Hallmark Wanted to Replace ‘Old People’ With New Stars, Lawsuit Claims

A former Hallmark casting agent has filed an age discrimination lawsuit alleging that network executive Lisa Hamilton Daly wanted to stop casting “old people” like Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete in their films.

Penny Perry, who submitted her filing on October 9 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that Hamilton Daly — Hallmark’s executive VP of programming — cited Chabert, 42, and Robinson Peete, 60, as examples of “old talent” that should be “replaced,”  according to documents obtained by Variety on Wednesday, October 23. 

In the suit, Hamilton Daly is quoted as allegedly saying of Chabert is “getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older.”

As for Robinson Peete, Hamilton is alleged to have said: “No one wants her because she’s too expensive and getting too old. She can’t play leading roles anymore.”

Perry, 79, claims that she was fired in April after working with Hallmark Channel for nine years, and that two months beforehand, she had received a strong performance evaluation. 

But according to the casting veteran, Hamilton Daly often told her that she was “too long in the tooth” and tried to push her out of the company as she looked toward hiring “new talent.”

“We need to bring in someone who knows more young talent,” the suit quotes Hamilton Daly as saying. “Our leading ladies are aging out.”

Us Weekly has reached out to reps for Hallmark, Chabert and Robinson Peete for comment. 

Related: A Guide to Hallmark Channel’s Leading Ladies

The Hallmark Channel has become the one-stop-shop of holiday movies and light-hearted rom-coms over the years — with many fans tuning in to see their favorite leading ladies. Whether it’s When Calls the Heart’s Erin Krakow or Sweet Autumn lead Nikki DeLoach, the network is full of talented women telling heart-warming stories. Hallmark’s long list […]

Perry’s casting credits include Cocoon, Ordinary People and The Jerk, as well as numerous Hallmark holiday films, most recently A Biltmore Christmas and Holiday Hotline. 

Hamilton Daly joined Hallmark in 2021 following stints with Netflix and A+E Networks. 

Perry claims that under the executive’s leadership, her office was moved to a different floor and she was iced out of meetings as one of her projects was taken over by a consultant who worked outside Hallmark, per Variety. She alleges that Hallmark filled her position with a younger man after letting her go. 

The lawsuit comes as Hallmark prepares to release its “Countdown to Christmas” lineup with 47 all-new original movies spanning across all its platforms.

Chabert appears alongside Kristoffer Polaha  in The Christmas Quest, which premieres December 1 and follows the adventures of an archaeologist and her ex-husband who travel to Iceland to search for treasure. The actress is an executive producer on the movie. She also is hosting a reality show, Celebrations With Lacey Chabert, on Hallmark’s streaming service.

“These movies mean so much to me. I really am genuine when I say that,” Chabert exclusively told Us in October 2021 of her longtime partnership with Hallmark. “They’re not just jobs, and I feel a responsibility to the audience to make the absolute best movie I can.”