‘She’s Making a List’ Star Lacey Chabert Has All Of Her Christmas Decorations Up Already, And They’re Not Coming Down Anytime Soon: “There Might Be A Tree That We Just Turn Into A Valentine’s Day Tree”

Lacey Chabert is more than worthy of the title of “Queen of Christmas”—and not just because of her festive filmography.

The Hallmark star is headlining She’s Making a List—her 16th Christmas movie and her 43rd movie overall at the network—as Isabel, an inspector for Santa’s Naughty or Nice Group. However, Chabert exudes just as much Christmas cheer, if not more, off screen. During her visit to DECIDER’s studio just days after Halloween, she confirmed that she had already hauled out the holly (if you know, you know) and decorated her home for the holidays.

“I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be so forthcoming with this stuff,” she teased with a laugh. “I mean, what is it, November 3rd? So I started a couple weeks ago. Is that the end of the world?”

Chabert’s genuine love for the holiday season transcends real life and is infused into her work, including her latest holiday film, which sees her reunite with her My Secret Valentine co-star and fellow Hallmark mainstay, Andrew Walker.

“Everyone that works with Hallmark, we really are a little bit of a family,” she explained. “We root for each other, we’re friends in real life, most of us. So to have the chance to work with him again was just really special and especially to do a Christmas movie.”

As for why Christmas movies particularly hit home (for the holidays) for the 43-year-old actress, she told DECIDER, “I love all the movies I have the chance to do with Hallmark, but especially the Christmas ones, because I know that families are welcoming us into their homes almost as part of their tradition now.”

While sitting down with DECIDER, Chabert discussed what resonated with her about her “magical” new movie, what she values most about her partnership with Hallmark, and opened up about her own Christmas traditions.

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DECIDER: What was it about this movie that drew you in?

LACEY CHABERT: It felt really magical. When I read the script, I loved the world that they create in this story. I love that I get to play an inspector for Santa’s Naughty or Nice List. It’s magical. It’s whimsical, and it had a slightly different feel than some of the other Christmas movies I’ve done, but obviously still the heartfelt, poignant moments. The funny stuff, the romantic stuff, it just really had it all. I love the way it turned out, and I hope people enjoy it. 

Well, I definitely enjoyed it.  I love that this was a reunion for you and Andrew Walker, who you co-starred with in My Secret Valentine in 2018. What was it like taking on a Christmas movie with him?

So much fun. Since that movie, he and I have become really good friends. Our families are friends. Everyone that works with Hallmark, we really are a little bit of a family. We root for each other, we’re friends in real life, most of us. So to have the chance to work with him again was just really special and especially to do a Christmas movie. These are some of my favorites. I love all the movies I have the chance to do with Hallmark, but especially the Christmas ones, because I know that families are welcoming us into their homes almost as part of their tradition now. So they’re particularly fun.

We had a great time. We filmed in Vancouver over the summer, of course, so it was very, very, very hot. That’s become part of filming a Christmas movie tradition. Because I’m an inspector and I have to make myself as unrecognizable as possible and to blend in, I get different costumes. There’s actually some moments where I kind of involve the audience and address the audience. There were some things in there I’d never quite done in a Hallmark movie before, and I really enjoyed it. 

I know, I loved the breaking the fourth wall.

Isn’t that fun? You never quite know when those things are going to work or not, and so I was so happy that it worked out and we kept it in. It was nice to involve the audience in the story.

While the movie captures your character Isabel and Andrew’s character Jason’s love story, it more so focuses on Jason’s daughter, Charlie. It honestly feels like a love letter to parents and parenting. Did this particularly resonate with you as a mom?

It really did. This was the part of the story that resonated with me the most and I think what my character does too, because she connects so much with Charlie. I don’t want to give it all away, but they have a lot in common about their childhoods. She learns to look at her not from the company’s formula that she works for as to how do you judge naughty or nice, but she really learns to look at her from a place of empathy and from her heart, and a deeper understanding of what some kids are going through, and that we need to have a little bit of grace and teach them to have that with everyone else in their lives. It has a really beautiful message. Like you said, it is a bit of a love letter, I think, to parenting. As a parent myself, as a mom, there’s no other area in my life that I’ve needed more support. I mean, I think we all do. You’re learning on the job. My daughter is the center of my world and my greatest blessing. But every parent makes mistakes and there’s some really beautiful points made in this film about how [Jason] parents his daughter and the journey of that, and then how Isabel’s able to positively influence that too.

As you mentioned, your character is an inspector for the Naughty or Nice Group, which operates using an algorithm to determine if a child belongs on the Naughty or Nice List. The whole idea of this algorithm felt really timely to me, especially in today’s world of social media and AI. Did you feel this at all? Was that ever a discussion as you guys were filming?

I think it’s a really relevant theme. Absolutely. How as wonderful as technology can be, it’s not human. There are some things that take discernment from the human heart, and I think that’s something that my character discovers in the film and really makes a plea for, for changes to be made. And they just might be, you have to you have to watch and see. Those are subtle messages through the movie. But really it’s about people being together, enjoying the holiday. All of the things that I know audiences love to tune in to a Hallmark Christmas movie for. And those are my favorite things, like the tree trimming scenes, the tree shopping scene, or decorating, or the hot chocolate moment. A lot of things that we see over and over and scenes that have maybe become common in the movies. I love them because they’re tradition. It brings back the nostalgia for me. 

I loved another recent movie of yours, Haul Out the Halloween, which is a continuation of the Haul Out the Holly series. I read an interview with you where you said you felt like you were kind of cheating on Christmas with this movie, which I thought was hilarious. Was it kind of a relief or a comfort to return to your roots with this Christmas movie, so to speak?

Absolutely. I loved doing Haul Out the Halloween. I got to be with my dear friend Kimberly Brown, and I got to return with my dear friends from the Haul Out the Holly crew. I mean, though, that group of people is so incredibly special. Everyone—Melissa [Peterman], Wes [Brown], Eliza [Hayes Maher], Stephen [Tobolowsky], Ellen [Travolta]—I mean, the list goes on and on and on and they’re real friends. So you show up for work, to work on a really funny script and to bring these characters to life, but you’re doing it with some of your closest friends, and it just feels like family. It feels like we’re being paid to go to camp, honestly. It’s a really, really, really special thing. But I always get excited to make the Christmas movies because they’re close to my heart. 

I saw you on Live with Kelly and Mark, and you revealed that you have already started decorating for Christmas.

Yes [laughs].

I have to ask, on average, when do you start decorating?

I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be so forthcoming with this stuff [laughs]. I mean, what is it, November 3rd? So I started a couple weeks ago. Is that the end of the world?

Not at all. I would start listening to Christmas music as soon as the leaves change.

Me too.

I’m ready as soon as the weather starts getting a little bit cooler.

My family gives me grief about it though. My husband’s like, “How many holidays are we going to skip?” I’m like, we’re not skipping any. We still went trick or treating. We’re going to have Thanksgiving, of course. I love Thanksgiving. But it’s truly my favorite season. So why not drag it out as long as possible?

I get it. How long do these decorations stay up?

Well, this is where it gets a little tricky. I have the ambition of the first week of January, pick everything up, clean slate. Let’s start the New Year. But oftentimes life happens and I get busy, and I might take half of it down. Then come Valentine’s Day, there might be a tree that we just turn into a Valentine’s Day tree [laughs].

That’s very innovative.

It varies every year, but my goal his year is to pack it away very neatly so I know where everything is and to be a little bit more organized about it because it’s a little chaotic at the moment.

In addition to She’s Making a List being your 16th Hallmark Christmas movie, this marks your 43rd movie with the network. What do you value most about this partnership?

I value the way they allow me as an actress to be involved and to also be a producer, and to be involved in the development of the projects. It’s an incredible opportunity and one that I have enjoyed just so much. It’s so nice to develop something from the beginning and see it come to fruition and see it come to life. The team that I get to do that with, they’re all just such wonderful people. Also, not to be too heavy about it, I just especially now more than ever, I really value being a part of something that falls in line with my own values and brings a little bit of happiness and goodness into the world. I like to watch things that leave me feeling uplifted or that are comforting to me. So I love being a part of stuff like that.

Speaking of this partnership, you recently launched the Lacey Chabert Collection. Can you take me through how this partnership started?

Oh my gosh. When Hallmark came to me with this idea, I was absolutely overjoyed because it has been a longtime dream of mine to have products that would allow me to be a part of other people’s celebrations. I’m so proud of the line. It’s inspired by the archives from the 1950s from Hallmark, so it has this vintage, whimsical vibe. There’s beautiful pops of color, there’s lots of pink and mint green, and obviously the green and reds. My love of vintage things was passed down from my mother, and a lot of the archives that we pulled for inspiration, they’re from 1957, the year my mom was born. So there’s just all these things that just felt right about it. It’s beautiful cards and paper products and gift bags. It’s all about the details. It’s not just a gift bag. There’s a beautiful gold scalloped glitter trim and velvet handles, and there’s a gorgeous tray and a glass set that I love. It has little bows all over it. I mean, there’s a lot of things and I hope it’ll bring a little bit of joy to people’s tables. 

I also love the Lacey Chabert ornament. What does it feel like to have an ornament of yourself with a collection like Hallmark, who’s home to ornaments from so many iconic movies and TV shows and cultural touchstones?

It’s honestly really surreal. I’ve collected the ornaments for a long time, so to be a part of the Keepsake Collection, it’s an honor and it’s really special. I didn’t design that ornament [laughs], just to be very clear. That was something that Hallmark did for me and I’m very, very, very touched by it and the artist that made it, but it’s great. I have one hanging on my tree.

While you’ve been deemed the Queen of Christmas, are there any movies or holiday specials that have become synonymous with Christmastime for you and your family?

Oh, a lot. We watch movies every year like Christmas with the Kranks, Elf, Christmas Vacation. Gosh, there’s so many. I absolutely love The Santa Clause movies. So when someone tells me, “Hey, one of your movies has become a part of my family’s tradition,” I’m deeply honored because there’s something about sitting down, I put on Christmas Vacation or whatever, and it reminds me of being a kid and being in the living room watching it with my family.

At DECIDER, we’re a site that’s dedicated to all things streaming, so what are you watching right now?

I just started—well, I should back it up by saying I have a nine-year-old, and she is in charge of the remote control most of the time. So we’re watching all the animated films and anything that she wants to watch. Just last night, I was finally watching Season 2 of Nobody Wants This. The thing I’ve been watching the most when I have free time is old movies. I’ve been watching all of my favorite old movies [like] Father of the Bride. So many different ones. I just love watching old movies.

Outside of these movies and watching these specials with your family, what are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Pretty typical stuff: decorating the tree with Christmas music, hot cocoa, driving around looking at Christmas lights, matching family pajamas. Now as a mom, the Elf on the Shelf comes to visit us and gets very rambunctious, so that’s really fun to see what they create. [My daughter] Julia loves to write a letter to Santa, and we have a special Santa mailbox. It’s amazing. It disappears after she puts it in the mailbox.

That’s awesome. Are there any upcoming projects of yours that you can tease to us?

In January, I’ll have another movie airing that I had the chance to film in Fiji. It is a rom-com, so funny. A real adventure and another just incredible blessing of my job was I got to go to Fiji, a place I’d never been, and spend almost a month there. The people were so kind and loving and welcoming. At the hotel, they greeted us with this beautiful song. And then when we were leaving, they had this beautiful goodbye song that they sang to us. Oh my gosh, there wasn’t a dry eye. Everyone was crying. I guess you kind of had to be there, but it’s this feeling of especially when you’re on location as a group, you feel like you’re at camp. You’re just together 24 hours a day trying to make this movie. It’s just so many special memories encapsulated in those three weeks and I really treasure all of these experiences.

You’ll be at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in a couple weeks in Kansas City. What’s it like getting to interact with fans in this environment and to really connect with the people that are engaging so much with your films?

That is my favorite part of all of this. I really mean it. It’s not something that I’ve had the chance to do up until maybe six or seven years ago when more conventions started and social media connected a lot of us. It means everything. We make these movies for the people who enjoy watching them. So to have that one-on-one interaction and to hear a little bit about their personal lives and why the movies mean something to them, when they’re willing to share that with me, it touches my heart so deeply. It just makes you realize we really are all connected and my work is a small way that I feel more connected to other people.

That’s beautiful. Is there anything else you’d like to share about She’s Making a List? What do you hope fans get to take away from it?

With all of the movies I do for Hallmark, I just hope it entertains your family and I hope it makes you laugh and think in a good way and touches your heart. I hope you go on this magical little journey with us.

How To Watch She’s Making A List

She’s Making a List premieres on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel. Next-day streaming is available on Hallmark+.

The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.

DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month.