Why Hallmark Stars Lacey Chabert And Scott Wolf Won't Ever Play Love Interests
Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf go way back. The two actors famously worked together on the 1990s hit series "Party of Five." Since then, Chabert's gone on to numerous roles on camera and as a voice actor. In over two decades as a Hallmark star, Chabert has been in dozens of films for the network. Wolf is a more recent addition to the channel, and has starred in Hallmark's "A Christmas Love Story" and "A Merry Scottish Christmas." Outside of the network, the actor has also worked on TV series like "Nancy Drew" and "The Night Shift," dividing his time with live theater performances.
When Chabert starred with Wolf in Hallmark's "A Merry Scottish Christmas" in 2023, it was the first time in over 20 years that the two actors worked together. Given Hallmark's reputation for romantic movies, some people thought that Chabert and Wolf might be a couple onscreen, and they had conflicting feelings about this possibility. However, both actors were clear that they were opposed to playing love interests. Since they (and the rest of the world) got to know each other when they portrayed siblings, those roles are central to their identities and how they view their relationship. "We're brother and sister for life," Wolf informed People.
Even though both actors were committed to a no-romance policy from the start, fan reaction to their movie announcement cemented that decision. "Not until it went public did we realize how horrifying that prospect was to a lot of people," Wolf explained on "The Talk."
Lacey Chabert grew up acting with Scott Wolf
After announcing her collaboration with Scott Wolf in "A Merry Scottish Christmas," Lacey Chabert quickly reassured fans that the pair would be siblings in the Hallmark film. While some commenters conceded it was possible for them to branch out and pretend to be a fictional couple, it would be unfathomable for Chabert since she grew up with Wolf playing her onscreen brother.
Chabert was just 11 when she began working on "Party of Five" as Claudia Salinger. She spent six formative years as part of the cast and developed a tight bond with Wolf and her other costars. "Everyone was so kind and nurturing," Chabert recalled to People in 2023. While Scott Wolf started the series as a 16-year-old character, Bailey Salinger, one of Claudia's older brothers, in reality, the actor was already 26. Like Chabert, he also felt a strong rapport with his castmates. "It never felt to us like we were a bunch of actors pretending to be family," Wolf explained to Today. "We really felt like family."
Despite being over a decade older than Chabert, Wolf was impressed by her acting prowess from the start. For Chabert, the admiration was mutual. Since she was in her formative years, she felt that the "Party of Five" experience had a lasting impact. "I look at myself as an adult now, and I realize it's so much of who I am is because of you," Chabert told Wolf on "The Talk."
The on-screen siblings saluted their Party of Five roots in the Hallmark film
After Scott Wolf participated in the 2019 Hallmark movie "A Christmas Love Story," he and Lacey Chabert were eager to collaborate in a film for the channel. Finding the right storyline for took years, and couple roles were completely off the table. "While there are romantic storylines in the film that are important and beautiful, having the brother sister relationship and the way they sort of find each other again ... was really important to us," Chabert explained to Deadline. Besides being naturals at playing siblings on screen, Wolf was gratified to challenge audience assumptions of what might happen in a Hallmark movie plot.
While Wolf and Chabert don't have as many opportunities to hang out as they'd like, they maintain their connection through regular chats. Since 23 years had passed since they spent time on set, it was nostalgic for Wolf and Chabert to act together after honing their skills separately for so long. "She really guided the way on this in a way that was really inspiring and fun and just made me really proud," Wolf informed People.
Wolf and Chabert would love a "Party of Five" reboot, and "A Merry Scottish Christmas" includes some covert tributes to the show. For example, as Chabert pointed out on her Instagram account, in one scene, there's a sign that reads "Salinger's Interpublicans Caber Toss Club" –- a nod to the "Party of Five" family's last name.