Hallmark Did Not Want to Cast ‘Old People’ Like Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert, Suit Claims

As a seasoned actress who has spent decades honing my craft and gracing the screens of various networks, I find it disheartening to learn about the blatant age discrimination that appears to be rampant at Hallmark. Having worked with them in the past, I have always appreciated their family-friendly content and holiday movies, but learning about Lisa Hamilton Daly’s callous remarks towards actors like Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert is appalling.

According to reports, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Hallmark’s executive vice president of programming, stated to her team that she didn’t prefer casting older individuals. The lawsuit alleging age discrimination against the studio claims this decision didn’t align with their vision for the channel due to their perceived image being at odds with older people.

In the suit, Hamilton Daly is quoted as singling out Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert, who are 60 and 42 respectively, as examples of “old talent” that needed to be “replaced.” Both actors have starred in Christmas movies and shows on the Hallmark Channel.

According to Hamilton Daly, “As Lacey grows older, it’s necessary for us to find someone similar to her to take over her role when she does.

According to the lawsuit, it’s claimed that “Robinson Peete is deemed unwanted due to being perceived as too costly and advanced in age. Now, she’s no longer capable of taking on lead roles,” states the legal document.

79-year-old Penny Perry, a casting director, filed a lawsuit on October 9 at the Los Angeles Superior Court. She claims that she was suddenly let go by the company in April, following nine years of service.

The complaint alleges that Hamilton Daly frequently commented on Perry being “past her prime,” and aimed to replace her as part of an objective to bring in “fresh faces.

According to the lawsuit, the executive stated, “We should hire individuals skilled with discovering new, promising talents. Our main actresses are reaching maturity.

Hallmark’s communications team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As a seasoned industry professional with an impressive resume boasting roles in “Cocoon,” “Young Guns,” and “The NeverEnding Story,” I am unfortunately grappling with multiple sclerosis and partial blindness in one eye. However, it is disheartening to allege that despite my disability, Hallmark has not provided the necessary accommodations as required.

Perry mentions that she consistently received outstanding yearly performance reviews, with one as recent as two months prior to her termination.

In September 2021, Hamilton Daly joined Hallmark as their executive vice president for programming. Before this, he had experience at Netflix and A+E Networks. The lawsuit claims that Daly believed Perry was too old for her role and took actions to force her departure from the company.

It is claimed that her workplace was relocated to another level, she was left out of gatherings, and for one assignment, her responsibilities in selecting talent were delegated to an external advisor. Following her termination, Perry asserts that the company replaced her with a younger individual to perform her tasks.

For years, SAG-AFTRA has been battling age discrimination in casting. They even succeeded in getting California legislators to ban IMDb from disclosing actors’ ages, which was later deemed unconstitutional by the courts. However, through continued advocacy, SAG-AFTRA eventually convinced IMDb to let actors opt out of displaying their ages on their profiles.

2024-10-24 02:49

Hallmark Did Not Want to Cast ‘Old People’ Like Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert, Suit Claims

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