Wendie Malick is part of the long list of celebrities who you might have forgotten were once Hallmark stars. She made her debut on the network as the star of the 2013 mystery drama “After All These Years” and has since appeared in a string of movies including “Darrow & Darrow” and the more popular “Father Christmas” franchise. Over the years, however, she’s become less visible on the channel as Malick shifted her focus to other projects, including appearing in films “About Fate” and “A Little White Lie” and shows “Young Sheldon” and “Dear White People,” to name just a few.
In 2018, Malick spoke to We Live Entertainment about gaining recognition on Hallmark. “It’s a whole different audience from what I’m used to. It’s a much more wholesome audience,” the actor explained. “I was saying, I can’t believe I’m on Hallmark. I’m not exactly like the girl next door but I guess I provide the salt.” She also expressed her surprise at the network’s vast viewership, saying, “There’s a huge fanbase for Hallmark movies. … I have a whole new group of people that are watching my stuff.”
In 2024, it was announced that Malick would return to Hallmark for the new family series, “The Chicken Sisters,” alongside Lea Thompson, Schuyler Fisk, and Genevieve Angelson. The series is based on the 2020 book by KJ Dell’Antonia and follows a tasty showdown between two estranged sisters in the fictional town of Merinac, Kansas. “The Chicken Sisters” premiered on Hallmark’s new streaming service, Hallmark+, on September 10, 2024, with Margo Martindale as the narrator.
Wendie Malick enjoys a quiet life away from Hollywood
Meanwhile, Hallmark star Wendie Malick continues to live a quiet life away from the busy world of Hollywood alongside her husband of almost three decades, Richard Erickson. The couple resides in Topanga Canyon, where they’ve lived since around 1993, on a 50-acre ranch surrounded by their dogs (they have at least two!), horses, and nature. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the “Hot in Cleveland” alum said it was her husband who preferred moving away from the city for a more peaceful and laid-back lifestyle.
“I actually found it kind of charming, like living in summer camp all year round,” Malick said. She also spoke about what it’s like balancing work with her life as a rancher, saying she loves the duality. “I love going to set and hanging with people and getting dressed up and all of that. And I love coming home to this place where you can go to the post office in your pajamas, and everybody knows your name,” Malick explained. “There was something that was really appealing to me about the balance of this life.”
Unlike Malick, Erickson tends to shy away from the spotlight and he is a very private, introverted individual. The two met in Tijuana, Mexico, not long after the actor split from her first husband, screenwriter Mitch Glazer. Right from the start, Malick knew Erickson was the one. “He’s a very thoughtful, quiet and contemplative human being,” she told AARP in 2014. “The shorthand when I describe our marriage is he makes me think and I make him laugh. And it works for us.”
