Hallmark Media executive vice president of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly instructed a former employee not to cast "old people" for Hallmark roles, saying that "our leading ladies are aging out," according to a lawsuit filed against the network this month and obtained by The Associated Press.
Penny Perry, a 79-year-old casting director who filed the lawsuit Oct. 9 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that she was wrongfully fired from the network known for its feel-good movies because of her age, and despite stellar performance reviews. "Hallmark's happy endings are stories made for TV only," the complaint says. "In Ms. Perry's case, there was no happy ending, and no feel-good episode to wrap up her career with Hallmark. Instead, her finale episode was marred by ageist and ableist harassment, and a callous termination which robbed her of her illustrious career, her pride, and her well-being."
In a statement, Hallmark denied the allegations, adding: "Hallmark continues to consistently cast and maintain positive, productive relationships with talented actors representing a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors who span many age groups and cross generations."
According to the lawsuit, Hamilton Daly told Perry that they needed to "replace" the "old talent" including 42-year-old actress Lacey Chabert, who has starred in dozens of Hallmark movies, many of them Christmas-themed, and portrayed Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls (2004), saying Chabert is "getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older."
The lawsuit adds that Hamilton Daly said of the 60-year-old actress and "Our Christmas Journey" star Holly Robinson Peete: "No one wants her because she's too expensive and getting too old. She can't play leading roles anymore."
Hallmark countered: "Lacey and Holly have a home at Hallmark. We do not generally comment on pending litigation. And while we deny these outrageous allegations, we are not going to discuss an employment relationship in the media," a company representative told AP in an emailed statement.
Chabert stars in a new Hallmark movie, The Christmas Quest, slated for release Dec. 1, and hosts the reality series "Celebrations with Lacey Chabert," according to Hallmark's website. Representatives for Chabert and Robinson Peete did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Perry herself endured ageist and ableist harassment at the company, and Hamilton Daly — who apparently repeatedly made reference to age as a negative attribute that did not fit the network's image — "told Ms. Perry she was too 'long in the tooth' to keep her job at Hallmark," the lawsuit says. It also alleges that senior vice president of programming and development Randy Pope ridiculed Perry for her relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis by mocking her when she mispronounced words or names — a symptom of the condition.
"Unfortunately, Hallmark treated a venerable Hollywood veteran this way and we hope this action will lead to change in Hollywood and all work environments," said a statement from Perry's attorneys, Lisa Sherman and Josh Schein.
The allegations arrive amid a period of turmoil for Hollywood, punctuated by historic labor strikes, the pandemic, and the streaming revolution.
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