Exclusive Interview
‘Adventures in Love & Birding’: Andrew Walker and Rachel Boston Bring the ‘Heat’ in Hallmark Movie
Romance is taking flight in Hallmark Channel’s newest original movie, Adventures in Love & Birding, based on Sarah T. Dubbs’ novel Birding With Benefits. Andrew Walker, and Rachel Boston reunite after seven years as characters who wind up faking a relationship during a birding competition, only to discover real feelings between them.
The Hallmark stars first worked together in an episode of ER over 15 years ago, and then costarred in 2018’s A Christmas in Tennessee. Walker and Boston spoke with Swooon about embracing all things love and nature in their latest Hallmark movie.
“John had a recent heartbreak, and he’s kind of an introvert,” Walker said about his character. “Celeste and John have a mutual friend who knew about this recent breakup of his, and she also knows that I am an avid birder. I have this yearly birding competition that’s coming up, and I need someone to be able to do it with. She was supposed to do it with me. She had a recent event that popped up, so she asks Celeste if she would do it with me, knowing that it might be a pretty good match. She kind of set us up.”
Hallmark Media / Allister Foster
Celeste has to pretend to be John’s girlfriend for the duration of the birding competition, which turns out to last a lot longer than she thought. “I’ve never had to do something like this before in a Hallmark movie, or let alone any movie,” Walker revealed. “I’ve never had to pretend to be a partner with somebody, ultimately to fall in love with that person. It was really cool to play with, and what better person than somebody who I’ve had 16 years of history with and have this comfort level with. I think Rachel and I, we approach our work very similarly. We go all in, so we really wanted to play with this and make it be very hot and heavy, and take viewers along on this journey with us.”
Like John, Celeste has also faced heartbreak, but she’s pieced her life back together in order to take care of her daughter. She hasn’t had time for dating, but love flies into her life when she least expects it.
“I think a lot of the story is just that saying yes to things just being in unexpected places,” Boston noted. “She didn’t really know what it was, but she woke up early on a Saturday, got herself to this bird-a-thon, and it led to something really beautiful. I think falling in love in a story where you’re already playing a boyfriend-girlfriend is so fascinating because you’re putting on a show, but all these feelings are also really happening in real time. So that was really fun for Andrew and I. The book is very spicy, so we had to add a little of that into our movie. There’s a little bit of heat.”
The longtime friends had been waiting years for the right Hallmark project to come along that would bring them back together onscreen. Boston noted that their text chain was a “full-on manifestation” about reuniting. One thing’s for certain after Adventures in Love & Birding — Walker and Boston won’t wait so long to work together again. “We already have a new one that we’re working on and playing around with an idea to work with together,” she quipped.
Adventures in Love & Birding, Movie Premiere, September 27, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel
