Mean Girls star and Christmas movie queen Lacey Chabert is hitting back against ageism in the industry.
Chabert, who came to prominence in '90s TV series Party of Five, is currently promoting Netflix's festive flick Hot Frosty. During a new interview, the actress responded to recent reports that an employee had filed an age discrimination against Hallmark, via The Independent. The filing alleged that Hallmark's executive vice president of programming referred to a number of the network's stars, including Chabert, as "old talent." Hallmark denied the allegations, according to The Independent.
"I think it's important that we have the opportunity to tell all of our stories through every phase of life," Chabert told Variety.
Chabert continued, "I have so much that I hope to share with my audience. Now I'm a mother, and it's the experience of raising a daughter."
While speaking with Variety, Chabert revealed that her daughter plays an important role in the material she takes on. "It's so important to me to portray characters that she, as a younger generation, can also look up to and learn from," the actress explained. "And with everything I do, I try to put as much of my authentic heart into it as I can."
As for why Hot Frosty was a great fit for her, Chabert told the outlet, "I love a feel-good movie. That's the kind of movie I like to watch personally, and Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday."
She continued, "I'm so happy that I found myself in this position where I get to make all of these Christmas movies, because I enjoy them so much, and they mean so much to me
Revealing why holiday movies are so important, Chabert said, "It brings up good memories of my childhood. I have an 8-year-old daughter. Getting to create new memories by passing along these traditions is really meaningful."
According to the lawsuit, Hallmark's executive vice president of programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, allegedly said, "Lacey's getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older," via Variety.
Casting director Penny Perry, 79, filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 9, claiming she'd been "unceremoniously fired after nine years with the company," Variety reported.
According to Perry's suit, she was told, "We need to bring in someone who knows more young talent... Our leading ladies are aging out."
Hallmark responded to the claims in a statement, which said, via Variety, "Lacey and Holly [Robinson Peete] have a home at Hallmark. We do not generally comment on pending litigation. And while we deny these outrageous allegations, we are not going to discuss an employment relationship in the media."
