Andie MacDowell has been a beloved member of the Hallmark Channel family for more than a decade, appearing in various Hallmark movies and, most recently, the hit series “The Way Home.”
For MacDowell, that journey began with “Cedar Cove.” Premiering in 2013, not only did “Cedar Cove” make history as Hallmark Channel’s first-ever scripted series, it also marked MacDowell’s first project for the network.
MacDowell was on hand during a panel hosted by the Television Critics Association, themed with the Hallmark Channel’s 25th anniversary this year, where she opened up about her Hallmark origin story.
She Was Already a Hallmarkie
“I really hadn’t done much television. I had done a little bit of television, but not a lot of television,” she recalled.
“And I was offered ‘Cedar Cove,’ and I loved the script and I really wanted to do TV,” she added.
“And I was a huge Hallmark fan,” she pointed out.
An OG Hallmark Star
MacDowell went on to remind that her association with Hallmark went further back than “Cedar Cove,” when she starred alongside Rosie O’Donnell in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “Riding the Bus with My Sister.”
“I had already been on a Hallmark Hall of Fame show. And that Anjelica — I have to brag, I’m sorry, Anjelica Huston directed it,” MacDowell said of the 2005 made-for-TV movie before returning to “Cedar Cove.”
“It was a great script and an opportunity to play a judge, which I thought, you know, was a unique experience for a strong female role,” she added.
“And I got to do it for three years in Vancouver, and I have to say I love the Canadians. I feel like … the crews are amazing. They really know what they’re doing,” she added. “They’re sharp, they’re really sharp. And it’s not just Hallmark that’s working there. Everybody works there. You know, a lot of shows are shot there because it works. They know what they’re doing and they’ve got it down. And they’re masters at what they do. And I just feel like I’m lucky that I can slip in as the American there. And I always, like, shout out to the Canadian crew, you know, because I want them to have me back. I want to be sure I get to come back in.”
The Hallmark Experience
MacDowell continued by looking back at the “great” experiences she’s enjoyed via Hallmark ever since then.
“You know, what I liked about, for me, what the Hallmark experience was, was my family really loves the Hallmark Channel,” she explained.
“They don’t want to be disturbed. They’ve already got a lot on their plate. Or also, the community that I live in, they thank me for being on Hallmark. When I got on the plane to come here, somebody thanked me for being on Hallmark. And I’m like, you’re welcome,” she added.
“I love being on Hallmark, but I got what they meant,” she continued. “They appreciated that that was my choice, that I wanted to be on Hallmark. And I do, I really enjoy it,” she added.
A Hallmark Community
MacDowell pointed out another benefit of being a Hallmark star — that she gets to spend time with other like-minded actors.
“And I love all these people, they’re just fantastic,” she said, referencing the other Hallmark stars on the panel.
“I’m always just trying to be one of them. I want to be part of the group,” MacDowell gushed.
“I don’t see everybody all the time, I don’t work with all of them all the time, and … they are beautiful. Oh, my God, they’re so beautiful. They’re so beautiful, I can’t stand it,” she added.
“But they’re talented, you know, they’re really talented,” she said. “They know what they’re doing. They’re hardworking, creative, wonderful actors, and I just am so thankful to be a part of all of you and get to see you.”
