Hallmark’s Evan Williams Talks Bringing the Drama to 'The Way Home' (EXCLUSIVE)
As Hallmark’s Landry women face a new season of adventure and time travel on The Way Home, Evan Williams' character Elliot is not exactly the faithful sidekick he once was. Instead of making up for taking off on Kat and Alice last season, he returned sullen and prone to temper tantrums – and his behavior has weighed on both his leading ladies, as well as Hallmark viewers.
Woman's World sat down with Evan Williams over Hallmark’s high tea at the Television Critics Association to hear what he has to say about Elliot and The Way Home.
Plus, the Degrassi: The Next Generation and Awkward alum talks his Bright World music endeavors and working with co-stars Chyler Leigh, Andie MacDowell and Sadie Laflamme-Snow.
Related: ‘The Way Home’ Season 2: Stars Chyler Leigh and Sadie Laflamme-Snow Tell All! (EXCLUSIVE)
Evan Williams’ character Elliot isn’t your typical Hallmark hunk
?2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Peter Stranks
When we think of Hallmark’s leading men, we tend to picture dreamboats who are tied into the nice happily ever afters that our leading ladies find. Williams’ The Way Home character Elliot is certainly dreamy and tied to the Landry women’s fates, but he’s not exactly the network’s archetype.
“That was one of the things that I was excited about, signing on to play this character,” Williams tells WW over tea and crumpets. “Elliot is a character who falls. He makes mistakes, he loses...and then he has to find his way back in.”
Season 2, in particular, has found Elliot grappling with his role in the Landry women’s lives and well, just generally brooding – and sometimes, his moody antics have been downright frustrating to watch.
“And that's where we want you,” Williams contends with a smile. “We're working hard to try to show the interior motivations behind Elliot. The ability to dive into the murkier, heart-centered difficulties in a man's identity is a rare opportunity that Hallmark is affording us. It will inform how audiences feel about Elliot and also earns the relationship between Elliot and Kat in any future they can share. It's beautiful.”
Evan Williams talks playing a Hallmark hero
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix
Having appeared the Netflix docudrama Blonde, Canal+ drama Versailles, and The CW’s teen dramedy Awkward, Williams worked on edgy projects before joining Hallmark. He insists however, he doesn’t miss the darker energy and harsh language of his former roles.
“I say bad words when the camera’s not roiling,” Williams cracks. “No, I've been lucky enough to do all different kinds of work, but whether it's Hallmark, Netflix, HBO, or whatever, I approach any character I'm playing the same way. What’s exciting about acting is figuring out how to get into the hearts and minds of these people and giving the audience a chance to recognize themselves in them.”
In Hallmark’s multigenerational family drama, the actor and his costars get to delve into heavy and relatable themes like grief, regret and trying to fix the mistakes of the past.
“This show is special because we are being given carte blanche to really expand what's possible on Hallmark, while still having the storytelling be non-traumatizing,” Williams says.
“It’s heartwarming, yes. But it's also heart aching, and it’s approaching that through a healing lens. That’s equally as beautiful. Because the more challenge, the more reward – and the Hallmark audiences have proven they’re ready for it.”
MUST-READ: Hallmark Hunks! 15 Leading Men Who Bring Our Favorite Love Stories to Life
The series is also structured around time travel, taking viewers as far back as 1814 via a pond in the middle of the woods. With that sci-fi element deeply entwined with the characters’ emotional journeys, it has brought a new type of Hallmark fandom – one that hangs on every detail for clues to the past, present and future.
“We have theories flying all over social media,” Williams grins. “We have people desperate to see the next show every week, and that’s really exciting for us.”
Hallmark star Evan Williams talks making music
When Williams isn’t getting lost in the Hallmark drama, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist finds plenty to keep him busy.
“Outside of acting, I have a music project called Bright World that just passed 1 million streams on Apple music,” he shares. “I was lucky enough to have my cover of ‘Time After Time’ be put in the final episode of last year's season of The Way Home. It was great to cross streams, and I'm going to be recording new music soon.”
After describing his sound as “elevated folk, with touches of world music and rock,” Williams reveals he’s also a visual artist.
“I do all of my own music videos,” he says. “I won an award for doing a stop motion animated music video that I made during COVID. That took me forever, like 80 hours, to do. I taught myself how to do it.”
“I just want to try to express in any way I can,” Williams adds. “As long as people want to see me on camera, that's amazing. But I will still be doing everything else I can behind the scenes.”
He talks working with five Hallmark beauties
?2023 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Peter Stranks
As one of the stars of Hallmark’s story about three generations of Landry women, Williams finds himself surrounded by women these days – on both sides of the camera.
“Our showrunners are a mother daughter pair, and they're amazing,” he raves of The Way Home’s executive producers, Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke. “The way they work together is astounding. Frankly, I love my mother to death, but I don't know if I could do it day in day out!”
Williams is equally enamored with his costars, Andie MacDowell, Chyler Leigh and Sadie Laflamme-Snow. “I learn different things from all of them,” he says. “They're three different archetypes of strong femininity.”
It turns out MacDowell serves as not only the anchor for her time-traveling onscreen family, but also the entire cast of The Way Home. “Andie is an absolute icon,” Williams gushes. “I love her to death. She's so beautiful to all of us on set and I go away each time from working with her feeling like I've been schooled."
MUST-READ: Our 10 Favorite Andie MacDowell Movies, Ranked
“In season one we had a scene where we delivered a calf together,” he adds. “She came in there and she knew exactly what was up! She told us all how it was going to go down and I left with an honorary bachelor’s degree in cattle birthing.”
Williams has high hopes for Katherine and Elliot
?2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Peter Stranks
While Elliot has been slightly distracted by his own internal journey on The Way Home this season, he is clearly trying to be there for young Alice, as well as the best friend he’s pined for since they were teenagers.
With Kat jumping back to 1814, however, some fans speculate Kris Holden-Ried’s character Thomas Coyle could end up becoming competition for her heart.
Williams can’t say what the future – or past! – holds for Elliot and Kate, but will confirm both he and co-star Chyler Leigh remain Team Kelliot.
“We shipped this pairing from the start, because when we met, we gelled instantaneously,” he says of Kat’s portrayer. “Chyler’s so fun and easy to work with. And we share so many preferences that it was like we were separated at birth. So we immediately trusted each other, and that allows us to play the love, as well as the sparring and fighting. That's all part of it, and that's how we earn the love."
As The Way Home season 2 unfolds, the Hallmark star can’t wait for viewers to see what it brings.
“In this industry, we are always plugging our new projects, but it's a specific type of joy to be doing it for show you are truly in love with,” Williams says. “The whole cast is into it, and this season, it’s just getting twistier and twistier.”
The Way Home season 2 airs Sundays at 9/8c on Hallmark, and then streams on Hallmark Movies Now and other streaming services.
Want more Hallmark exclusives? Click through below!
