Over the last decade, Andrew Walker has starred in more than 30 Hallmark movies, including some of the network’s biggest hits, from the “Three Wise Men and a Baby” films to his “Curious Caterer” mystery franchise with Nikki DeLoach. But Walker’s latest project, “The Reluctant Royal,” was extra special for the actor.
Premiering on Hallmark Channel on March 8, 2025, “The Reluctant Royal” has Walker’s fingerprints all over it. He helped to develop the storyline, eager to create a royal movie with some unexpected twists — including the chance to leverage his musical chops — and served as an executive producer on the movie, filmed entirely in Ireland.
“I’ve been so close to this project, through the entire process,” Walker told EntertainmentNOW, “and it’s exceeded my expectations.”
Andrew Walker Says He Loved Exploring the Father-Son Relationship in ‘The Reluctant Royal’
“The Reluctant Royal” stars Walker as Philadelphia auto mechanic Johnny Payne, who learns his long-lost father is a duke whose closest advisor, Prudence, played by Emilie de Raven, shows up unannounced.
She convinces the gruff but lovable mechanic to come meet his dad and consider being his successor. Johnny develops feelings for Prudence (this is a Hallmark movie, after all), but Walker said his favorite relationship progression in the movie is the one between Johnny and his dad, played by Simon Coury.
Though the two clash in the beginning, Walker explained, “My father can’t sleep at night, and so he wakes up, and he starts meeting me in the garage at night, and we start working on this car together. And bit by bit, we start getting to know each other and and it’s amazing.”
Walker told EntertainmentNOW he’s thrilled that Hallmark was open to a story with so many layers, including exploring the relationship between a father and son.
“I think they’re really trying to open that box up a little bit more, with high concept ideas that are still familiar to people,” he said. “That’s not easy — to keep reinventing the wheel and have different storylines and different concepts, but then have people go, ‘Oh, but it’s still a Hallmark movie (at its core).’ That’s what I wanted to do when we came up with this idea.”
Johnny’s style transformation will also be fun for viewers to watch, Walker said, describing his character as “a free spirit, young at heart, child-like — I mean, it’s pretty much everything that I am, I guess — and then he has to do this about-face, embodying what it’s like to be a royal. So he has this whole cleanup process. It’s a makeover movie!”
Another aspect Walker loved was the chance to sing, given that he grew up in a musical family and fronted a band when he was younger. In one scene at a karaoke bar, his character belts out “Born to Be Wild.”
“That pretty much ate up most of our the song budget,” he laughed.
Andrew Walker Felt Energized Producing ‘The Reluctant Royal’
The last time Walker served as a producer on one of his movies was for 2018’s “Love in Design” co-starring Danica McKellar. Jumping back into that role after starring in so many other Hallmark movies was a thrill, he told EntertainmentNOW, and he can’t wait to do it again.
“Let me tell you, it’s a different experience to be so involved daily, to see behind the curtain,” Walker told EntertainmentNOW. “Our meetings would take place in my trailer every single day when I was on set. I loved it.”
Noting that he enjoyed problem-solving and brainstorming with the crew and fellow producers Thomas Michael and Kevin Fair (who also directed the movie), Walker said, “I’ve been doing this for long enough, I actually get excitement out of out of finding ways to save the day, you know? If there’s a problem, what do we need to do? If it’s too long, what do we need to cut? There’s always a fix for everything. And it just goes to show how much of a team effort filmmaking is.”
“We’re all these crazy creatives, and as Nikki DeLoach says, we’re all in the circus together,” Walker continued.
Once filming wrapped, Walker and his wife Cassandra Troy spent some time exploring the west coast of Ireland, which they fell in love with.
He gushed, “Incredible scenery and great little coastal towns, fish and chips, and whiskey bars and beer — Guinness off these incredibly fresh taps. It was just awesome.”
“The Reluctant Royal” premieres on Hallmark Channel on March 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will be available to stream on Hallmark+ the following day.
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Andrew Walker Reveals Why Filming Hallmark’s ‘The Reluctant Royal’ Was So Special