Lacey Chabert is an American actress born September 30, 1982, known for playing Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls and Claudia Salinger in Party of Five, as well as starring in Hallmark Channel movies. She has starred in over 40 Hallmark Channel films, earning the title “Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies.” She also voiced Eliza Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys.
Lacey Chabert: From Child Star to Entertainment Icon
Born in Purvis, Mississippi, Lacey Nicole Chabert has built an entertainment career spanning more than three decades. She began performing in local theater productions before landing her breakthrough role as young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Misérables when she was just 10 years old. That early success set the stage for a career that would take her from prime-time television to blockbuster films and eventually to becoming one of the most recognizable faces in holiday entertainment.
Chabert’s first ready-to-wear collection for HSN was released in March 2024, and she launched a product line with Hallmark for the 2025 holiday season that includes greeting cards, glassware, ornaments, and festive products. This business expansion shows how she’s transformed from actress to brand.
The Party of Five Years: Building a Foundation
Chabert gained prominence for her portrayal of Claudia Salinger in the Fox television drama Party of Five, which ran from 1994 to 2000, and later starred in Hallmark Channel movies. She joined the cast at age 11, playing the youngest Salinger sibling who navigates life after her parents die in a car accident.
The role earned her critical recognition. She won The Hollywood Reporter’s annual YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama TV Series in both 1997 and 1998. The show addressed serious topics, including alcoholism, cancer, and domestic violence, giving Chabert the chance to develop her dramatic acting skills during her formative years.
“I feel like so much of who I am now as an adult, so much of it is from the influence that that amazing group of people had on me from the ages of 11 to 17,” Chabert told Us Weekly in 2024. She described going through many of life’s firsts while filming the series, both as herself and as her character, starring Lacey Chabert.
Mean Girls: A Career-Defining Role
While Party of Five established her as a talented young actress, it was her role in Mean Girls that cemented Chabert’s place in pop culture history. She co-starred as Gretchen Wieners, the girl who tries to make her slang term “fetch” catch on, in the 2004 hit film.
The comedy, written by Tina Fey, became an instant classic. Chabert and her co-stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Amanda Seyfried won the 2005 MTV Movie Award for “Best On-Screen Team”. The film’s quotable dialogue and memorable characters have kept it relevant for two decades.
In November 2023, Chabert starred in a Mean Girls-themed Black Friday commercial for Walmart, along with her original co-stars Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Rajiv Surendra, and Daniel Franzese. A second commercial centered entirely around her character, Gretchen Wieners, and her family life, showing how the role continues to define her public image.
Voice Acting: The Hidden Career
Many fans don’t realize that Chabert has an extensive voice acting career running parallel to her on-screen work. Her voice acting roles have included Eliza Thornberry in the Nickelodeon animated series The Wild Thornberrys from 1998 to 2004, plus the feature films The Wild Thornberrys Movie and Rugrats Go Wild.
She also briefly voiced Meg Griffin during the first season of the animated sitcom Family Guy in 1999, showcasing her versatility as a voice actress. Mila Kunis took over the role after Chabert became too busy with schooling and her other work. Her other voice work includes Princess Elise in Sonic the Hedgehog, Zatanna Zatara in DC Comics media, and various other animated projects.
This voice work allowed her to maintain steady employment even during transitions between her on-screen roles, demonstrating her versatility as a performer.
The Hallmark Channel Era: Finding Her Home
Appearing in more than 40 Hallmark Channel films, many of them holiday-themed, Chabert has been referred to as the ‘Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies’. Her first Hallmark movie was Elevator Girl in 2010, but her relationship with the network really took off in subsequent years.
In February 2022, Chabert signed an exclusive multi-film deal with Hallmark Channel’s parent company, Crown Media Family Networks. This commitment came at a time when several other actors left Hallmark for competing networks, making her loyalty particularly significant.
In January 2025, Hallmark announced an expansive new partnership with Chabert that extends her multi-picture movie deal, where she will star in, develop, and produce Hallmark film projects into 2025 and beyond. The deal also includes a second season of her unscripted series and her first product line with the company.
What keeps her at Hallmark? She told Vulture in 2022 that she found “a real home” there and appreciates being able to be more of herself than possibly anywhere else she’s worked. The guarantee of happy endings and feel-good content aligns with what she wants to bring to audiences.
Hot Frosty: Breaking the Hallmark Mold
In a surprising move, Chabert starred in the Netflix holiday film Hot Frosty, where she played a widow who brings a snowman to life two years after losing her husband. Released on November 13, 2024, Hot Frosty was placed at number one on Netflix in its first week after release.
The film, co-starring Dustin Milligan, offered Chabert a chance to reach a different audience while staying in the holiday movie genre she knows well. The movie includes a clever nod to Mean Girls when Chabert’s character watches Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix film Falling for Christmas and comments, “That looks just like a girl I went to high school with”.
The success of Hot Frosty proved that Chabert’s appeal extends beyond the Hallmark audience and that she can draw viewers to streaming platforms with the same charm that made her a cable television favorite.
Celebrations with Lacey Chabert: Executive Producer
On November 27, 2023, it was announced that Chabert was working on an unscripted Hallmark project, Celebrations with Lacey Chabert, which premiered on Hallmark+ on September 10, 2024. She was credited as an executive producer, marking her evolution into behind-the-camera roles.
The series features Chabert and her party planning team creating surprise celebrations for individuals who make extraordinary efforts to uplift their communities. Season 2 will premiere on September 15, 2025, and will consist of eight episodes featuring one-of-a-kind celebrations.
The show allows her to combine her love of event planning with meaningful storytelling, giving back to everyday heroes who typically work behind the scenes. It represents her growing influence within Hallmark Media beyond just acting roles.
Building a Brand: The Lacey Chabert Collection
In September 2022, Chabert launched her own apparel line with home shopping television network HSN called the “Lacey Chabert Collection”. She told InStyle that she had always dreamed of having a clothing line. The collection includes jackets, jogger pants, leggings, socks, “Mommy & Me” dresses, and cardigans, with prices ranging from $15 to $80.
For Holiday 2025, she’s partnering with Hallmark to bring an exclusive product collection to Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and Hallmark.com. The collection features holiday lifestyle products, including greeting cards, gift wrap, and entertaining essentials, all designed to help customers host festive celebrations throughout the season.
These business ventures show Chabert using her platform to create revenue streams beyond acting while staying true to her brand identity centered around family, celebration, and joy.
Personal Life: Marriage and Motherhood
Chabert married her longtime boyfriend, David Nehdar, on December 22, 2013, in Los Angeles, and they often celebrate Valentine’s Day together. Nehdar is a businessman who stays out of the spotlight. She announced the marriage on social media in January 2014, calling him her “best friend & love of my life.”
The couple welcomed their daughter Julia Mimi Bella, in September 2016. Chabert has been open about how motherhood has changed her life, frequently sharing photos of Julia on social media while carefully protecting her daughter’s privacy by not showing her face.
Chabert explained to People that she didn’t want the wedding to feel like an event: “He’s not in the business, and we like our privacy, and I just think relationships are hard enough without the opinion of strangers”. This commitment to privacy has allowed them to maintain a normal family life despite her celebrity status.
The couple shares household duties, with Chabert telling People in 2024: “We make school lunch every day. My husband and I take turns. He’ll make breakfast if I make lunch, which is a sweet deal reminiscent of the romantic themes often found in Hallmark Channel movies. She emphasizes teaching her daughter that being kind to people is more important than grades.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Lacey Nicole Chabert was born on September 30, 1982, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and raised in nearby Purvis. Her father is Cajun from Louisiana, and she has a younger brother, Tony, and an older sister, Chrissy. Tragically, their oldest sister, Wendy, died of a heart attack in November 2021.
Lacey was “World’s Baby Petite” in the “World’s Our Little Miss Scholarship Competition” in 1985. She participated in beauty pageants as a child and was named Miss Jr. Mississippi. These early experiences performing gave her confidence and stage presence that would serve her throughout her career.
Chabert was a finalist on Star Search in 1991 and gained her break in a cough syrup commercial before successfully auditioning for the Broadway production of Les Misérables, where she played young Cosette for two years. Moving from Mississippi to Broadway at such a young age required dedication and family support that laid the groundwork for her professional work ethic.
Career Highlights Beyond Hallmark
While Hallmark has become her primary home, Chabert has maintained a diverse filmography. She made her big-screen debut starring as Penny Robinson in Lost in Space in 1998, holding her own opposite established stars like William Hurt and Matt LeBlanc.
She appeared in Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Daddy Day Care (2003) with Eddie Murphy, and the horror remake Black Christmas (2006). Each role showed different facets of her range, from comedy to drama to thriller.
She also played the title role in The Brooke Ellison Story, a 2004 television biopic produced and directed by Christopher Reeve, based on a real-life quadriplegic woman who overcame obstacles to graduate from Harvard. This thoughtful drama demonstrated her commitment to meaningful projects alongside commercial entertainment.
The Future: What’s Next for Lacey Chabert
Coming off a banner year in 2024, Chabert’s recent work spanned starring in her 40th original Hallmark movie (The Christmas Quest) and debuting Celebrations with Lacey Chabert. She continues expanding her role as both performer and producer.
Her upcoming projects include Lost in Paradise, premiering January 3, 2026, and An Unexpected Valentine, a Hallmark Channel movie that premiered February 1, 2025. She shows no signs of slowing down, with multiple films in various stages of production.
Her expanded partnership with Hallmark gives her creative control over projects she develops and produces, not just stars in. This evolution from actress to producer and brand builder represents a natural progression for someone who has spent 30 years in the entertainment industry.
Why Lacey Chabert Remains Relevant
In an industry where child stars often struggle with transitions, Chabert has maintained steady employment and growing influence. Her secret seems to be finding her niche, such as starring in Hallmark Channel movies, and excelling at it rather than chasing trends or trying to reinvent herself every few years.
She’s built a reputation for professionalism, warmth, and consistency. Audiences know what to expect from a Lacey Chabert project—quality entertainment with heart, especially in her Hallmark Channel movies and television series. Her willingness to embrace her identity as the “Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies” rather than fight against typecasting has actually expanded her opportunities.
She’s also evolved with the industry, moving from traditional broadcast television to streaming platforms, from acting to producing, and from performer to businesswoman with her own product lines. This adaptability, while maintaining her core brand identity, has kept her career thriving for three decades.
FAQs
How many Hallmark movies has Lacey Chabert made?
Lacey Chabert has appeared in more than 40 Hallmark Channel films since her first in 2010, making her one of the network’s most prolific stars.
Is Lacey Chabert married?
Yes, Lacey Chabert married businessman David Nehdar in December 2013. They have one daughter, Julia, born in September 2016.
What was Lacey Chabert’s first major role in a television series?
Her first major role was playing Claudia Salinger in Party of Five from 1994 to 2000, which she joined at age 11.
Did Lacey Chabert voice Meg Griffin in the animated sitcom Family Guy?
Yes, she voiced Meg Griffin during the first season of Family Guy in 1999, though she was uncredited. Mila Kunis later took over the role.
What is Lacey Chabert’s most famous movie?
Mean Girls (2004), where she played Gretchen Wieners, is widely considered her most culturally significant film role.
Does Lacey Chabert do voice acting?
Yes, she voiced Eliza Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys from 1998 to 2004 and has voiced numerous other animated characters throughout her career.
Conclusion
Lacey Chabert has built a career that many actors only dream of—steady work, creative fulfillment, and the ability to balance professional success with personal privacy. From her early days on Broadway to becoming Hallmark’s most reliable star, she’s proven that longevity in entertainment comes from knowing your strengths and delivering consistently for your audience.
Her transition into producing, her successful product lines, and her continued box office appeal with projects like Hot Frosty show that she’s still evolving. As she enters her forties with more creative control than ever before, the next chapter of her career promises to be just as interesting as the three decades that came before.
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