Hallmark stars Kavan Smith and Andie MacDowell recently shared just how meaningful their experiences with the network have been to them. Smith opened up about how drastically his view on Hallmark has changed over the years thanks to “When Calls the Heart.” And MacDowell talked about how “beautiful” it was to meet the fans in person.
They shared their sweet stories at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City in December, when “When Calls the Heart” and “The Way Home” stars appeared in multiple panels to talk about their behind-the-scenes experiences.
Hallmark Was an Unexpected Blessing for Kavan Smith
When asked what was the most unexpected blessing from being part of the Hallmark family, Kavan Smith (who portrays Lee on “When Calls the Heart“) had an incredibly sweet story to share.
“In the beginning, when I first took this job i didn’t quite get it and I even might have made fun of it sometimes to my friends,” Smith admitted. “As the years have gone by, I have changed my stance on that and I think it’s the best job I’ve ever had in my life…”
The audience loved hearing that, and Smith continued.
“Because I got to be dad,” he said about why he loves his job so much. “So I get to work for a few months and then I take the rest of the year off and I get to be with my kids and my wife. And the balance is something I never thought I would have. So it really was the making of me as a man.”
One person on Instagram replied after watching the video: “This made me well up. So beautiful. This cast is so very special 🥹.”
“What a lovely response,” another person wrote. “Enjoy these folks so much. Blessings on blessings on all of you for providing a safe and beautiful space to enjoy with loved ones.❤️”
“Just love him,” another person replied. “To show both vulnerability and growth are such understated qualities 💕.”
Andie MacDowell Shared How Meaningful It Was to Meet the Fans
Andie MacDowell, who portrays Del on “The Way Home,” was also in the Hallmark Christmas Experience panels. In one panel, she shared that it was her first time interacting with Hallmark fans in this way and she just loved it.
“First of all I want to say how much fun it’s been to be here this weekend because I’ve never interacted with Hallmark fans like this,” she said. “And I’ve just been so touched with how much you really love and care about the shows. And how meaningful it is to meet people that have such strong emotions for these shows. It’s been really a beautiful experience to meet all of you and to see how valuable you are. So that’s been really beautiful.”
She got a resounding round of applause from the audience.
In a different panel, she shared her story of how she got the part on “The Way Home” and joked about how it was so different from what she had imagined at first.
“I was very fortunate,” she said. “I did Hallmark’s very first series so I have really close attachment to Hallmark and I wanted to work for them again. When I found this script it was so amazing, and I loved the character. The interesting thing is, I thought my character was this, you know, woman that lived on a farm and had bees and helped the community. Wow. That’s not all, that’s not everything I have to do! I was like … a dream come true! But you know, also my son disappears and my husband dies and my daughter leaves me and I’m alone on a farm and the only person I have is my neighbor and some cows… But it’s great!
During that panel, she and Chyler Leigh also joked about the cow birthing scene, which you can watch at the end of the clip above.
Comments
Kavan Smith & Andie MacDowell Share Emotional Stories About Their Time With Hallmark