Andrew Walker Pays Tribute to BFF Tyler Hynes in ‘Christmas Island’! Inside the Funny Scene

Andrew Walker’s latest Hallmark film, Christmas Island, is the gift that keeps on giving! The actor revealed his character’s hilarious nod to his longtime pal Tyler Hynes in the movie.

How Did Andrew Walker Pay Tribute to Tyler Hynes in ‘Christmas Island’?

Andrew and Tyler previously costarred together in Hallmark’s Three Wise Men and a Baby in 2022. In the movie, Tyler portrayed Taylor Brenner, who was always noticeably chewing on some kind of sweet treat in each scene. Andrew decided that it would be funny to replicate that in Christmas Island.

“I looked at the Christmas tree and there’s some candy canes on the Christmas tree, and it just hit me in the moment. I was like, ‘I’m going to give a little nod to Tyler and I’m going to chew this thing like Tyler did in Three Wise Men,’” he told Us Weekly in November 2023.

Are Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes Related?

The Canadian film star knew that fans would “love anything with Tyler and I just ragging on each other or cameos with him.” The Hallmark stars have been friends for several years and also have a unique family connection — Andrew’s wife, Cassandra Troy, is Tyler’s cousin.

“We talk weekly,” he told Us Weekly in February 2023 of his friendship with Tyler. “I’ve known the guy for 19 years since he started coming to her house for Christmases when I first met my wife. We have a deep appreciation for each other.”

What Is ‘Christmas Island’ About?

The festive film follows pilot Kate Gabriel as she makes an emergency landing on a small coastal Nova Scotia community named Christmas Island due to inclement weather. There’s so much to love about Oliver Macleod, Andrew’s character, who works as an air traffic controller on the island. In typical Hallmark fashion, the pair have their differences, but holiday magic definitely brings them closer together in the end.

“My character is Mr. Christmas. He is all in for Christmas,” he revealed before explaining that he wanted his wardrobe to be flashier and more festive. “I’m on set getting ready to shoot this scene, and I’m just like, ‘I want to throw [on more],’ because I just had my jacket on in the scene.”

“I’m like, ‘No, no, guys, this guy’s, like, Mr. Christmas, let’s load him up with things. Throw a wreath around his neck or throw ribbon,’” he explained. “So once I had it all around my neck, I was like, ‘I’m missing something. I still feel like I need something.’”

Luckily, the candy cane hanging out of his mouth did the trick when it came to adding more holiday cheer into the scene.

“After the scene [had] a couple takes, [my costar] Rachel [Skarsten] turns to me and she’s like, ‘This character is the most weird guy I’ve ever acted across from.’ And I’m like, well, I guess life imitates art in a way because I’m also kind of a weirdo myself,” Andrew joked.