Lacey Chabert Recalls Going Through a ‘Lot of Firsts’ on ‘Party of Five’ Set: ‘It Was Real Issues’

Lacey Chabert finds it “hard to believe” that it’s been 30 years since Party of Five premiered — but she still thinks about her castmates often.

“I feel like so much of who I am now as an adult, so much of it is from the influence that that amazing group of people had on me from the ages of 11 to 17,” Chabert, 41, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her new Hallmark+ show, Celebrations With Lacey Chabert , which premiered on Tuesday, September 10. “You take that stuff with you as you grow and I'm really thankful to have had that experience and experience.”

Chabert played Claudia Salinger on the Fox series, which debuted on September 12, 1994. For six seasons, viewers fell in love with all the Salinger kids, who raised each other after the tragic death of their parents.

Matthew Fox , Scott Wolf and Neve Campbell played the eldest children, Charlie, Bailey and Julia, respectively, alongside Chabert. The fifth sibling, baby Owen, was portrayed by several actors over the years, including Andrew and Steven Cavarno before Jacob Smith took over from 1998 to 2000.

“I learned so much being on set,” Chabert told Us , noting that both she and her character “really grew up” during that time frame.

The actress recalled, “I went through a lot of firsts, like, kind of every first that a girl from 11 to 17 can go through. And a lot of times [whatever] it was hadn't yet happened for me in real life — or it was a first time — and, you know, there was so much reality to it.”

That realism helped viewers connect to all the Salinger children. “I think with each character, our audience had someone that they connected with, whether it's because they were that age or the character was going through something they related to,” Chabert explained. “So I'll have people tell me all the time, ‘Oh, I saw so much of myself and Claudia.’”

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Chabert noted that Party of Five was “so well written” and totally authentic. “It was real issues, real people going through real life struggles,” she said. “And these five kids navigating life without their parents and raising each other. It was all very poignant.”

Since Chabert was only 11 years old when she was cast — her first TV gig came in 1992 with a stint on All My Children — she was learning about acting as she went. Luckily, her costars became her teachers.

“I didn't understand the scope of what it really meant to be on a television show,” she confessed to Us . “I just knew I loved acting and telling stories, and I got to do that with this incredible group of people who I loved hanging out with.”

Thirty years later, Chabert said, “They're like family to me.” That lifelong connection was clear when Chabert reunited with Wolf, 56, in 2023 for Hallmark’s A Merry Scottish Christmas . The pair played estranged siblings, who travel to Scotland for the holidays and learn about their mother’s royal identity.

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“The first day on set instantly brought tears to my eyes because he's such a — I love him so much,” she gushed. “And it felt like no time had passed, you know, when we stepped on set together.”

Since Party of Five ended in 2000, Chabert has been keeping herself busy as an actress. She voiced Eliza Thornberry on The Wild Thornberry s from 1998 to 2004 before starring as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls in 2004.

Over the past two decades, Chabert has cemented herself as one of Hallmark’s holiday queens and biggest stars. Earlier this month, she launched Hallmark+’s first unscripted series, Celebrations With Lacey Chabert .

“I called in some friends as to come and help out every now and then and everyone had such a fun time doing it,” Chabert told Us , teasing a few celebrity cameos . “The show has a real special heart to it. We're celebrating human beings who are doing such good in the world and they deserve to have the spotlight on them.”

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On each episode, Chabert teams up with two event planners to throw a surprise party for a “hero,” who has helped out their community or others around the United States and beyond.

“They also feature a lot of DIY and things that you could do at home. So the audience will have a lot of takeaways there as well,” Chabert explained. “So it's a feel good celebration.”

Celebrations with Lacey Chabert premieres on Hallmark+ Tuesday, September 10, with new episodes airing every Thursday beginning Thursday, September 12.