Why Hallmark's Lacey Chabert Is More Selective With Roles After Having Kids
Lacey Chabert has spent most of her life acting, starring in notable projects like "Party of Five" and "Mean Girls" before becoming the queen of Hallmark Christmas movies. However, once she became a parent, her perspective on her public-facing career notably shifted. The Mississippi native opened up to Tinseltown Mom about how motherhood has changed how she approaches potential roles.
"It has become growingly important to me to be a part of stuff that my daughter can also watch," Chabert shared in 2021. "I'm an actress and I want to play all types of different characters and different types of stories and I'm excited to tell different stories but I'm really proud of the fact that all of the work that I've done with Hallmark is something that my little girl can also enjoy."
Chabert and her husband David Nehdar welcomed their daughter, Julia Mimi Bella Nehdar, in September 2016. Hallmark's family-friendly nature makes the network perfect for Chabert's parental sensibilities, making the actor feel even more at home on the feel-good network.
Chabert focuses on putting positive content into the world
In addition to being appropriate for the whole family, the Hallmark Channel allows Lacey Chabert to be a part of positive and uplifting titles, something that has become increasingly significant to the actor since she became a mother. "I used to watch those Friday-night 'ripped from the headlines'–type shows," she told Vulture in 2022. "I can't watch that stuff now that I'm a parent. I want something that's uplifting or funny or moving."
When talking with The Messenger, Chabert expanded on this idea from an acting perspective, explaining the value she puts on being involved in such projects as a parent. "I think now more than ever, just with everything going on in the world, I want to be a part of things that add some goodness back into the world and be a part of projects that bring out the good in humanity," she said, adding that Hallmark has undoubtedly allowed her to do that.
Beyond aligning with her personal values and professional goals, Hallmark also offers some unique benefits to Chabert as a working mom.
The actor was able to bring her little one to Hallmark sets
Lacey Chabert has expressed the importance of working on projects that align with her positivity-focused values, but the Hallmark Channel is also one of the best practical options for her as a working mom.
Not only does the network offer some flexible scheduling options, as Hallmark movies are typically filmed in a short period, but they also allow the actor to bring her daughter to work. "The fact that I can bring her to the set is such a blessing," Chabert told Sway's Universe in 2017, acknowledging that it was a rare benefit for working parents.
The "Crosswords Mysteries" actor similarly spoke about this perk in a 2019 interview with People. "I'm lucky and incredibly fortunate that my family is able to travel with me most of the time," she said, adding that she's thankful for the opportunity to continue working as a mom. "I hope to set that example for [my daughter] to let her know that you can do it all, but with a lot of help and support!" While we love seeing Chabert achieving those happily ever afters on our TV screens, we love to see her thriving as a mother even more.