Hallmark's Ashley Williams Doesn't Live As Lavishly As You'd Expect

Some Hallmark stars are fairly wealthy, but if pretending to fall in love in fake snow has Ashley Williams rolling in the dough, she doesn't make it obvious. Williams' Instagram page isn't awash with photos of the "Christmas in Evergreen" star rocking designer dresses and traveling on private jets. When she showed her followers what accessories she was packing for Christmas Con in 2023 in a Reel, there were no diamond necklaces or platinum bracelets in sight; instead, she held up a reindeer pin and a pair of earrings shaped like Christmas ornaments. She also brought some knit beanies adorned with pom-poms to give to fans. 

As reported by InTouch, SAG lists $1,251 as the lower end of what the Hallmark Channel's lead actors might make for a week's worth of filming. This isn't too shabby, but you might be surprised to learn that a seasoned Hallmark star such as Williams still considers staying at the Ritz Carlton a special extravagance; she shared her excitement about getting to jump on one of the luxury hotel's beds when a friend had a room there. 

For a Father's Day getaway in 2021, Williams and her husband, producer Neal Dodson, chose accommodations that were far more humble. Still, Williams was similarly excited about their stay at a Residence Inn. "It has FREE SHOWTIME a cute kitchenette (which I will deliberately not cook in) and a bathtub all for me!!" she enthused on Instagram. By then, Williams was used to making herself at home in temporary lodgings.

Ashley Williams has rested her weary head in the oddest of places. It's a good thing she can seemingly get comfortable easily because she spent many months being rootless. She and Neal Dodson used to live in New York with their two sons, Gus and Odie. But then the pandemic hit. According to Williams, her family's Airbnb era began in March 2020 while they were all in Canada together. Williams was directing her first movie, and production had to be halted. "We met a cab driver named Davis who was willing to drive us across the border from Canada. ... We decided to rent an Airbnb for a week while things 'calmed down' in New York," she recalled in an Instagram post. They ended up making the long drive from Washington to California instead.

In a February 2021 Instagram update on her living situation, Williams wrote: "I've crashed with family, in hotels, probably ten different Airbnb's. This masked, nomadic life is colorful, strange and inspiring." By November 2022, the number of Airbnb rentals Williams had temporarily called home was up to 29. Thankfully, she and Dodson had finally decided to purchase a home by then, but Williams described it as "a fixer upper." According to Worldwide Interiors, the couple bought the four-bed, two-bath residence located in Studio City for $2 million. Despite the hefty price tag, that's a pretty modest home by celeb standards.

In March 2023, Ashley Williams revealed that her family had moved into their new home while the property was still being renovated. "Things have been cuckoo-nanas," said the makeup-free actor during an Instagram Live filmed on the premises. Because there was so much dust and debris in the air, Williams and her family were unable to use the heating system. "It's so cold in here!" she exclaimed.

Williams gave her viewers a mini-tour of her new digs, including the master bedroom's adjoining bathroom — which had no toilet or sink. Her coffeemaker was in the bedroom (which is actually pretty convenient), her toiletries were in a box on the floor, and construction equipment was scattered everywhere. Williams also showed off the bed she was temporarily sleeping in, which had been covered in plastic to keep it clean. The floor was similarly covered with paper.

While the kitchen wasn't yet functional, the garage refrigerator was fully stocked. Unfortunately, Williams and the rest of the fam had to be on the lookout for their rodent roomies whenever they wanted a snack, which made them thankful for one of their few amenities' most useful features. "It closes to keep the mice out," Williams observed. Putting a positive spin on the situation, she added, "It's like we're camping in our house." She also confessed to occasionally staying in the pool house of her sister, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who happens to be married to country musician Brad Paisley.