Lacey Chabert has been a staple of Hallmark’s popular Christmas movie lineup for years, but this year the release of her annual holiday movie was a bit more bittersweet. Chabert’s sister Wendy died unexpectedly in the last week. It was just days before that the timing happened. Christmas at Castle Hart premiered. Hallmark’s Hallmark star, who has been grieving, has now spoken out about the film airing.
Hallmark planned its holiday movie schedule well in advance as a network. The network produces dozens and dozens of movies during the holiday season and the fact that Chabert’s would be scheduled to air during such a tough week for her family is a matter of chance. It’s not easy to predict the timing. But Christmas at Castle Hart had already been scheduled and advertised when news about the death of Lacey Chabert’s lovely sister broke.
It would be difficult for someone to explain how to deal with a situation like this. Christmas at Castle HartStar took the moment with grace. While she didn’t live tweet (as she has been known to do for past movies), she did say that after careful thought and consideration, she feels her sister would have wanted her to “celebrate”Her work on the film, including noting:
My sister was my greatest cheerleader and she would encourage me to celebrate my work. She’d be down right annoyed with me if I didn’t! This Christmas movie differs from the others in that it shows a beautiful bond between two sisters. As Margo’s character reminded of Wendy, I often thought about Wendy as we were filming. This was what I told Stefan Scaini, our director, about our first meeting. Wendy was the funniest. She was always the one who came up with an outrageous plan. It often got us in a lot of trouble, and made us laugh so hard we had to cry. Margo was a reminder of her.
Lacey Chabert spoke about Wendy and how her sister would appreciate her new work. She encouraged all her fans to spend the holiday weekend close to their loved ones.
So tonight, I’d like to dedicate this movie to my sister and let it serve as a tribute to her beautiful life. It will make you smile and bring you Christmas cheer, I hope you enjoy it. I hope you’ll hug your loved ones tight as you enjoy the movie. I am grateful for your continued support. You all have my love!
Lacey Chabert called her sister previously “generous”And “kind-hearted”On InstagramThanking all the fans who sent their prayers and words of support after the news broke. It wasn’t just the fans who reached out. Many others, including Candace Cameron Bure, were also involved in the Hallmark family and left condolences. For more on Lacey’s own feelings about work, her sister, and how things played out this weekend, you can see her full post, below.
Christmas at Castle Hart’s release schedule was simply a weird situation, likely both for Chabert and the powers that be at Hallmark. This movie was a huge hit, and it is one of the most anticipated movies of Christmas season. It features a romantic Ireland setting, and stars Ali Hardiman, Stuart Townsend, and great acting. There are many other big names in the Hallmark movie lineup for this holiday season.
Although Chabert’s Hallmark Christmas movie was not as enjoyable this year, it is comforting to know that her 2021 film was about two sisters. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family.