Inside Hallmark Stars Andrew Walker And Ashley Williams' Real Life Relationship

Longtime Hallmark Channel stars Andrew Walker and Ashley Williams finally got the chance to co-headline a holiday feature for the network with 2024's "Jingle Bell Run," a movie that saw Williams claim the title for Hallmark's most lovable leading lady. In "Jingle Bell Run," a romance blooms between a teacher played by Williams and a retired hockey player played by Walker after they're paired up in a Christmas-themed, "Amazing Race"-esque competition. While Walker and Williams aren't a couple in real life, they do have a close relationship as neighbors and family friends.

"'Jingle Bell Run' I shot with Ashley Williams, who is actually [a] neighbor and close friend in Los Angeles, and her husband, Neal Dodson," Walker said in an interview with Morning Honey. The actor went on to hint at just how physically demanding filming had been, saying, "Ashley and I probably got 30,000 steps a day because we were always running around." Walker went into further detail during a separate interview with Southern Living. "All we did was run. Every single day. ... It was just constant running," he shared, adding, "Ashley, little do people know, is an incredible runner. She used to run competitively. I was always trying to catch up to Ashley. She's hardcore." In a similar vein, Walker noted, "I fed off [Williams'] energy. She's just this ball of energy that's also incredibly talented and smart at her comedic timing so I was just feeding off of her."

As fans know, Ashley Williams is married to film producer Neal Dodson. Meanwhile, Andrew Walker shares a Hallmark-like romance with wife Cassandra Troy. Williams and Dodson share two sons, as do Walker and Troy. And while being the young child of an actor and watching your parent kiss someone other than their spouse on screen can almost certainly be a little bit strange, it's probably even stranger when the person they're kissing is your neighbor.

Speaking to People, Walker recalled when his 10-year-old son found out what "Jingle Bell Run" would entail. "West was in the car and said, 'So, Daddy, I was talking to Jonah and Jonah said that you and Gus' mommy are going to be making out in your next movie!'" Walker said. This prompted a laugh from Williams, who added, "The 9-year-old gossip train! ... The fact that they said 'making out' makes me think that they don't understand at all."

That said, while Walker's older son apparently found some humor in the supposed scandal of it all, his younger son wasn't quite so amused. "The minute the kiss happens, they both will look at me," Walked told People, adding, "My 4-year-old will say, 'Daddy, you can't do that!' Or he'll be really quiet and then he'll try to physically hurt me a little bit after." For these Hallmark stars, it sounds like this type of thing is baked into the cake when the family business is show business.