Ashley Williams Celebrates Her Mom and the 'Truly Joyous' Walk to End Alzheimer’s with Her New Hallmark Movie (Exclusive)

'Falling Together,' also starring Paul Campbell, premieres on Hallmark Channel on Sept. 21, which is also World Alzheimer's Day

Ashley Williams’s new Hallmark movie, Falling Together, didn’t start as an homage to her mother, Linda, who died from dementia in 2016; it began with a failed apartment building-wide chili party she threw years ago.

"We moved to New York so that I could do The Jim Gaffigan Show, and we bought this apartment on the Upper West Side, where I'd always wanted to live. I thought it'd be all these creative times who have families who are on Broadway," she recalls. "But there was this strange energy even in the elevator. I just kept saying to my husband [Neal Dodson, who is an executive producer on the film alongside Williams], 'Once these people get to know us, they're just going to love us.' Finally, I decided I'm going to throw a big chili party. I put signs all over the building, in the elevators, everywhere."

But only one neighbor showed up all night, she says, "so I got to thinking, ‘What if the one person that came was the handsome super in the building, but it turned out he was just coming to fix a broken pipe?’”

The story's next challenge was figuring out how to bring the disparate tenants in the building together, and Williams, 45, landed on a fundraiser near and dear to her heart: The Walk to End Alzheimer's.

As soon as the story was green-lit, Williams began working with the Alzheimer's Association to help make sure the language around the disease was appropriate and to "make sure that we were representing the experience of someone living with it," she says. "That was really critical."

Williams was also determined to show the joy that comes with the Walk and the community it creates. She ensured that the symbolic pinwheels were incorporated into the story and that it was still filled with humor, romance and fun.

"My first Walk to End Alzheimer's must have been eight or nine years ago in New York," she recalls. "The first time I went, I was just so struck with how much fun people were having despite the darkness of the disease. It's truly a joyous occasion. It's kind of this moment when you look Alzheimer's in the face and say, 'You're not going to take our joy.'"

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Since that time, Williams has emceed the Walk alongside fellow Hallmark actor Nikki DeLoach and the pair of them have also taken over the annual Dance Party to End ALZ fundraiser began by Williams' sister, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. (The next Dance Party to End ALZ event is on Oct. 27 in Los Angeles; click here for tickets and more information.) That event funds the Alzheimer's Association's Research Grant Program, "so the money just goes directly to scientists who are working on various studies," says Williams, who gets a say on which studies receive the grants.

Another way in which Falling Together honors Williams' mother is with the character of a woman working for the Alzheimer's Association, also named Linda. And the character is played by actress Linda Kash.

"Linda Kash really encapsulates who my mom is: this big smile, these bright alive eyes that are just constantly inspired," says Williams. "That was who my mom was, which made it all the more awful when the disease really took over her brain. It was just like we said goodbye to each part of her slowly, including that kind of magical brightness in her eyes. So when we found Linda Kash and we saw her read, it was just like looking at my mom."

Related: 'Why Is This Happening to You, Mom?' A Look Back at Kimberly Williams-Paisley's Emotional Book About Her Mother's Struggle with Dementia

Falling Together, which costars Paul Campbell, also features a strong theme around self-care and taking time to slow down.

"I feel like I've played characters several times who have been trying to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. But it has more emotional resonance when you're in a conversation surrounding a life-threatening disease," Williams admits. "I think that's why I was even more passionate about it thematically than usual because Alzheimer's took many joyful years from my family. ... I wish I had more time with my mom where we were walking through Costco and giggling, not the hustle culture, not the throwing the big event, not the achievements, the pressure that we all face as women to raise a family and have an amazing, successful career. It's the little things. It's delighting in the color of a leaf. I can't be reminded of that enough personally, especially when I think about the lives and the years that this disease takes.

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In her own life, that means making a concerted effort to appreciate the little things — like making quality time with her two sons, Gus, 9, and Odie, 7.

"One thing I try to do is just 20 minutes a day where it's all about each of them," she says. I'm just looking in his eyes and focusing on what he's doing."

Connecting with Dodson, 46, also helps. "It's the thing that our busy lives takes first from us, is our ability to be able to just sit and chat. So we really, he keeps saying, 'I can never get enough time talking to you.' It's true. And it's also, by the way, one of the great things about us working together is being able to just hang, which is my favorite thing in the world. It is."

Next up, Williams hosts Hallmark+'s upcoming scripted series, Small Town Setup, which will be premiering next year.

"I'm having the greatest time of my whole life," she says. "I've always had this part of me that wanted to unleash her inner Kelly Ripa, which is just like, I'm absolutely delighted by people. I love humans. I love hearing their stories. I love connecting with them. I love giving them hugs and getting to do a show that is, sure, it's a reality show, but it's not gotcha television. No one's being set up to look dumb. There's nothing salacious. We're not trying to steal anything, any shots of people in embarrassing situations. It's about helping people find love."

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Falling Together premieres on Hallmark Channel at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday, Sept. 21, which also happens to be World Alzheimer's Day.

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