couldn’t believe it. That was two years of my life back and forth to New York. There was so much we were doing for that film. But it’s been quite the escapade, the journey, the mountain to climb. I respect these people who come together and make these films. It’s such an amazing chemistry how all these different personalities have to band together to make this film. There can’t be any egos because if there are, you have to check them completely.

Having gone to film festivals myself, there is really nothing quite like it. And I have only the utmost respect for these indie filmmakers.  So, Andrew, thank you so much for taking the time to chat. It’s always wonderful to connect with you.

Ruth, it is always a pleasure. I hope everyone tunes in for Bottled With Love, and I hope that all the Hallmark fans enjoy it! And I will do my best to do some live tweeting.

You know, Andrew, you’re getting better at that, and I know the fans greatly appreciate that you make the effort to come and interact with them.

I am enjoying it more than I used to, and it’s coming a bit easier to me. I really do enjoy sharing moments from my day and from the set with the fans. I’m much more active on Instagram than I am Twitter.

Oh, I’m well aware of that, and hopefully, the fans follow you both places. 

Thanks to everyone for their fantastic support. And here’s to an amazing premiere Saturday night!

One of the characteristics I appreciate most about Andrew is something that I regularly notice in those who appear in multiple installments of Hallmark movies and shows. Andrew is as down-to-earth as one could imagine…and then some. While he recognizes the fact that he does indeed possess the innate ability to tell stories and to produce films, he is never cocky, rude, nor elitist. He acknowledges the blessed place he now enjoys is one that not only has taken decades of arduous work to achieve, but it can also be snatched from him in a moment. Not everyone in this world gets to make a living doing that about which they are passionate, but Andrew does. And without the fans and the relationships he has cultivated over the years, he would not be one of the foremost leading men of Hallmark. 

However, Andrew is abundantly more than an actor or a celebrity. He and his wife own a very successful business–Little West (named after their son)–and he honestly lives a “normal” life as a devoted husband and loving father. He has his priorities straight, and he keeps himself busy doing what he loves. I tend to think that his family and the values that his parents instilled within him keep him grounded in a world that could undoubtedly entice him to become arrogant and pretentious. While he values his privacy, he is willing to share with his fans who loyally support his astounding career. Some might question why he maintains his firm commitment to Hallmark. I mean, he could be an A-lister if he wanted to be (I know I’m biased, but I also know I speak the truth). And yet, Andrew is perfectly content to continue to make the variety of content that genuinely connects with the viewers, and when something comes along that is not Hallmark (like God Bless the Broken Road or Oxalis), as long as he is able to maintain his ideals and keep his life accurately balanced, he will jump at the chance to sink his artistic teeth into a meaty role. Notwithstanding, it is fully evident that when he comes back to a Hallmark set, it’s like returning home. 

I hope that everyone in the U.S. and Canada will make plans to watch the premiere of Bottled With Love April 13th (Hallmark Channel in the U.S., the W Network in Canada) and plan to live tweet with the fans, actors, and our official Hallmark Podcasters, The Bubbly Sesh! While you are anticipating the Saturday night movie, be sure to visit Andrew’s links below and consider following him where applicable. After all, he does do some live tweeting from time to time, and there is nothing more extraordinary than having the awesome opportunity to interact with an artist of Andrew’s caliber and disposition. My fingers are crossed that I am able to meet Andrew in person very soon (that is in the works, and I will be sure to let all the fans know if that does happen), and I am even more anticipatory for Andrew’s next movie with Hallmark as another of my dreams just may come to fruition (again, you will have to watch for updates on that). For the present, though, I invite all my readers on this magical journey with Andrew to a world where he and Bethany Joy Lenz will dazzle us with their prolific giftedness, their impeccable chemistry, and their phenomenal capacity for storytelling. In truth, Andrew Walker is easily in my top five list of favorite actors, but his charitable nature, his kind temperament, and his authentic interactions place him on a list that is far more valuable than that. He is indisputably on my list of beloved people, and I just hope that all my readers will appreciate what a special gift Andrew gives us every time we see him on screen. It is such an immeasurable honor to share him with the world and support everything he does!

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Check Out My Other Interview With Andrew:

Andrew Walker – Appetite For Love

Interview With Actor Andrew Walker, “The Perfect Catch”

Interview With Actor Andrew Walker, “My Secret Valentine”

Interview With Actor Andrew Walker, “Love In Design”

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