Exclusive: Andrew Walker Is 'Grateful' to Still Be Working on Hallmark Movies: 'I've Learned So Much'

It's safe to say Andrew Walker is keeping busy this holiday season — case in point: he is starring in the upcoming Hallmark Holiday Films, Jingle Bell Run, which premieres on November 16, and Three Wiser Man and a Boy on November 23.

"It was a super blessed year. I knew from last year's writers and actors strikes that some projects were going to be pushed into this year, and honestly, working as an actor nowadays is a gift. To be able to bang out a bunch of movies this year is something I'm grateful for — just the work and the continued demand on Hallmark. It's been incredible, and the proof is in the product that people are going to see," the actor, 45, exclusively tells Morning Honey.

"Jingle Bell Run I shot with Ashley Williams, who is actually neighbor and close friend in Los Angeles, and her husband, Neal Dodson. The movie was really unique but very familiar in a way that will feel familiar to fans. It's basically a TV show within a movie," he shares, noting how in the flick, bookwork Avery (Williams) is paired up with retired hockey star Wes (Walker) to compete in a holiday race across America. "Avery is very reluctant to be there, but her sister signed her up in order to get her out of her comfort zone, but I'm using it as a potential stepping stone to reignite my fame in a way so people don't forget about me. She's the brains, I'm the brawn, and along the way, love ensues. It's a really fun paced movie. Ashley and I probably got 30,000 steps a day because we were always running around. The supporting cast was also so great."

Additionally, it was the first time Walker got to work with a female director. "Lucie Guest was so awesome. She was nurturing and got us of our comfort zone and it was so fun," he adds.

Walker, who starred in his first Hallmark Channel movie A Bride for Christmas alongside Arielle Kebbel in 2012, has been with the network for a long time — something that he is still in awe of. "It's hard to believe 10 years ago I had my first job with Hallmark. I thought they were just a greeting card company, and I did my first movie with them, and I got a call back not too long ago to do another movie with them, and it just kept on going," he shares.

Prior to hitting it big with Hallmark, Walker hadn't worked in about a year and a half and was questioning if acting was the right career path for him. "I did my first ChristmasCon in New Jersey five or six years ago, and I had never been with fans like that before. Meeting so many people in a condescended amount of time is when I realized that Hallmark was so much more than just another network. What was beautiful is that none of the actors really competed with one another. We're all just building blocks to this overarching brand. So many women came up to me at ChristmasCon saying they were in remission for b------ cancer or lost a spouse, and then I got teachers and nurses who are angels walking earth, and they're the heartbeat to America, telling me Hallmark is what gets me through their day. It gives them this joy and hope and it is this escape for them," he shares.

"It made me want to get back and do better work and bring people something better than the norm," he continues of being on set. "I think years ago there was this stigma attached to Hallmark, saying that it is a specific type of movie, but it's so broad, which takes me to Three Wiser Man and a Boy because we weren't able to do movies like this five or six years ago for Hallmark. This is something new that Hallmark is allowing us to explore — people want to see the heartache and struggle."

Walker's other flick, which focuses on brothers Luke, Taylor, and Stephan as they help Luke's son Thomas with a school musical after the director quits, features Tyler Hynes, who is related to Walker through marriage, and Paul Campbell. "Usually the love story is so traditional, where it's a guy and girl, but now they're venturing into same sex marriage. There's no boundaries now because that's life! This is the world we live in, so to do a movie like this was an eyeopener and a gift," he says.

"We knew there was something special when Paul, Tyler and I started working with each other, but we didn't know it would resonate with people the way it did. It took us all by surprise," he admits, referring to their first movie Three Wise Men and a Baby, which debuted in 2022. "The second movie is even better than the first one. We recognize how special this is because it's a unique situation, and we're so lucky to be here. We had 15 days to bang this movie out and make it even better than the first one."

One of the hardest parts about working alongside his pals was keeping a straight face while yelling at each other throughout filming. "We were pushing those levels and those limits of what we could take with those contentious scenes," he says.

Going forward, Walker, who shares two sons West Byron, born in July 2015, and Wolf Reinhard, born in December 2019, with wife Cassandra Troy, is "open" for whatever comes his way.

"I love acting and I love performing, and I've always had a dream to be on stage and do theater. I love drama. I have a lot that I want to satiate as a performer, but right now, I'm very happy to be part of this incredible network and community and family that Hallmark has built. I know there could be an end at some point — I'm not a spring chicken!" he quips. "There are younger guys coming up and people want to see new faces, but I'm excited for anything and everything that's going to come my way in my 40s, 50s and 60s. I am going to be in a different category and I'll be doing different projects."

"Hallmark has given me this confidence because of the sheer volume of films they do each year, and I've been so fortunate to be part of the stable of actors that continue to call on that. I've learned technical savviness along the way. We also have 15 day shoots, and we have very tight timelines. The training has been invaluable, and I know how to come to set and bring my A game. That's been such a gift is being able to have that consistency on set," he continues.

Walker, who is also an entrepreneur, even found time to launch his own skincare brand, SkinMason.

After noticing his skin suffered from years in front of the camera, Walker decided to look for an effective and simple skincare solution by assembling a team of top doctors to develop a line with maximum results.

"I just started a new business! I like putting myself out there and challenging myself in so many different ways," he explains. "I never balanced it all the way I can balance it now. I would take on a lot and then I wouldn't deliver on some of what I was doing. I had to learn to go an inch wide and a mile deep just to go deeper into it and focus. I got bit by the entrepreneurial bug. I have a friend up here in Vancouver, Canada, who is a doctor, a heart and lung surgeon, and he had approached me two years ago."

It took them about a year and a half to find the right formula for the products before launching the exfoliating wipes and a serum. "Both are the gold standard — top products that eliminate the bacteria that can form acne over time," he says. "We're seeing adolescents and adult acne clearing up within two weeks of using the pads. The wipes are alcohol-free. The serum is a complete serum and we added glutathione to it, which is a compound that helps build and rejuvenate cell growth. We're seeing amazing results and getting great reviews, and we're launching a moisturizer on November 1."

Walker certainly has his hands full — which is just the way he likes it!

"I'm happy where I am today and I'm just trying to be a better dad and the best partner I can be," he says. "I'm so happy I've gone through what I've gone through to get where I am today. I've exposed myself to a lot of heartache and sacrifice. I started businesses — I also have a juice business [called Little West] with my wife — and I've learned so much about myself along the way."