Hallmark’s Stephen Huszar is mourning the loss of former Chesapeake Shores costar Treat Williams.
“It’s been a very emotional time,” Huszar, 39, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his new film A Royal Christmas Crush with girlfriend Katie Cassidy. “But in a way, it’s brought the [Chesapeake Shores cast] back together. We’ve been celebrating his life. He’s just such a force and really the patriarch for our family and a patriarch for me, personally.”
Williams, who died unexpectedly in June at the age of 71 after being involved in a motorcycle accident, starred on Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores alongside Huszar for six seasons prior to his passing. Williams portrayed Mick O’Brien on the heartwarming series, while Huszar, for his part, played Luke Tatum — a love interest for Mick’s daughter Bree (Emilie Ullerup).
“I just feel like Treat was a man who just really loved life and lived life to the fullest,” Huszar continued, calling Wiliams a “legendary” and “incredible” actor. “And he was doing something he loved when he went out. We all just keep him very close to our heart. It’s actually brought us back together.”
Huszar had his own personal message for Williams as well, adding, “So if you’re hearing this brother, we miss you so much and you’ll be with us always.”
Following his death, Hallmark also paid tribute to Williams, who also starred in several of the network’s projects over the years including 2020’s The Christmas House and its subsequent sequel.
We are heartbroken over the passing of beloved Treat Williams, star of Chesapeake Shores, The Christmas House and so much more,” the network wrote via Instagram at the time. “We will forever cherish him in our hearts, and extend our condolences to Treat’s family, friends, and loved ones.”
Williams’ costar Barbara Niven, who played Williams’ onscreen wife Megan O’Brien on Chesapeake Shores, also took to social media to honor the actor following the “unexpected and immense loss.”
“Treat lived large and savored every bit of life. He loved his craft and it was an honor to spend six years with him on Chesapeake Shores. He truly was the patriarch of our family, both on and off the set. And he made it so much fun,’ she wrote via Instagram in June. “He would suddenly break into a song from Grease or Hair as we were rehearsing a scene, and came in with horrible dad jokes every day to make the crew laugh. What an actor he was. I think he was this generation’s Spencer Tracy.”
Hallmark is known for its tight-knit group of actors. It’s that kind of “familiarity” that keeps Huszar coming back for more projects.
“Working with other performers and crew again, it’s just really nice. It’s family. It really feels like family,” Huszar gushed to Us about his time with the network. “It’s always nice to work with people you’ve worked with before [that have] your back and you’re just there to make a great artistic piece with each other and have fun while you do it. That’s the name of the game, isn’t it?”
One artistic piece Huszar has certainly had fun making is his upcoming film A Royal Christmas Crush. The movie — which premieres July 8 and is part of Hallmark’s Christmas in July event — follows Huszar’s character, Prince Henry, as he finds unexpected love with architect Ava (Cassidy) when he comes to stateside to visit. The chemistry on set was so believable, in fact, the twosome sparked a real-life romance.
“It’s hard to explain, but I just think the more [Katie and I] got to know each other, we realized we’re basically the same person, just in a different skin. Which was odd. I’ve never met someone that’s so similar in ways than I am. It’s been quite a journey,” Huszar told Us of the couple’s blossoming romance, to which Cassidy, 36, added, “It’s like we finish each other’s sentences.”