Sad Details About Hallmark Star Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker has carved out a successful path, cementing himself as one of the richest Hallmark stars out there. But it hasn't been all sunshine and roses. In fact, Walker didn't even think he'd become an actor. His initial plan was to be a football player, but a severe knee injury ended his career when he was just 18. Unfortunately, the struggles continued. After his acting career took off, he faced financial strain when the juicing business he launched with his wife early in their marriage consumed most of their finances. 

But financial troubles weren't the only hardship Walker endured during those years. The same year he and Cassandra Troy opened Little West, Walker's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The news had a deep impact on his family, who had to come together to support her. Their efforts lasted a decade until she died from complications of the condition in 2023. Walker has tried to use his grief to promote positive change, being active in the fight to find a cure for the neurodegenerative disease.

Through his mother, Walker also learned to be an advocate for his mental health. After watching his mother and sister struggle with depression, Walker knew how serious it could become. Since he was young, he has taken steps to care for his mental well-being and strives to inspire others — especially men — to do the same without shame. Walker is grateful for the life he built, but that doesn't mean he hasn't faced adversities. 

Andrew Walker grew up witnessing his mother deal with severe depression. He then became a witness to his sister's struggles with the condition. Through his experiences, he became acutely aware of his own mental vulnerabilities. "It's in our family," he said on "Hearts of Stars with Jen Silliman" in 2022. As such, he learned to never dismiss any signs that might point to poor mental health. To improve his lifestyle, Walker pays close attention to his food choices and sleep patterns.

Walker also engages in physical activities that enhance his well-being, including yoga, Pilates, and meditation practices. "I'm actively always trying to pursue a happier life and a more connected life," he told Silliman. Despite his efforts, Walker still has days when his mental health gets to him. On those days, he's grateful for the support of his wife, Cassandra Troy, who encourages him to take time to focus on his wellness practices.

To help break the stigma surrounding mental health, which is particularly high among men, Walker does frequent "check-ins" with his social media followers. In a May 2022 Instagram post, he shared his own experiences in an effort to open a conversation with his fanbase. "Believe it or not, the happy Andrew you see in this video? That's not always the case ... Some days, the negative thoughts can kick in and really wipe me off of my feet," he captioned a clip of himself jumping at the beach.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

It may be hard to imagine Andrew Walker doing anything other than Hallmark movies, but he initially set out to be an athlete. Walker started playing football when he was a child, becoming committed enough to want to do it professionally. His career path looked promising. The hardest decision Walker had to make the summer of his 18th birthday was which college to pick. "I had a bunch of colleges that were looking at me," he said on "Crank It Up! with Julie Voris" in 2022.

He chose Boston College. But his career was thwarted before it even started. "I played a high level of football growing up, committed to Boston College on a scholarship, and then injured my knee," he told PhotoBook magazine. Walker tore his ACL during spring camp, an injury he partly attributes to his other passion: acting. When he arrived late to practice because of an acting gig, his coach didn't allow him time to stretch before hitting the field. "[I] lost my scholarship," he told Voris.

It was a hard pill to swallow. "It was a major blow to my ego and my future plans of becoming a professional football player," he told PhotoBook. But with hindsight on his side, Walker now sees it was for the best. "That trial has not only made me a stronger more resilient person, but also saved me from potentially a few more injuries," he told From the Desk. 

Andrew Walker suffered a devastating family loss on March 16, 2023. Days before his mother, Joyce Walker, died, he penned a tribute in light of her imminent death. "As you leave us in this material world, I'll be able to feel your presence wherever I go which gives me so much comfort," he captioned an Instagram post for International Women's Day. Joyce had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for a decade.

Joyce, a gifted pianist, started exhibiting signs in 2013. Walker and his family noticed and urged her to see a doctor. She refused, but they were adamant something was off. "We took her kicking and screaming," he told Heavy in October 2024 (via MSN). "It was not pretty, but we just needed to know what our options were to help slow the process." At that point, medication would have been of little use. Instead, the Walkers were instructed to stimulate Joyce's brain.

Art, music, exercise, and traveling helped keep Joyce's spark alive for years. "I don't take back any one of those moments," Andrew said. Amid her diagnosis, he became involved in the cause. Andrew and his close friend Nikki DeLoach, whose father died of Alzheimer's, often team up. In a 2020 Instagram post about The Walk to End Alzheimer's, he revealed the condition runs in his family. "We were walking for my beautifully spirited mom Joyce Walker, my grandmother May Philips and for everyone else who's been and currently is affected," he wrote.

While worth an estimated $2 million now, Andrew Walker faced financial struggles before his Hallmark fame. Early in Walker and Cassandra Troy's marriage, they decided they wanted to open a juice company together. Instead of planning a big wedding, Walker and Troy kept it simple with a city hall ceremony in 2012 and poured the money into their dream. They launched the cold-pressed juice brand Little West, originally known as Clover Juice, a year later.

But the business operation drained most of their resources. Until 2022, the couple lived with their two sons in a small two-bedroom apartment because that's all they could afford. "For years, we could barely afford rent because we constantly put everything we had into keeping @littlewest alive," Troy revealed in an Instagram post. While hard, Troy wouldn't change a thing. "We have always said that we could live in a box and still be happy, and I know we would be," she shared.

The struggles made her more grateful for the home they were able to get that year. "Today I'm taking a moment to be proud of the journey that's brought us to this," she concluded the post, which also featured a photo of Walker and their boys in the pool. Walker was passionate about keeping the business afloat despite the difficulties, as he had been an avid juicer since his football days. "It was actually my injuries that got me into juicing," he said on the "Love and Lattes" podcast.