By Dana Jackson
Q: Is Lacey Chabert going to be in another Christmas movie this year? Isn't she considered the queen of them? -- L.K.
A: Yes, Lacey Chabert is widely considered the "Queen of Hallmark" ever since she starred in "Matchmaker Santa" for the network in 2012. She's gone on to star in 16 Christmas movies and over 40 movies for Hallmark.
Travis Van Winkle (Upcoming in "Holiday Ever After"). Photo Credit: Depositphotos
Next up for Chabert is "Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True," co-starring Travis Van Winkle ("FUBAR") and Richard Kind ("Only Murders in the Building"). During a family visit to the Magic Kingdom, Lacey's character finds herself in the hotel room that's adjacent to a man she once considered a first-date disaster.
"Holiday Ever After" premieres on the Hallmark Channel on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
Q: I was watching old episodes of "Law & Order" and thought I saw a young Zoe Saldana in an episode. Was it her? -- E.B.
A: Yes, you very likely saw a 21-year-old Zoe Saldana in her first professional acting role. Long before she starred in blockbuster film franchises like "Avatar" and "Guardians of the Galaxy," Saldana was a guest star on a 1999 episode of NBC's "Law & Order," titled "Refuge: Part 2." Like many New York actors, she also made guest appearances on more than one episode within the "Law & Order" universe. Her second guest-star appearance was on season five of "Law & Order: SVU," where she played the daughter of a drug addict.
Years later, she described her first time on the set of "L&O" to Elle magazine: "That was the very first time I did something that my entire family, living in the States and worldwide, was able to watch. I remember that day that I shot that scene. ... I thought, 'I can get used to this, this is something I can maybe do as a career.'"
And, boy, is she having quite the life, including winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the musical "Emilia Perez" and currently starring in the hit Paramount+ series "Lioness."
Q: Is it true that they've canceled the show "Criminal Minds"? Will there be any more new episodes? -- M.R.
A: "Criminal Minds" ran for 15 seasons on CBS before it was canceled in 2020. It was picked back up in 2022 by streamer Paramount+ and was retitled "Criminal Minds: Evolution." So, what's considered season 20, the final season of "Criminal Minds," will premiere sometime in 2027. Production wrapped earlier this fall, so hopefully, you won't have to wait much longer for the new episodes.
It looks like there's a glimmer of hope, however. Cast member AJ Cook, who plays special agent JJ Jareau, pointed out that in an article from Deadline, it stated, "'Criminal Minds' is ending its run (for now) across two incarnations on two platforms." Does the parenthetical aside mean that the show's simply being put on pause? Showrunner Erica Messer agrees that there are more stories to tell and hopes to "keep telling them somewhere."
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.