A Safari Romance Offered Andrew Walker A Hallmark Rite Of Passage

Frequent viewers of the Hallmark channel will recognize Andrew Walker from made-for-TV films like "My Secret Valentine," "The 27 Hour Day," and "Sweet Autumn."Having starred alongside leading ladies such as Lacey Chabert, Autumn Reeser, and Nikki DeLoach, the actor has gained much attention on the network while still playing second fiddle in the channel's female-centric storylines.

However, it wasn't until the flick "A Safari Romance" that Walker experienced a Hallmark rite of passage. If you're unfamiliar, the made-for-TV movie premiered in August of 2023 and stars Brittany Bristow in addition to Walker. The South Africa-based movie landed the actor at the top of the film's call sheet, marking a network first for the Quebec native.

While the number one call sheet spot was an unexpected designation for Walker, it's a vote of confidence that the "Three Wise Men and a Baby" star expressed his appreciation for. Here's what he had to say about it.

In an interview with Heavy, Hallmark star Andrew Walker opened up about landing the first spot on the "A Safari Romance" call sheet, explaining that it was quite a surprise. A call sheet is a production tool that contains important filming and logistical information, including the filming schedule and shooting location.

For cast members, the highest-billed and leading actor is listed first on the call sheet, so it was significant for Walker to have the top spot. "I've always just assumed [I'd be second]," he shared. "My manager told me ... 'Alright, so you're doing this movie 'A Safari Romance' in South Africa and oh, by the way, they're making you number one on the call sheet.' I was like 'What!?'"

While the actor explained that call sheet order isn't a huge deal, he admitted it was still a special moment. "It's just a little nod, a little feather in the cap," he explained. "It's just [Hallmark] saying, 'Hey, Andrew, you know, we believe in you now, and we want you to carry this movie.'" Though we're a little surprised it took this long, we're just happy that the Hallmark star is getting the recognition he deserves.

Besides "A Safari Romance" offering Andrew Walker a special Hallmark rite of passage, the romance flick also gave the actor another significant opportunity. The "My Christmas Family Tree" star shared on Instagram that he participated in some community volunteer work alongside other cast members while filming the made-for-TV movie in South Africa.

"People ask what was the highlight of shooting my @hallmarkchannel #AsafariRomance movie in #southafrica," Walker captioned a video compilation, "@britbristow @leifbristow @agnes.bristow and a team of other crew members rehabilitated the school we shot one of the scenes at. We weren't able to see the kids faces when they showed up to a new classroom, freshly painted exterior, new park, new soccer balls, and a new brick patio, Monday morning.... but I'm sure it was sweet!!"

The actor ended his post by lightheartedly mentioning that he also put his sister and dad to work after twenty hours of traveling and thanking Leif and Agnes Bristow, the film's director and writer, for organizing the community service. We love seeing the professional success of Hallmark stars, but this heartwarming work is on another level.