Lacey Chabert Once Had A Crush On Her On-Screen Brother

Lacey Chabert's first celebrity crush is someone who she's worked with in the past. Dubbed the unofficial "Queen of Hallmark," the actor first gained recognition playing Claudia Salinger in the Fox family drama "Party of Five" in 1994. The series, which concluded in 2000 after a six-season run, featured an ensemble cast including Chabert, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, and Matthew Fox. Looking back on her time on the show, Chabert said that she had so much fun filming with her co-stars. "When I think back on it now ... I am so lucky that I was surrounded by such wonderful people," she said on Christine Taylor and David Lascher's "Hey Dude... The 90s Called!" podcast. "Everyone was so kind and nurturing and just helped me through those, you know, awkward teenage years." Adding, "I have the best memories from the show. I'm really happy I had those years on set."

Speaking on Fox 5 in January, Chabert said she would be down to reprise her role for a reunion with her "Party of Five" cast mates. "I don't know if there would ever be a reunion, but I would love it,'" she gushed. "I'm 100 percent, sign me up! I want to know what Claudia's doing." In the past, Chabert admitted to once having a crush on one of her co-stars in the show — Scott Wolf, who played her on-screen brother, Bailey. 

"Party of Five" follows the lives of five Salinger siblings who were left to grow up on their own following the tragic death of their parents. In the series, Lacey Chabert played Claudia, the youngest daughter of the Salinger couple, while Scott Wolf portrayed Bailey, the second oldest brother. Despite their age difference — Chabert is 15 years younger than Wolf — the Hallmark star admitted that she had a massive crush on her on-screen brother while filming their show. "Scott was everyone's crush!" she told Access back in 2013. "It's disgusting to say that because he was my brother and I think of him like a brother now. But, you know, to my teenage heart, yes, maybe he was. But there's nothing wrong with that!" she added.

At the time, Chabert could not help but gush about her former co-star. "[Scott] is such a doll, I love him," she said. "He's my family... He looks like he's 19 still." During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" with Neve Campbell, Wolf said he was well aware of Chabert's secret crush on him. "Lacey used to say she had a crush on me, but that's, like, in a totally big brother way," he said. He also admitted to hooking up with one of his co-stars in the show — Paula Devicq, who played their nanny and his on-screen brother's love interest, Kirsten Bennett. Telling Cohen, "Yeah, Paula and I dated each other."

In 2019, Lacey Chabert expressed her desire to work with Scott Wolf after the "Nancy Drew" actor starred in his first Hallmark Channel movie, "A Christmas Love Story," opposite Kristin Chenoweth. During a chat with Access at the film's premiere, Chabert shared how happy she was to be reunited with her "Party of Five" co-star. "My dear Scott Wolf ... I'm so happy to see him here with Hallmark, a part of the family," she said, adding that she wished to work with Wolf on a Hallmark movie. "I don't think we would play love interest in the movie, but I would love for Scott Wolf and I to do one and maybe play siblings," Chabert said. "We haven't worked together since 'Party of Five,' and he's just such a dear guy. I love him so much. And now that he's doing movies with Hallmark, maybe we'll have a chance to do something together." 

Two years later, her wish came true. In June, Chabert announced that he and Wolf would again play siblings in the Hallmark Channel special, "A Merry Scottish Christmas," and she couldn't have been more elated. "A dream come true!" Chabert wrote on Instagram. "I'm so thrilled to be reuniting with one of my dearest friends @iamscottwolf for a very special @hallmarkchannel #CountdownToChristmas movie!" She added, "We are so happy to be playing brother and sister again." The film will premiere as part of the network's annual holiday programming, with Dustin Rikert directing, according to Variety.