Exclusive Interview
Lacey Chabert Celebrates Her Hallmark Milestone ‘The Christmas Quest’ & Teases 2025 Plans
“I love making Christmas movies,” says Lacey Chabert, who already has a lot to celebrate this holiday season. Not only is her current film, Hot Frosty, a huge success on Netflix, but her next movie for Hallmark, The Christmas Quest, premieres December 1.
Hot Frosty marks the first original film Chabert has done for the streaming platform. The story, which follows a snowman (Dustin Milligan) who comes to life and falls for Chabert’s character, Kathy, has been at the top of Netflix’s movies chart since its November 13 release. “I am so excited that people are enjoying it,” she says. “A lot of people are saying, ‘I was expecting something very silly, and while it has silly elements, it’s funny, and it also has a lot of heart.’ I wasn’t expecting that. To hear such a positive reaction means the world to me. I’m just so happy that it’s bringing the festive holiday spirit to people’s celebrations this year.”
The movie boasts two fun cameos: One from Chabert’s Mean Girls costar Lindsay Lohan, the other from Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause. “Lindsay and I have known each other since we were kids, and I’m so happy that our paths continue to cross,” Chabert offers. “And Chrishell is so lovely. That was actually the first time that I had met her, and she was just so kind and funny. We only got to spend one day together, but she came ready to play and had such a great time with her scene.”
Hallmark Media / Eva Rut Hjaltadottir
While Chabert is thrilled that viewership for Hot Frosty is going strong, she is also looking forward to the premiere of The Christmas Quest, which marks a milestone for her at Hallmark. “Forty-one movies total for Hallmark, but this is the 15th that’s Christmas, and it’s also the 15th anniversary of [Hallmark’s] Countdown to Christmas,” she points out. “I truly feel so honored to be a part of it every year, and to bring a little bit of joy to people’s living rooms is something I don’t take lightly. I’m so thankful for the continued support.”
In this movie, “we get to take the audience on this epic adventure through Iceland,” Chabert describes. “My character [Stefanie] and her ex-husband Chase, played by Kristoffer Polaha, go on a quest, a treasure hunt, and we were filming in lava caves and on the top of ice glaciers and waterfalls and hiking in these incredible places.”
Chabert, who has previously traveled to Belgium, Ireland, and South Africa as part of Hallmark shoots, was excited to stamp her passport once more. “Iceland really is a character in this movie,” she notes. “It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, and to actually be filming a movie there was just amazing.”
But she admits the weather wasn’t exactly a dream scenario. “We were there during March and April, and it was very cold, and I am not really a cold person,” she says. “I’ve lived in Southern California for 25 years now, and I was shocked by how cold it was. By about the third day of filming, we discovered that I needed more layers, and they actually got me this heated vest that I could wear under my jacket. I had three or four different shirts on, multiple pairs of pants, and the heated jacket underneath my puffer jacket. But every day, I looked around and I was like, ‘This is so surreal. I can’t believe that I get to make a movie in this incredible place.’ ”
The chilly conditions weren’t the only challenge she encountered, she reports. “On day two, we showed up to set at the bottom of this ice glacier,” Chabert recalls. “Our wonderful director, Dustin [Rikert] said, ‘When you guys get to the top of the glacier, we’re gonna send up the drone, and we’re gonna film you guys walking around up there, and you can do your dialogue from the scene.’ And my first question was, ‘Well, how are we getting up there?’ They’re like, ‘You’re hiking.’ So they put on the crampons, the spikes on our shoes, and I thought it would be fun to film some behind the scenes as we’re hiking up. Note to self: Maybe don’t take your phone out when you’re hiking up an ice glacier. I took a few tumbles, but I had a wonderful costar, Kris. He’s such a gentleman; he picked me up. We also had a guide named David, and he was making sure we were safe up there. It was just the ultimate adventure. So much laughter.”
The Christmas Quest marks the first time Chabert has teamed up with Polaha, another Hallmark vet. “We knew each other through events and friends, and I was a huge fan of his work,” she relays. “I’d hoped to work with him for a really long time, and there were a couple of times where it looked like it might work out, but because of scheduling and different variables, it hadn’t yet. This was just the perfect chance not only to work together but to do a movie that was as special as this one is. He’s so talented and kind and wonderful. We both were able to have our families there over the Easter holiday. So, lots of special memories made.”
Hallmark Media / Eva Rut Hjaltadottir
Fifteen movies in, Chabert appreciates that she has become a part of Hallmark viewers’ holiday experience. “I get excited to turn on my TV and watch Christmas movies, especially with my daughter,” she says. “To know that I might be in one that becomes a part of a family’s tradition, or one that they want to watch again the following year, means the world to me. I love telling these stories, whether it’s a Christmas movie or a love story or any other holiday. I love bringing these stories to our audience who are so kind and loyal to continue to tune in.”
Her daughter Julia, 8, has become one of those loyal audience members. “She only understood that these were movies that everyone could see a few years ago,” Chabert explains. “She said to me, ‘Mommy, do other people watch these movies?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, they’re not just for you.’ And she put two and two together and she started to understand why sometimes people come up to us in public and say something about the movies. I thought it was so cute that this whole time she thought they were just for her. But she gets really, really excited to watch them, and she’s so excited to see The Christmas Quest. She’s like, ‘When is the Iceland one? When is the treasure hunt one coming on?’ As a mother, I’m so happy that I make things that she can sit down and enjoy as well.”
The holiday season is well underway at Chabert’s home, where tradition plays an important role. “I’m a big sentimental person,” she says. “Our new tradition is Elf on the Shelf. We have so much fun with our elves; they go wild in our house. We decorate very early, and we have old ornaments from my childhood and ornaments that she’s made over the years and new ornaments that we get. We listen to Christmas music, bake my grandmother’s sweet potato pie and my great-grandmother’s coconut cake, and drive around looking at Christmas lights with hot cocoa. We wear our matching family pajamas on Christmas Day and pretty much stay in pajamas all Christmas Day, just being together.”
As the year comes to a close, Chabert is already focused on what’s ahead in 2025. “I do have some really fun things coming up,” she teases. “Projects that I’m really passionate about and are going to be really fun. With every job I have, I feel like it’s my first day of school. Every single time. I’m just so excited and thankful that I get to work as an actress; it’s my dream come true.”
The Christmas Quest, Movie Premiere, December 1, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel
