Actress Lacey Chabert (ex-Bianca Montgomery) has been a long-standing Hallmark star, and she's now expanding on her relationship with the network's parent company, Crown Media Family Networks. The Mississippi native has signed a deal under which she will headline and executive produce movies and develop other content for Hallmark Channel and other Hallmark platforms over the next two years.
The exciting news comes hot on the heels of the release of The Wedding Veil, a film trilogy that Chabert developed, executive produced, and starred in for Hallmark Channel. The first installment of the romantic films, which also star Days of our Lives' Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady), premiered on January 8; it was the second most-watched non-holiday movie among Households and Women 18+ in the network's history.
The AMC alum took to Instagram to share her enthusiasm about her new deal, writing, "Making these movies with @hallmarkchannel has brought such joy to my life. I'm deeply grateful for the journey to continue! Thank you so much for your support."
In a press release, Chabert also enthused, "My experience at Hallmark, a home to me for over ten years now, has been wonderful and it's beyond rewarding to create characters and develop stories that resonate so strongly with viewers. I'm also incredibly grateful to Crown's programming team for supporting me as a producer and empowering me to develop and star in projects that bring my passion and creative vision to life. I am so excited for what's next and to continue connecting with Hallmark's audience."
Lisa Hamilton Daly, EVP, Programming, Crown Media Family Networks, also shared enthusiasm about the company's new deal with Chabert. In an official press release, she stated, "Lacey's warmth, talent, relatability, and creative sensibilities have endeared her to millions of Hallmark viewers for more than ten years, making her one of our most in-demand stars. In addition to shining on screen, Lacey is a prolific behind-the-scenes creative partner, developing and executive producing many of our highest-quality, most-beloved projects of all time. She inherently understands and embodies what our networks are all about -- the transformational power of love and making people feel good -- and we look forward to continuing our work with her to create heartfelt, compelling stories that will entertain, inspire, and touch our audience."
Chabert's history with Crown Media began with the 2010 Hallmark Channel film Elevator Girl. Since then, she has starred in over 30 original movies across Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, including the popular Crossword Mysteries film series.
The actress got her start on ABC's All My Children, playing Erica Kane's daughter Bianca from 1992 to 1993. She followed up her soap stint with roles in series like Party of Five and Baby Daddy, and films like Mean Girls and Not Another Teen Movie.
Chabert's Crown Media deal follows a string of similar deals signed by several Hallmark Channel alums -- including DAYS alums Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa Donovan) and Trevor Donovan (ex-Jeremy Horton) -- with GAC Family, the rebranded Great American Country network run by former Crown Media Family Networks CEO Bill Abbott.
Would you like to congratulate Lacey Chabert on her exciting new deal with Crown Media Family Networks? What kind of movies would you like to see the actress executive produce and star in? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
