CATCHING UP WITH ODETTE ANNABLE & ANDREW WALKER ABOUT THEIR NEW HALLMARK MOVIE, KENTUCKY ROSES

The pageantry and tradition of Churchill Downs meets the romance of a Hallmark Original Movie in, KENTUCKY ROSES

Kentucky Roses, an all-new original movie, was shot on location at the iconic Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby®. The movie stars Andrew Walker (Three Wisest Men, She’s Making a List) and Odette Annable (Supergirl, Walker), alongside Ally Ledford (His Nerd), Peyton Meyer (Girl Meets World, Days of Our Lives), Brynn Thayer (Fatal Attraction, Suits), and Gregg Henry (Gilmore Girls, Guardians of the Galaxy), and celebrates the pageantry, tradition, and enduring spirit of the Kentucky Derby.

Odette annable & andrew walker in “kentucky roses”

Kentucky Roses unfolds across two timelines—present day and 1932—at Churchill Downs. In present-day, Sadie Moore (Annable) works in the Churchill Downs greenhouse, dreaming of becoming a florist and one day contributing to the Derby’s garland of roses, just like her great- grandmother, Gloria (Ledford).

As Derby Day approaches, Sadie meets Ash Taylor (Walker), the son of Churchill Downs’ CEO (Henry), who’s been asked to do an emergency repair on the iconic Twin Spires after a storm left one damaged. Both Sadie and Ash feel the weight of family legacy and the desire to carve out their own paths. Sparks fly, and their budding romance is complicated by a long-buried connection between their families—a bittersweet love story from the past that threatens to repeat itself.

Odette Annable will next be seen as the lead in the upcoming psychological horror Anima alongside Andres Londoño and directed by Andres Beltran, as well as Hallmark Channel’s upcoming feature-film Kentucky Roses, where she stars opposite Andrew Walker. Known for her comedy and drama, Annable can be seen starring in Walker for CW. Recently, she played “Eve” in the Fox / Twentieth TV pilot Adam & Eve. Annable starred on Breaking In and House for Fox and HBO’s Banshee. Also working on Berlanti’s Supergirl for CBS, Jason Katim’s Pure Genius for CBS, Stephanie Savage’s The Astronaut Wives Club for ABC, FOX’s New Girl, and CBS’s Two and a Half Men.

Montreal native and actor Andrew Walker has been making Hallmark fans swoon for over a decade. Since his debut on the network in A Bride for Christmas, Walker has appeared as the company’s leading man in more than 20 movies, including holiday hits and seasonal classics like A Dream of Christmas, Love on Ice, The Perfect Catch, Love Struck Café, Bottled with Love, Merry & Bright, My Christmas Family Tree, Christmas on My Mind, Maple Valley Christmas, A Safari Romance, and 2022’s top-rated, Countdown to Christmas movie, Three Wise Men and a Baby and it’s 2024 hit sequel Three Wiser Men and a Boy. Most recently for Hallmark Channel, Walker starred in The Reluctant Royal and continues to lead the popular Curious Caterer Mysteries franchise on Hallmark Mystery.

Kentucky Roses  Premieres Saturday, May 2nd at 8pm ET/PT on Hallmark Channel;
Streams Next Day on Hallmark+

I caught up with the lovely Odette Annable and Andrew Walker to talk about filming at Churchill Downs, flower arrangements and all things fascinators!