In my nearly three years of interviewing a wide array of actors, there are specific personalities whom I regularly seek out for repeat/updated interviews. It just so happens that Andrew Walker is near the top of that rather distinctive list. From our first connection (I initially interviewed him when he was appearing in Appetite For Love) to our current interactions involving Love In Design (which premieres September 15th on the Hallmark Channel) and God Bless the Broken Road (now playing in theaters nationwide), he has been nothing but undeniably kind, brilliantly supportive, amazingly generous, and impeccably charming. I was overjoyed when he offered to chat with me to promote one of the most compelling Hallmark productions he has done to date, and I am ecstatic to share our lively conversation with the fans.

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

RH: Andrew, it is so great to get to talk with you again.

AW: Same here, Ruth, thank you so much for reaching out and all your support.

I want to begin by saying I am so glad that God Bless the Broken Road is finally out!

You and me both!

So many people have been mentioning this movie to me and encouraging me to see it, and I keep saying, “Yes, I know. I’ve known about it for over a year.”

It is just amazing. I went to Home & Family to promote both God Bless the Broken Road and Love In Design. People might be sick of seeing me now. I don’t know. {laughs}

Oh, right, I don’t think that will ever happen, Andrew. People just don’t seem to ever grow tired of you. 

Well, you might want to talk with my wife about that. {laughs}

Now, that could be a different story. But at least as fans, we don’t ever get tired of seeing you. Every time I mention that I’m going to be interviewing you, people get excited and tell me that you’re they’re favorite.

Aw, that’s so cool.

The last time we talked was right before My Secret Valentine, which I really enjoyed. 

Thank you. I had a great time on that one.

And from what I heard, most of what was said was positive about that one. The only complaint I heard was that the movie ended too abruptly. But that’s often a complaint with Hallmark movies because they have to meet certain time requirements. 

Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood

Yeah, that’s true. Sometimes the movies come to an end too quickly. It just happens.

Right, and it’s not like it ruins the movie for people. I think they just wanted to see more of your story on screen. And I do know that some people felt that the movie was set up for a sequel, and I would agree.

Yes, I think it was set up well for a sequel. I would love to work with Lacey {Chabert} again. She’s so sweet. She’s such a great person. And like I said last time, where we shot it was a very special place–Prince Edward County outside of Toronto. And I remember my parents came to visit us while we were there too. It was such a nice place to shoot.

Well, Hallmark does seem to be doing a lot of sequels now, and you never know if My Secret Valentine might be next. I know Lacey is a very busy lady, but yes, it would be great to see you two together again. And then we got to see you in Wedding March 4. 

Photo: Jack Wagner, Josie Bissett Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

Yes, that shoot was one of those ones that almost felt too good to be true with the amount of work I was doing there. It was such a robust supporting cast. I worked maybe seven or eight days out of the fifteen-day shoot. And I was working in such beautiful scenery…just outside of Vancouver about two hours southeast of Vancouver. It’s called Harrison Hot Springs. And being able to connect with Jack Wagner was a lot of fun. We were workout buddies when we were shooting that film.

I can imagine that. I’ve gotten to interview him and meet him. He is talented in so many different ways. 

Photo: Andrew W. Walker, Merritt Patterson, Jack Wagner Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

Yes, he is. And his music skills are amazing; he’s a great musician. You know, sometimes you work with someone like that who’s been around the block and back again…I mean he’s been acting forever! But sometimes when you work with someone like that, you start wondering if they’re over the whole idea of being an actor and all that. But I tell you, Jack is so far from being over acting! He wants to talk about every scene before we do it, run lines, talk through the beats, discuss the story…he was just so professional. It was really nice and refreshing to work with him.

And he and Josie {Bissett} are so incredible together. I just love to watch them on-screen together. 

I know, aren’t they just so great?

I know they’re friends off screen, but the on-screen chemistry they have is something that has been created over years and years of knowing each other. 

Photo: Merritt Patterson, Andrew W. Walker Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

Oh yeah, he said that she was the first person who came to mind when he had the idea to start making the Wedding March series.

And what an incredible series it’s been. I’ve been watching from the beginning. Each one just gets better and better. 

Yes, I think the series works so well because it’s authentic to him. I think that’s why it’s taken off the way it has. He wrote that character for himself. And I think it’s the perfect role for him. He’s like, “I just want to be on the golf course all the time, drive around in a beautiful muscle car, and play music!” And that’s what he gets to do, more or less.

And you and your leading lady, Merritt Patterson, seemed to get on really well. She was really wonderful.

She was, and we definitely have a friendship now from working on this film together, which is just awesome.

Well, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t get along with any of your leading ladies. You’ve worked with so many, and it just seems like you always get along with them. 

You know, with Hallmark, I’ve been pretty fortunate. But that’s the thing with Hallmark. Even Michelle {Vicary} quips that Hallmark is very discriminating about who they hire, and they just don’t hire fools or jerks. And it always seems to work out. They always try to hire people as much as possible who are compatible with each other.

I agree. And I have found out they are usually much smarter than I am because there are times when I will hear about a pairing in an upcoming film and wonder how on earth that combination will work on screen. And almost without exception, their casting department does an outstanding job. I know sometimes the fans will complain about so-and-so not having chemistry, and I’ll wonder if they saw the same film I did. I think chemistry is one of those ethereal things that is hard to define, but so far, I’ve been pretty impressed with all the Hallmark pairings.

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

You know, sometimes it is a little bit like a goulash. They throw two people together, and you’re like, “These two people are so different. I don’t know how it’s gonna work.” But more times than not, the actors tend to find that connection. And that’s the exciting part for me is having the ability to find that chemistry with your leading lady that you’ve never met before. When you come in three days before you shoot, you meet your leading lady and have a lot of small talk. Then by day ten, you really find the groove. Fortunately, you spend so much time with the person you’re working with that you usually find it by day three. Depending on how open that person is or if they’ve brought their kids to the city they’re working in or whatever… if they don’t have their kids, you can go for a drink after work and build that bond even more. But now that I’m a dad, I immediately connect with actresses who have kids too, because that’s an easy thing to connect on. You know, you can have those discussions about how to balance work and life and all that stuff. I find there are lots of ways to connect if you remain attentive to the opportunities that naturally present themselves.

So right after Wedding March 4, you jumped into your film Love In Design. 

Photo: Andrew Walker Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Brendan Meadows

Yeah, Love In Design is very special to me ’cause it was a concept that a friend of mine and I originally came up with. He did the script all the way up until the second-to-last draft and that’s when we brought on Nicole {Baxter} to polish it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to finish the movie, but he and I worked on it for a long time. I knew the story so well that it was nice to see it come to life.

Now, I’ve told Danica {McKellar} this too, but she was not part of the original group of females I was looking at to cast. But let me tell you–she just did an amazing job! And now that I’ve worked with her, there’s nobody else that I could have imagined in that role. The role was so demanding too, because she plays the home and garden television show host. So she had to have that host personality and she had to have her off-screen personality as well.

In the story, our characters are conflicting and she’s battling the poor reviews she gets. She tries to stay positive with the team. She tries to reinvent herself and reinvent the show. It is very similar to my life in a way. You’re an actor, and you do a job. You think you put your heart and soul into it, and then you get bad reviews and people aren’t feeling it and you take it personally. Honestly, how do you not take it personally? Interestingly enough, I think I take it more personally with my juice company than I do with acting. Acting I’ve been doing for so long now, and I think it’s just par for the course to realize that not everyone is going to like you. You win some, you lose some, and there’s so many factors involved with crew, story, and cast.

But back to Danica…she did such a good job. And the dialogue–she had SO MANY LINES in this movie! To watch her skillset where she just jumped in on a set like that and really got into character so quickly and found the beats…I can’t tell you how impressed I am with her. We worked really hard. In fact, she was somebody who worked after-hours constantly trying to refine the script, the story, and the way it was presented.

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

I remember how excited you were to get this film into production, and from what you had told me, I wouldn’t have immediately thought of Danica either because I think I tend to think of actresses you’ve worked with before. But Danica is amazing in everything I’ve ever seen her in. Whether its Lifetime, Hallmark, or whatever else. So I am expecting her to be just as fantastic if not more so than what you’ve mentioned. I know the trailer looks great.

Oh, good. Yeah, they did a great job with the trailer.

And everyone I know seems excited to see it. 

That’s good to hear, Ruth. You’re the one who always seems to update me on what the fans are thinking and how my work has been received. I tend to be one who films it, and then I get back into my life again. Then we have our interviews, and you let me know what the fans think.

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

I’m glad to bring you those updates, Andrew, and thankfully the vast majority are positive. I really haven’t been seeing anything negative posted about this upcoming movie. Everyone seems really excited. Even though this is not technically part of the Fall Harvest movies. Those don’t start till next week. Your movie is like a pre-fall movie. I almost see Love In Design as the unofficial pre-kick-off to Fall Harvest. I’m actually wondering if Love In Design was intended to be a fall movie.

Well, Ruth, that’s a good question. Sometimes they change it up on us while we’re on set. Day one, we were starting work and they’re like, “Andrew, can you throw this sweater on top of that outfit because they’ve changed it to a fall film.” I was like, “Wait, this isn’t a summer film?” {laughs} And they’re like, “No, this is a fall film now.” So that’s what happened with Danica and I.

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

Sounds like what happened with Wedding of Dreams. Originally, that was going to be a summer film, but it moved to a fall film too. I think it’s got to be the hardest thing for Hallmark to try to figure out when to place their films. They do like ninety a year, and trying to decide what season which film belongs has got to be a bit of a nightmare at times. But back to the storyline, I really like that it is a little different from the typical Hallmark stories. I don’t think there’s ever been a Hallmark movie that’s dealt with a home improvement show. 

I don’t think so either, and that’s what is so exciting about this one and to be able to bring it to the network and the fans.

I remember that I interviewed Alvina August shortly after she came back from filming it, and I know she loved being a part of the film. It was her first regular Hallmark film since she had only done a couple of the Aurora Teagarden films earlier this year.

It was great to work with her. I was glad to. In fact, Alvina is doing The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina now.

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

Yes, I saw she was doing that too. And she’s also been a guest star this upcoming season on Siren on Freeform. 

Oh yeah, that’s right!

She has started popping up all over! 

Yes, her career is taking off which is just so nice to see.

I know she had a really positive experience and thought very highly of you. 

Aw, that’s nice to hear.

And right now you also have God Bless the Broken Road out in the theaters like we mentioned at the beginning of the interview. I feel like we’ve talked a lot about it that movie during our past couple interviews. And now it’s finally out!

God Bless the Broken Road
behind-the-scenes

I am so excited about it. The executive producer told me that they were hoping that they were going to be on about eight hundred screens across the U.S., but they actually premiered on over twelve hundred and fifty screens. And people are calling in constantly on a daily basis to request the film, or at least they were before it premiered. The movie premiered in LA back on September 5th, and the official nationwide opening was September 7th. They have gotten such incredible support from lots of great people. Billy Ray Cyrus out of nowhere endorsed the film. He has said to use his name when promoting it, and also he loves the name of the film. And he’s friends with the Rascal Flatts. You probably know the film’s title is named after one of their songs. So we’ve gotten this great push unexpectedly from all these different people. It’s been great.

LaDainian Tomlinson, who was my childhood hero growing up, is also in this film. I was a running back in football back in the day. I watched tons of tape of his running. I studied it because I thought he was such a talented running back. To be able to work with a guy like that was just surreal for me. And on top of it, he has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever seen. I sat down with him on the first day and had some small talk with him, and my heart was beating out of my chest.

Actually, I snuck into an after-game/post-game party many years ago–it was a family and friends party for the San Diego Chargers. I was there with a couple of friends, and I went over to him after the game. I had a little liquid courage in me, so I walked over to him and said, “Hey, LaDainian, thank you so much for being who you are.” I was blabbering from the mouth; I didn’t know what to say to him. Everything calmed down once he started speaking to me. It was like I was the only person in the room, and he was such a genuine soul and such a great guy. I told him this story the first day we were shooting and we were sitting there at the church, and he was like, “Oh, that’s so nice to hear. I like hearing that I came off as a good guy instead of people coming up to me and telling me that I was such a jerk the first time they met me.”

He is such a great guy, and it was so much fun to hear that he was coming on board to shoot this film. When I found out, working with him was definitely the fulfillment of something on my bucket list.  I guess he’s trying to do a few more acting gigs now. He’s also part of the crew on the Fox Football Sunday talk show.

But I’ve been really excited to see the response from the film and how it’s being received. And for us also to be partnered up with Bless A Vet. I think it’s great that five percent of the proceeds of the film go to that organization. And as much as I love Hallmark, it’s always nice to get out on the big screens just for a change.

God Bless the Broken Road

So far, my family and I have been unsuccessful in our attempts to see the movie since we live out in the country, but I’ve been talking it up, and we are still hopeful that we will be able to see it. We’re hoping for next weekend at this point. 

I hope you can see it soon, Ruth. I’m very excited for you and all the fans to see it! I know it’s taken some time, but I also know the producers were waiting for the perfect time to release the film. And it seems like now is the perfect time.

On a side note, the director of the movie, Harold Cronk, also directed Unbroken: The Path To Redemption. So he has back-to-back launch dates for both of his films since Unbroken just came out the 14th.

I also wanted to ask about the status of your independent film Oxalis. 

Well, we just locked the picture finally for the second time. We had unlocked it and done a few adjustments to the film after we had been in a couple of film festivals. We listened to some critics and others with a common thread of a specific few moments in the film. We figured that if everyone was saying the same thing, then we needed to unlock it and change it up. We’re really excited now. It’s definitely a better film than it was a couple of months ago. We now have interest with some buyers, so any day now, it should be bought. It should have a very limited theatrical release–not as big as God Bless the Broken Road–but who knows? It might just go straight to Netflix. But the picture is fully locked, and we’re done.typically

That’s great news, Andrew! So do you have anything else upcoming that you can mention?

I don’t right now. I am in the midst of pitching several things to Hallmark, a few more concepts and ideas. Hopefully, another Love In Design will come around soon. But nothing currently in the works. I typically get a phone call every couple of weeks about my availability for different projects. Some I decide to pass on. Really, things have been crazy here. We just did this rebrand for our juice company, so I had to be present for that. And my wife probably would have killed me if I had been gone for the whole rebrand. {laughs} But our store just reopened a couple of weeks ago, and we had our grand reopening party. So now I’m available. I’m free to take on some more jobs. And as you know, things can change very quickly when it comes to acting.

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

That’s the nature of the business. I know we’d love to see you in a Christmas movie. The fans would love if that opportunity came up. I know Nikki DeLoach is executive producing her first Christmas film. 

Yes, she is! I’m so happy for her! She is just such a nice person, and it’s great to see things like that happening to good people like her.

Of course, when I chatted with her recently, she said wonderful things about you. As everybody always seems to! 

{laughs} You’re just talking to the right people.

There might be truth to that. But it seems like everyone who has ever worked with you, Andrew, really enjoys working with you and says wonderful things about you.

That’s just so nice to hear.

I remember one of your ideas you were thinking of pitching to Hallmark was a doctor show like Diagnosis Murder.

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

Oh yeah, I haven’t actually pitched that idea to them yet. It’s still in the works. And there’s actually another one that I’m kind of in loose talks with right now with Daniel Lissing and Paul Greene. We want to come up with a new Three Men And a Baby idea. We’ve been throwing that idea around. I know Hallmark is mainly female-driven, but we’re thinking of mixing it up and seeing what people would think if the three of us got together and did this. Either Three Men and A Baby or Three Men and A Toddler. {laughs}

{laughs} I could see that one being a lot of fun. The three of you working together could be very interesting. I could definitely see the three of you together. And the Hallmark fans would go crazy if the three of you were in something together because I know how the fans feel about the three of you separately, so the three of you together…I think it could also be very crazy with the three of you working together.

Oh definitely! It would be way too much fun. Which I think would translate well on screen.

Well, it sounds like a winning one. 

Thank you. The well of ideas for pitches never seems to grow dry. And really it would be a treat for us because we just like to hang out together, and this film would be the perfect vehicle for that.

I think so too. And Andrew, again, I can’t thank you enough for chatting with me today. It’s always such a treat.

Ruth, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you for your interest and loyalty over the years. It’s much appreciated. I hope everyone enjoys God Bless the Broken Road in theaters, and I really hope that the Hallmark fans watch and enjoy Love in Design September 15th! I think it’s going to be lots of fun for everyone.

While Andrew has always been accessible and straightforward with me, not to mention congenial and supportive, I have to say that this time around, Andrew and I connected on an even more profound level than previously. I suppose the fact that he has never dismissed me nor “rolled his eyes” at the number of messages I’ve sent him over the past few weeks as we attempted to determine the best way to promote his two current works, is something that is not overlooked by me. While the vast majority of my interactions with people in the entertainment business have been positive and beneficial, there is such a broad assortment of personalities and temperaments in this profession, and I can usually sense a connection or lack thereof very early on in my communications with others. When conversing with someone, even someone you may never have met in person, there are certain vibes and mannerisms that give you the clue that perhaps this person would rather be doing anything but “wasting” their time talking with you. Now, I do not know for certain if Andrew is sitting there impatiently staring at his watch or tapping his toe in irritation as we have a discussion, but to be quite frank, that’s not the Andrew Walker I have come to know and love, and it doesn’t match what everyone else says about him (including the network itself). While I’m not a clairvoyant and I only know Andrew from the interactions I have had with him, I am thoroughly impressed with the respect he has demonstrated and the way in which he has conducted himself. I know that I have two recent interviews posted on my site for which he is partially responsible (A friend of mine said I owe Andrew BIG TIME for helping me get the interview with Danica, and I tend to think they’re right), and the fact that he continues to be authentic with me to a fault only increases my level of esteem and admiration for this talented, benevolent, and creative human being. (And in case you were wondering, the fact that he is rather handsome doesn’t hurt his cause!)

Therefore, please plan on tuning into the Hallmark Channel in a few short hours (September 15th) for the premiere that is going to be acclaimed as one of the best movies Andrew and Danica have ever done for the network–Love In Design. Additionally, while Andrew is not the best at keeping up on social media (he does post quite a bit on Instagram, however), please check out his links below and consider following him where applicable. (And you never know when he might jump on Twitter and live tweet! He did during his last Hallmark premiere!) While I would never refer to anyone on this planet as perfect in the truest sense, I can state that Andrew Walker comes pretty doggone close to the mark in the way he chooses to live his life. He is one of the most gifted men on the planet, and yet he still finds time to make his family a priority and even respond to overzealous journalists like me. 😍 I am a lifelong fan of his and anticipate in the extreme all of his upcoming and soon-to-be-announced endeavors, and I tend to think that the preponderance of the Hallmarkies are on the same page with me!

FOLLOW ANDREW

Twitter

Instagram

IMDB

Spread the love

Tweet