Andie MacDowell Relates to Del’s Reaction to Kat Moving in with Elliot on The Way Home: ‘It’s Hard’ (Exclusive)

Del Landry may be struggling with Kat’s plan to move in with Elliot The way home — and Andie MacDowell can certainly relate.

During the Jan. 17 episode of the Hallmark Channel hit, Del (MacDowell) finally revealed that she and Sam Bishop (Rob Stewart) have been dating for a while. Kat (Chyler Leigh) followed it up with her “good news” and revealed to her mom that she was moving in with Elliot (Evan Williams) — and they had her daughter Alice’s (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) approval. However, this news did not exactly meet with Del’s approval.

“I know from experience that it’s hard to lose children like that,” MacDowell, 66, told PEOPLE during an exclusive set visit. “You’re really attached to them. It’s hard sometimes to let your kids fly, you want them there.”

Andie MacDowell (center) with daughters Rainey Qualley and Margaret Qualley in 2020.

Rachel Murray/Getty

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MacDowell is the mother of three children with ex-husband Paul Qualley: son Justin, 38, who has chosen a life out of the spotlight, and daughters Rainey Qualley, 35, and Margaret Qualley, 30, who are both actresses.

“I’m sad,” MacDowell says of Kat’s plans to leave. “I love her. I want her there.”

On the plus side, she’ll only be across the street and Alice will stay at the farm.

“[Del is] very accusatory of her choosing to abandon her daughter, even though she’s walking across the street,” adds MacDowell. “It’s interesting, because she could secretly say, ‘Go on. I get it just for myself.’ There is that component. She could have reacted like that. She could have said, ‘Okay, I’m getting my granddaughter all to myself.’ ”

Kat (Chyler Leigh) and Del (Andie MacDowell) fight in the scene ‘The Way Home’.

Peter Stranks/Hallmark Media

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The star paused thoughtfully before sharing a recent conversation with series co-creator Marly Reed about why Kat and Del are fighting.

“First I went back to the original idea, the original concept of what happened to them after Jacob disappeared and my inability to take care of her and all that. But I think it’s deeper than that,” she explains. “I think they fight because they’re two alpha females. And I know how that feels because I have to make a change when I let them be the alpha thing that you have to do when you’ve been an alpha female for a long time.”

“It’s really painful to let your daughter be the boss. I think it’s an interesting concept about these women living under the same roof,” she continues. “That goes back to why do I even have a say in her leaving?”

Andie MacDowell as Del Landry in ‘The Way Home’ scene.

Michael Tompkins/Hallmark Media

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Later, MacDowell says of Del, “She’s been so lonely for so long—and that’s why she’s so afraid of Kat and Alice disappearing.”

But as an actress, MacDowell enjoys the shared spirit of creation The way home.

“We’re like a bunch of kids. We just are. It’s so childlike, our job, fun and creative. It’s a really good job,” she says. “There’s something unique about the comfort zone that we have. I’m so excited when I walk on set. And it’s nice at my age and after all the time I’ve been doing this to have that sense of joy. I’m very aware of that, so I recognize that and I try to share that with tell anyone and everyone how happy we are.”

The way home airs Fridays at 9pm ET/PT on the Hallmark Channel and airs the following day on Hallmark+.

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Source: HIS Education