Alison Sweeney and Ashley Williams share exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from their time in Spain on the set of their Hallmark Channel movies, ‘To Barcelona, With Love’ and ‘To Barcelona, Forever’. The movies promise romance, friendship, and stunning scenery. These movies mark a significant collaboration for Sweeney and Williams, who not only star but also serve as executive producers.
Williams says, “Getting to work with my dear friend in such close capacity for these projects in Europe was one of those magical moments in life where the only thing to do is focus on gratitude,” describing this photo as “us looking cute.” “We hugged each other. A lot. And oh my word, did we laugh. It was simply the best!”
Sweeney says, “Alejandro Tous was so much fun to work with. He took me seriously when I said I wanted to practice my Spanish with him. We spoke in Spanish off camera (almost) all the time!”
Williams says “Ali asked for a pic with this magical gold ‘statue,’ and I think everyone (including me?) was surprised when I jumped up on his box to give him a hug.” Adds Sweeney, “I was not expecting Ashley to jump up on his stage with him! He was a good sport doing the scene with us.”
Sweeney shares, “I loved filming the scene in the gondola but it was stressful to get the whole scene in one take. We only had the amount of time it took to get from the launch point to the midway point before the jostling of the machinery would make the take unusable. It was fun to work with such unique conditions.” According to Williams, the experience was also a little scary: “We did scream every time the gondola shook even a tiny bit in the wind. But somehow even that was thrilling.” Still, she says, “The views were unreal! One of those moments when we had the opportunity to get a real scope of the city of Barcelona. It is massive and absolutely beautiful.”
Williams says of Sagrada Familia, “The first time I saw Sagrada Familia I actually gasped. It’s almost impossible to take in Gaudi’s masterful detail. And the fact that it’s been under construction for so many decades was a great metaphor for life. I think I am still, in many ways, definitely under construction!”
Sweeney says, “Filming in Spain was truly a magical experience. I am so grateful. To have director Ron Oliver lead the charge was a dream come true. He is a fantastic filmmaker. Our 3rd AD, Anice Mateu, is giving a thumbs up in this pic, because for once the wind didn’t turn the umbrellas inside out. She and I were singing Mary Poppins because it kept happening.” Williams adds, “Ron Oliver is a legend. One time before we were friends I cornered him in a hotel gym—I knew who he was—and asked him if he would mentor a bunch of up-and-coming directors in the future. He said yes! Getting to collaborate with him on these movies was dreamy. He knows how to shoot in Europe, he knows what it takes to make a funny, romantic Hallmark movie with all the feels, and he keeps us laughing the whole time.”
Williams says of Miguel Brocca, Sweeney and Tous, “It’s the dream team! These boys were the perfect balance for us and our characters in these movies, and they were both incredibly patient with our eccentricities and needs. We couldn’t have asked for two better leading men.” Sweeney adds: “Miguel, Alejandro, Ashley and I had so much fun getting to know each other on this project. It was fun every day, and both guys brought so much to the roles and the movie as a whole.”
Sweeney says of the crew shirts, “On the last day of filming, our Spanish production company surprised us all with these hilarious crew shirts. A few members of the crew were huge fans of an early movie Ron had directed that was a bit more in the horror genre so they made a joke design with the saffron that becomes a story point in the second movie. I love the camaraderie we developed with all the cast and crew after almost two months of working together. There were definitely tears that last day. Goodbyes are always so hard!” Williams admits, “I didn’t know what to expect with a Spanish crew. I was worried about language barriers and different shooting styles. But I have to tell you, I would go anywhere with this crew. They were so hardworking, kind, funny, smart, and professional. I miss each one of them. I want to bring them more movies so we can do it all again!”
To Barcelona, with Love premieres Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, and To Barcelona, Forever premieres Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, also on Hallmark Channel.
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