How Nikki DeLoach Ups Chemistry With Andrew Walker in New ‘Curious Caterer'

Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker’s chemistry in Hallmark’s Curious Caterer franchise is an undeniable slow burn, which means it’s not always easy to maintain.

“You try to find that banter, that energy, and you can feel it when you’re in it. You’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is happening, this is working,’” DeLoach, 44, exclusively told Us Weekly of her connection with Walker, also 44, while promoting their latest mystery, Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. “Andrew and I just had that out of the gate. We always say that we must’ve known each other in other lifetimes because we felt like we met each other, and we had been friends our entire lives.”

She recalled “instantly” finding a “real friendship” with her counterpart after working on their first Hallmark project, 2016’s A Dream of Christmas.

Once the pair joined forces for their first Curious Caterer Mystery movie in 2022, DeLoach said they felt in sync. In the franchise, DeLoach plays caterer and amateur sleuth Goldy Berry and Walker portrays Detective Tom Schultz.

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However, during 2023’s Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows, she felt like the chemistry started to become more platonic, which the actors worked to change for the new Foiled Plans installment, which premieres on Friday, April 26.

“I said, ‘Look, you and I have worked together so much, and I feel like in the last movie we tipped a little bit,’” she recalled. “And a lot of it was the dialogue and we have to kind of work on fixing that in the script. And we did.”

DeLoach remembered the third installment having dialogue that was “more buddy, buddy, friend, friend,” instead of the heat and passion they wanted for Goldy and Tom.

Walker exclusively told Us that DeLoach “really takes the bull by the horns” and informed him that fans thought Tom and Goldy gave off “brother and sister vibes.” Upon hearing that, the costars decided to “change that” and up their game.

This time around, the actors went through the script and “took out all dialogue that felt more like a friendship and replaced it with romantic dialogue.”

In Foiled Plans, DeLoach said the team “really talked about leaning into that romance more so than we ever have.” She teased that Goldy is “in this place where she is open to finding love,” while Tom has “always been so guarded” because of his family history, which is explored in the new movie.

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“It’s definitely a different kind of love than [Goldy] ever felt with her [ex-husband], and it’s a deeper kind of love,” DeLoach revealed. “She’s making the choice to fall in love [now]. … When you fall in love later in life, especially after you’ve been married, there is this aspect of, ‘Wow, I get to have so much freedom of choice inside of this. I don’t have to fall in love. I don’t have to get married. It’s just happening to me, and I have no control over these feelings that I’m having.’”

Foiled Plans follows Goldy and Tom as they try to solve a murder while locked in Hyde Castle during a snowstorm. While stuck in the castle — and dressed in Medieval costumes in celebration of the lavish charity event — Goldy and Tom will also grow closer romantically.

The film culminates in a much-anticipated kiss for the couple, which DeLoach told Us she pushed for after the characters didn’t smooch in the third movie.

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“Andrew and I sat with it and we sat with the director, Paul, and we really felt like they don’t need to talk anymore. They’ve talked so much,” the actress explained. “They were basically locked in a castle with a murderer. It’s a high stakes episode, and we feel strongly that we need to just remove the talking out of this and get to the thing that they’ve been wanting to do all night long, which is kiss.”

DeLoach added, “We really did feel that we need[ed] to just go for it. And the audience needs to feel that they don’t need to hear them speak for another page and a half.” She teased that when fans see it, they’ll be happy, insisting how it plays out was “the right call.”

Walker teased, “The minute that Nikki and I kind of turn it on, we’re so comfortable with each other, and she’s beautiful, so it’s easy to fall into that attraction with her. She’s an amazing leading lady to be continuously working with. I’m in awe of her. She’s an incredible person.”

Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans airs on Hallmark Mystery Friday, April 26, at 9 p.m. ET.