One week after Hollywood veteran and longtime Hallmark star Paula Shaw died at 84 following a lengthy illness, her co-stars and fans are honoring the impact she made on their lives.
Shaw enjoyed a rich career in theater, television, and film, per her obituary, including appearances on “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Barney Miller,” “Three’s Company,” “21 Jump Street,” and the 2003 horror flick, “Freddy vs. Jason.” But in her later years, most of Shaw’s roles were with Hallmark on the series “Cedar Cove” as Andie MacDowell’s mom and in many beloved rom-coms, frequently playing the “pivotal, wise and witty grandmother,” her family’s eulogy said.
From the thousands of fans who have paid tribute to Shaw since her passing on September 10, 2025, to Hallmark co-stars like Tyler Hynes, the actress and self-expression coach is being remembered for her tenacity, talent, and transformative wisdom.
Tyler Hynes Says Paula Shaw ‘Planted the Seed’ of Movie He’s Currently Making
The timing of Shaw’s death came, heartbreakingly, as Hynes — her co-star in the 2021 Hallmark hit “It Was Always You” — was ready to cast Shaw in his newest movie, which he’s been developing since they first worked together.
“I loved her dearly,” Hynes told EntertainmentNow from the set on September 17, smiling as he recalled, “When we made that movie together, she pulled me aside and accosted me and told me aggressively that we must do a movie together. And she was 100% right. And it was that moment, she was the first, that planted that seed in my mind.”
The idea progressed the following year, Hynes said, when Patty McCormack played a grandma in his movie “Always Amore.” Noting how funny she was on set, Hynes said that she, too, suggested they do a movie together, and he began to realize that his relationship with vibrant, funny, and wise “folks of a certain generation” was not only a great concept but an important story to tell.
“I really want to shine a light on and give a center stage” to actors of a “certain age and caliber,” Hynes told EntertainmentNow, so he’s spent several years developing that movie, which he’s now filming.
The cast includes at least one esteemed actress Hynes has loved working with before, but he’d hoped Shaw would be in the mix, too. On the same day he learned of her passing, Hynes said he was celebrating how all the pieces had come together for this movie to finally get made.
“I was locked in, but I had a little, single tear fall down my cheek just thinking about this moment that started with Paula Shaw all those years ago,” he said. “And now here we are. And I just think it’s a really beautiful thing.”
“I love Paula Shaw,” Hynes continued. “I hope her family is okay. She affected me in a way that is materializing with this project I’m on right now, and I think her impact will be felt by everybody. She’ll be missed dearly.”
Thousands of Hallmark Fans Have Paid Tribute to Paula Shaw
HallmarkShaw’s passing has also impacted many Hallmark fans who loved her and her work. Since EntertainmentNow shared the news of her death on its Hallmark Facebook page on September 16, tens of thousands of fans have reacted, including over 5,000 comments from people paying tribute to the iconic actress.
“I am so sad to learn that everyone’s favorite Hallmark Grandma has passed through God’s other door,” one fan wrote. “She was so much fun to watch! I especially loved her performance in, ‘It Was Always You.’ I’m really glad that I own that DVD, so I can watch her performance any time I need a good laugh. My sincere condolences to her family and to all who knew and loved her. May her memory always be a blessing.”
Another shared, “OOMMGGG…I am sooo sad for this news. She is one of my favorite Hallmark Actors. Her characters were sweet, funny, spunky and wonderful!! She is in several of my favorites! My condolences to her family.”
“I absolutely loved her,” someone else wrote. “The movies she was in were the best. Prayers for her family and her Hallmark family.”
Hallmark’s Victor Webster also paid tribute to Shaw in his Instagram Stories. He appeared in two Hallmark movies with Shaw, “The Wedding Veil Legacy” and “Five Star Christmas” — and posted an adorable video of them in 2021, dancing together during a break on set.
Upon learning of her passing, Webster shared the video again and wrote, “RIP the incredible Paula Shaw. You brought such love and light to everyone around you.”
