What started with a single film over 15 years ago has since turned into a full-fledged reign for Lacey Chabert at Hallmark. The actress, known as the Queen of Hallmark, first found her way to the network with 2010's Elevator Girl. Little did she know that one role would lead to more than 40 Hallmark films and counting. "The rest is history, and I have a very grateful heart," Lacey tells HELLO! in her May digital cover story.
Lacey's partnership with Hallmark expanded in 2025 with her first-ever product collection, available at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and Hallmark.com — and she's since built on her holiday collection with a line of entertaining pieces and giftables available for Mother's Day.
© Sarah Krick"It's so exciting for me. I love entertaining. I love having people over. I love celebrating any and every occasion, so to now have a line with Hallmark where I get to be a part of other people's celebrations is such an honor, and it brings me such joy," the Party of Five alum says.
The Lacey Chabert Collection isn't just a namesake collection. The Hallmark star is very much involved in the design process behind the feminine, whimsical line, which includes a floral serving tray — one of her personal favorites — along with bowls and glassware with bows, tea towels, Mother's Day cards and more.
© Hallmark"Anything that I put my name on, I want to be a part of and in a big way, and feel like it actually represents me, whether that be my aesthetic or my style. So to see that come to life has really been a dream come true," Lacey shares. "When we started with the holiday collection last year, a lot of the inspiration for that was pulled from the archives from the 1950s at Hallmark, and I got to visit the archives, which was such an amazing experience, to see greeting cards and wrapping paper from almost 100 years ago."
"It was just incredible. And a lot of the inspiration was pulled from the 1950s and it has a sort of vintage, whimsical vibe to it, and I love vintage things, and that's something that was passed down to me from my mom, and a lot of those archives were from 1957, the year she was born. So there just were so many things about it that have felt, from the beginning, like it was really meant to be."
© HallmarkLacey’s own daughter, Julia, now shares her love for all things Hallmark — and it goes beyond just watching her mom's projects. "She watches Hallmark+ all the time on her own, and if she misses a movie on Saturday night when it's airing, she will literally look for it on Hallmark+ the next day," Lacey says.
"She loves going to the Hallmark store. We collect the ornaments. She couldn't believe I was an ornament last year. That was really fun. Whenever we would go to the store, she would find the boxes of them and put them on the top shelf if they weren't or make sure they were very visible," Lacey laughs. "She's such a cheerleader. It is really sweet and warms my heart. She's also very honest, and can be a little critical sometimes, but I appreciate the feedback, but she's definitely my biggest cheerleader. And it's so sweet."
Lacey welcomed Julia, her first child, with her husband David Nehdar in September 2016. A week after her birth, the Mean Girls star announced Julia's arrival, calling her daughter her "heart's deepest dream come true."
© Sarah Krick"My daughter is just my heart," Lacey tells HELLO!. "Having a child is like watching your heart beat outside of your body. It's the most intense and wonderful experience ever. And she brings me such joy."
For the actress, the most rewarding part of motherhood has been watching Julia grow into herself and be proud of herself. "Seeing her accomplish things that I know she's worked hard for, and seeing her take that pride in herself is something really beautiful for me to witness as her mom," Lacey shares. "And honestly, seeing her be kind to other people. We always tell her like 'Do your best in school. You don't have to be perfect, but it is really important to us that you be kind to people.' When you get that feedback back, whether from a teacher or another parent, that your child has been kind, it just means the world."
In true she's not a regular mom, she’s a cool mom fashion, Lacey has brought her daughter to the set of her projects, something Julia enjoys. "She loves going to the hair and makeup trailer. She loves hanging out. She's a bit more shy on set. She kind of likes to just hang back and watch how everything unfolds, but she's very interested in the whole process," the Haul Out the Holly actress reveals. "She even likes reading some of the scripts and enjoys seeing how it ends up coming to life on screen."
One recent visit took Julia to the most magical place on earth for Lacey’s highly anticipated movie Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True. The film, which shot on location at Walt Disney World Resort and is set to premiere during Hallmark's 17th annual Countdown to Christmas this year, was yet another dream come true for Lacey, who has loved Disney all her life.
© Hallmark Channel"Disney World holds some very special memories for me growing up. I remember being there when I was either 13 or 14, standing on Main Street, and I said to my mom, 'Gosh, I want to film here someday,' and I have this deep feeling that I might have that chance one day," she recalls. "And I couldn't believe I found myself standing there, not only filming anything, but a Hallmark movie, and it's the first time an entire feature-length film has been filmed inside of the parks, and I got to be a part of that."
"It's such a pinch me moment, and it was really magical. The most wonderful group of people, such a fun, wonderful script and director and producers, and many full-circle realizations throughout the filming, and people that I've known since I was a kid that were working on it. There was just so much about it that felt truly magical."
After wrapping the film in Florida, Lacey jetted off to France to begin filming her first scripted series for Hallmark, Paris Is Always a Good Idea. The romantic six-episode series, based on Jenn McKinlay's book of the same name, is scheduled to debut on Hallmark+ this year. Between filming projects at Walt Disney World and abroad in France and Spain, this year has felt like "most exciting" one to date for Lacey.
"I would be lying if I said this didn't feel like the most exciting year ever," she admits. "It really does. And it makes me so hopeful for everything that's to come, and the greatest reward for me is when we make something that people are able to enjoy. So that's always my hope."
Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True marked Lacey's 45th Hallmark film, the latest in a long run that's earned her the title "Queen of Hallmark." It's a label, she confesses, that makes her feel "shy right away," explaining: "Because I don't view myself that way." Still, Lacey appreciates the title, while noting that there are many people behind the scenes who carry the values of the company personally.
"I just feel unbelievably grateful," Lacey says. "I feel so thankful that I have found such a home with Hallmark, because it just falls in line with what I value and Hallmark has been a part of my life. I remember when I was younger than my daughter, my grandmother taking me to the Hallmark store and getting to pick out an ornament or a special card, and it's been a part of so many of my personal milestones in life, and I know millions of people share that same sentiment, so to now work so closely with them, and to be a part of the brand in a bigger way is very meaningful to me."
After working on 2010's Elevator Girl, Lacey didn't know whether there would be a second Hallmark movie. "This business has no guarantees, and I am blown away at what it's all turned into," she says. "And I'm extremely thankful."
Now, with more than 40 projects behind her, Lacey continues to return because she loves what she and Hallmark are able to create together. The Mean Girls star says: "I think we continue to raise the bar, and our audience deserves it because they continue to tune in."
And in a world where the news cycle can often feel negative, Lacey feels a sense of duty to bring optimism and hope to her work. "I think with every story, well, I think the first thing I feel responsibility to is to make the best product I possibly can, for our audience, because our viewers are so loyal, and they continue to tune in. So I want to give them the best possible movie or show that I can, and then it's very important to me, even though we might deal with some heavier issues in the show, that the end be uplifting and that the overall message of the show be one of goodness and of people coming together, whether that's through community or family or a romantic storyline, I think, now more than ever," she says.
© Sarah Krick"And I feel like I've said this for a while, but it's because it's true. We need as much hope in the world as we can find, and as much goodness and what we do with Hallmark, that is exemplified in the content."
In her own everyday life, it's Lacey's faith that brings her hope. "I have a really strong faith in God, so that's first and foremost. And the hope I find in my faith, it's something I'm deeply grateful for, God's grace," she says. "Raising a daughter and seeing how she wants to be kind to other people and do good, and being a part of like the sense of community, that gives me great hope. When I travel all over the world, I realize we are all so much more alike than we are different."
As for where she'd like to travel next for another project, Lacey has two dream European destinations in mind. "I would love to do another movie in Italy or Greece," the Christmas In Rome actress says.
While she plans to enjoy some summer with her family following Paris Is Always a Good Idea, she and Hallmark are "already talking about what's to come" next. She teases, "There's some really fun things in the works."
When it comes to her legacy at Hallmark, Lacey hopes she is part of something that's "left a little bit of goodness in this world." "We get to recreate moments in these movies that are some of my favorite moments in life: holiday traditions, falling in love, having a child, those have been the most magical things in my life, and to get to portray those on camera is really special," she says. "I just want to be a part of something that adds a little bit of goodness back into the world and brings a little bit of hope. Hopefully, I've been able to entertain people in that way."
