Hallmark Queen Lacey Chabert chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about starring in the new series “Paris is Always a Good Idea.”
The synopsis is: Career-driven nonprofit executive Chelsea Martin (Lacey Chabert) travels to Paris to secure a major donor and is shocked when her confident rival-turned-ally, Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster) is sent to join her.
While in Paris, an unexpected and heartfelt message from her late mother — and a push from her father (Henry Czerny) and her sister (Rebecca Hanssen) — sends her on an unexpected journey to reconnect with the three past loves she once left behind in Europe. From the rolling hills of Ireland to the magic of Paris, and the sun-kissed vineyards of Spain, Chelsea retraces old footsteps and discovers that sometimes moving forward means first looking back.
The series premiered on Thursday, July 30th, with the first two episodes, followed by a new episode every Thursday through August 27th, exclusively on Hallmark+.
Playing Chelsea
On playing her character Chelsea, she said, “I love that the story spans three different timelines. We get to see my character 10 years earlier in three different relationships. She revisits them and revisits those chapters of her life as she’s trying to navigate her present and the story that Knightly and Chelsea have together.”
“Then, we also see a flash-forward, and the way the writers were able to weave it all together is so beautifully. It comes to such a happy conclusion. I just love the story,” she added.
Lessons learned from the screenplay
On the lessons learned from the screenplay, Chabert reflected, “I think it’s something that Knightly teaches Chelsea that really resonated with me too: to let go.”
“Chelsea is very prepared, and for good reason. She is incredibly passionate about her job for very personal reasons, which are honorable. I think in other parts of her life, she needs to learn to let go a little bit and be willing to open her heart, no matter where that might lead. It might lead to pain and heartache, or it might lead to finding the true love of her life,” she elaborated.
“Seeing her have the courage to do that when I was reading the script — I thought — was really inspiring,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Constantly New Adventures.” “Every day is a new adventure,” she admitted. “I am a mom to a nine-year-old daughter.”
Chabert on reuniting with Andrew Walker for their holiday movie ‘She’s Making a List’
On reuniting with Andrew Walker, she exclaimed, “Andrew is great! We have done a couple of Hallmark films together now. He is a dear friend, I love his whole family, and he is so wonderful, kind, and lovely. So, we were so happy to reunite for that holiday movie.”
Christmas Con
Chabert noted that she is thrilled to be back on this year’s Christmas Con lineup, which will take place on December 11th, 12th, and 13th at the New Jersey Expo Center in New Jersey. “The first time I ever went was back in 2019, and I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t done a convention. I didn’t know what to expect but I was absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of loving support that came all of our way,” she said.
“It’s one thing to make these movies and hear a random comment here or there or to read things on social media, but to have someone come up to you and say, ‘this movie meant this to me because of this’ and tell you a very personal story. It touched my heart so deeply. I remember going back to my hotel room and I think I cried a little bit because I was just so overwhelmed by it,” she acknowledged.
“Also, the people being so willing to share so much of their hearts. It was really beautiful, and every time I have those types of experiences, it really reignites my passion for what I do,” she added.
Success
Regarding her definition of success, she said, “I’ve had these moments a lot over the last few years where I feel like seven-year-old me is going, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe we did this. I can’t believe we’ve been given this gift.’ I think staying in touch with that is so important. I think it’s so fun to like things and to be excited.”
“On a deeper level, I think success is just making decisions that you are proud of and prioritizing what is most real and true in life,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Paris is Always a Good Idea’
For her fans, she expressed about this series, “Our show can bring Paris to you guys, for sure. You are going to want to see Paris as well. I love the element of hope, whether it’s in the romantic relationship, the family relationship, or simply the ability to put one foot in front of the other and keep going, even when life deals you the unexpected.”
“I love that there is always hope. We just have to look to each other. I also love the feel-good escapism it brings. It’s so fun to be a part of that joy, and no one does that better than Hallmark,” she concluded.
To learn more about Lacey Chabert, follow her on Instagram.
