Did you know that Hallmark Channel actress Ashley Williams is related to country music icon Brad Paisley?
While Ashley is known for her roles on TV shows like How I Met Your Mother and Good Morning Miami, she has become beloved to fans for her work on Hallmark Channel for the past decade.
Ashley welcomed her brother-in-law Brad to the stage for a surprise performance at Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas Launch Party on Thursday night (October 16) at Category 10 in Nashville, Tenn.
During her speech introducing him to the stage, Ashley talked about her first time meeting Brad when he had started dating her older sister Kimberly Williams-Paisley and she also revealed that he’s Hallmark Channel’s biggest fan.
Keep reading to find out more…
“When I first met famed country music singer Brad Paisley, it was more than 25 years ago and the very first night that we met, we got into a fight. He asked me what kind of cigar I wanted to smoke with him and I told him that I have asthma. His response was, “ah, come on.’ And if that doesn’t encompass Brad in so many ways, because the thing is, Brad is just really cool,” Ashley began.
Ashley revealed all of the areas where Brad is really cool… and one was unexpected!
“He has this amazing ability to decide something is cool and then become a complete aficionado in it, right? I’m talking cars, I’m talking cigars, I’m talking whiskey, guitars, music, being the coolest uncle to my two children and I’m also talking Christmas,” Ashley said. “So, you can imagine, with such a cool brother-in-law, my shock and surprise when I walked into Brad‘s bar a couple years ago and the Hallmark Channel was on. I was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re so cool!’”
“Basically what I discovered is that there is no bigger Hallmark Christmas movie fan than Brad Paisley,” she said. “Brad Paisley has seen more Christmas movies than I have. And when I say that he’s seen them, he has invested them. He called me when A Fabled Holiday aired and the dad died after one cough. He was like, ‘That was too fast a transition. We didn’t even get to know him.’ He was upset!”
“But now that I think about it, it really does make sense, because although Brad is very cool and very smart, he is also the most loyal and generous human being I have ever known. And that really aligns with the Hallmark brand,” Ashley said. “It makes sense that he loves this channel. It makes sense that he loves of all of you. It lights me up that tonight and in [A Grand Ole Opry Christmas], which I can’t wait to see, we are going to merge those two. He is my family. He is the only one I would trust to spend his life with my sister, who is my person… I am so proud that I am related to him. I’m so happy he’s joining us this year.”
Such an incredible speech! Watch below!
@justjared Ashley Williams introduced her brother-in-law Brad Paisley to the stage for an exclusive performance at Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas launch party and she told the incredible story of meeting him for the first time years ago! See more coverage from the event on JustJared.com!
Check out photos of EVERY actor from Hallmark Channel who attended the event!