Andrew Walker has become associated with Hallmark Channel — not surprising, since he’s appeared in nearly 40 of ’em since making his Hallmark debut in 2012’s “A Bride for Christmas.”
Since then, he’s appeared alongside Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell in “Three Wise Men and a Baby” and the “Curious Caterer” mystery series, among numerous other projects.
However, there was a point when he recognized just how deeply those rom-coms and Christmas movies had connected with viewers, making him realize that Hallmark Channel was far more popular than he’d ever imagined.
‘A Greeting Card Store’
Walker recently participated in of a star-studded Hallmark Channel panel hosted by the Television Critics Association, in celebration of the network’s 25th anniversary this year.
During the panel, Walker admitted he hadn’t really appreciated the impact that his films had been having.
“I had no idea that Hallmark was more than a greeting card store when I first started working for them, and that was 14 years ago,” Walker mused.
“And now to see the evolution and where it’s come and the fan experiences they’re doing, it’s, you know, I think it’s all taken us by surprise, taken us by storm,” he added, admitting, “And I’m still catching up.”
Not Just Movies
Over the past few years, Hallmark Channel has expanded into cruises, conventions, and this year’s Hallmark Stars Live tour, hosted by fan favorite Nikki DeLoach, which sent a gaggle of Hallmark stars on a 10-city tour via bus.
“Honestly, I feel like I have to look back at my photos and go, we did this last year on a cruise ship in front of 4,500 people,” Walker marveled.
“And then the bus tour just ended and I’m still trying to catch up to that as well and sit in that,” he continued. “But no, I think that we’re all just so surprised at where this has gone, you know.”
Christmas Con Was the Tipping Point
Looking back at the precise moment he recognized the intensity of the Hallmark Channel fanbase, Walker pointed to the first Christmas Con event, held in New Jersey back in 2019.
“I think eight years ago at Christmas Con, I showed up and there was, again, you know, 20,000 people over the course of three days that were coming to see us,” Walker recalled.
“And it was the stories of how people found the network, what it meant to them,” he shared.
“And I think for me, that was a big shift in realizing that these movies just made so much more of an impact, that made an impact on people’s lives, and they’re movies with a purpose,” he continued.
“And I think for me, that shift of just, you know, doing a job that has integrity like this and also the creative outlet, it’s the perfect marriage of the two.”
A Fanbase Like No Other
“And I think it’s, you know … people say thank you for being in these movies, but thank them. I thank the fans for accepting me and, you know, all my quirks and things that I do and, you know, the way that I am,” he added.
According to Walker, the Hallmark experience is somewhat unique in Hollywood, which has led the actors to become not just Hallmark stars, but Hallmark fans as well.
“And just, you know, being an actor, you’re met with so much negativity and self-doubt, and, you know, this is anything but that,” he declared.
“It’s been just this incredibly accepting environment,” Walker continued. “And it’s not like, you know, we don’t have these verticals that are all competing against each other. It’s this network as a whole that each actor and each movie fills a void for somebody and we’re not competing amongst each other. We’re all part of this conglomerate and this, like, positive force, you know, that is met with this fanbase that is truly, you know, unlike any other. So yeah, I thank the fans. We thank the fans.”
