The Hallmark Channel Favorites and Longtime Friends Star in ‘Jingle Bell Run’

The kiss at the end of a Hallmark movie may look romantic, but… Jingle Bell runcostars Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker admit that filming these scenes can be a little “weird.”

And that is not just because the actors are surrounded by the director and at least a dozen more cast and crew members, all watching with bated breath.

“This is the circus. It’s a freak show,” Walker, 45, who has appeared in more than 30 Hallmark movies, admits to PEOPLE while on set outside Vancouver, Canada. “I’m used to it now, but at the end of last week we had our kiss scene and it’s always weirder to do that when you know someone so well. And I know her husband so well, we are very good friends. “

Related: Ashley Williams and Andrew Walker take PEOPLE behind the scenes of the Hallmark Channel Jingle Bell run (Exclusive)

Williams, 46, and her husband, Neal Dodson, and Walker and his wife, Cassandra Troy, are neighbors and recently worked together on the Dance Party to End Alzheimer’s (both Williams and Walker have lost their parents to the disease). But Jingle Bell run It is the first time they have shot a film together.

“When they first called me about this movie, they said, ‘It is The great breed but at Christmas.’ And then they said it would be with Andrew Walker, and I said, ‘Where can I sign up?'” Williams says. “We live two minutes away from each other and we have two boys the exact same age and each other’s keep. I can’t believe we’ve never made a movie together. So this is such a dream come true.”

Williams has two sons, Gus, 10, and Odie, 7, while Walker has West, 10, and Wolf, 4.

Related: Andrew Walker teases Three wise men and a baby Next: ‘Like a James Bond Christmas Movie’ (Exclusive)

Walker laughs as he tells a story about their children learning about this new movie. “West was in the car and said, ‘So dad, I was talking to Jonah and Jonah said you and Gus’ mom are going to make out in your next movie!'”

“The 9-Year-Old Gossip Train! We’ve Got There!” Williams, crying. “The fact that they said ‘making out’ makes me think they don’t understand it at all.”

Still, Walker admits he gets a little cute watching the finished films with his family.

“As soon as the kiss happens, they’ll both be looking at me,” he says. “My four-year-old says, ‘Daddy, you can’t do that!’ Or he will be very quiet and then he will try to physically hurt me a little.”

Related: All the New 2024 Christmas Movies Coming to Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, Great American Family and More

For one more movie this year, Fall togetherWilliams teamed up with another longtime friend and fellow Hallmark regular, Paul Campbell. They even sang a tune about the awkwardness of filming kissing scenes.

“We made up a song to the tune of ‘Twist and Shout’ (by The Beatles) that went, ‘When you kiss your friend, when you kiss your friend, it’s really weird, you kiss your friend.’ And then it evolved, like, “Now it feels normal to kiss your boyfriend.”

“It’s just part of the job,” Williams adds. “But it’s funny.”

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Jingle Bell run will air again on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, November 17 at 6pm ET/PT and will be available to stream on Peacock.