‘The Chicken Sisters’ Stars Lea Thompson and Wendie Mallick Reveal How They Created a ‘Girl’s Network’ With the Cast (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade.
While most of us are familiar with the “old boy’s network” of male co-workers helping one another in and out of the office, iconic actorsLea Thompsonand Wendie Malikbelieve there is also a “new girl’s network’ of women boosting one another, in Hollywood and beyond.
They are starring in The Chicken Sisters, which centers around two competing fried chicken restaurants. One run by Nancy (Thompson), and the other operated by Gus (Malik), former longtime enemies in Hallmark’s delicious home-spun series, now in Season 2.
The long-term feud culminates in a reality TV cooking contest, the “Kitchen Wars,” in which Nancy’s son, Frank Jr., surprises everyone by winning the $100,000 prize money.
In turn, Frank Jr. opens his own competing restaurant, and Nancy and Gus team up with Gus’s daughters, Amanda (Schuyler Fisk) and Mae (Genevieve Angelson), for a new female-driven business venture, aptly named The Chicken Sisters.
Schuyler Fisk and Genevieve Angelson in the Hallmark series, The Chicken Sisters. Photo Credit: Craig Minielly for Hallmark
The four leading ladies say that they quickly bonded, both on and off the Vancouver set, and felt like family from the start of Season 1.
Angelson, whose credits include TV’s Good Girls Revolt and Flack, is extremely grateful for the relationships she forged with her female co-stars.
Related: Hallmark’s ‘The Chicken Sisters’ Stars Tease Season 2 – Including a Brand-New Romance (Exclusive)=
“I honestly feel incredibly grateful to have Lea and Wendie as role models,” she says. “It’s important to me to see women in Hollywood be the billboards for the life that I want to have. This shows me that it’s possible to be continuously and creatively turned on.”
Angelson also finds inspiration in their off-screen lives that she wants to emulate. “These are two women who still have huge crushes on their husbands, which is enviable in this business with all of the logistics that come up,” she added. “They’ve each got gorgeous homes and incredible family relationships. That feels great to me!”
Wendie Malick as Gus, in the Hallmark series, The Chicken Sisters. Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss for Hallmark
When it comes to the next generation, the admiration that Fisk and Angelson feel for Thompson and Malick is palatable. They have a group text called “The Ding Dang Dongs,” named after a tongue-twister of dialogue that Thompson had trouble with during the first season.
“My favorite aspect of the series to talk about is my relationships with Wendie, Lea and Schuyler,” says Angelson.
“That text thread stayed extremely active all year, and it was the perfect way to get back to work for Season 2, and have Lea be our leader,” she adds. “I think one reason people love and appreciate The Chicken Sisters is the genuine love that we show for one another; it isn’t forced or at all pretended. We hang out all the time, and we are so blessed to have one another in our lives.”
Related: Michael J. Fox Has Rare Reunion With ‘Back to the Future’ Co-Star for Heartwarming Reason
Photo Credit: Craig Minielly for Hallmark
“I think women helping each other is extremely important,” Thompson says. “There are actual studies that show when you have a group of girlfriends, you live longer; you are happier, mentally, and physically. So, I would say to get a bunch of girlfriends in your life, and you will have a better, richer life.”
As the mother of two actor-daughters, Zoey Deutch and Madelyn Deutch, Thompson said her primary advice to the next generation is “what they say on an airline flight, ‘Put your mask on first,’ ” She says. “As women, we often don’t take care of ourselves first, but we need to do that and then take care of our families. This is something that Nancy works on in this show – to put yourself first as a woman can be very difficult, and something I continually work on.”
Related: ’80s Actress, 64, Reveals Her Favorite ‘Back to the Future’ Movie
Off-camera during The Chicken Sisters, Malick says the mutual admiration society was in full force. Pretty much every weekend, the actors and their family members who were in town headed to Fisk’s house to bond with her actual family and enjoy a variety of foods, including high-quality local sushi.
Schuyler Fisk in the Hallmark series ‘The Chicken Sisters.’ Photo Credit: Craig Minielly for Hallmark
“Schuyler had the best, biggest house, and she is such a great hostess,” Malick recalls. “Her [Oscar-winning] mom, Sissy Spacek, was there, and we had some of the best Sundays. It was all something we looked forward to, and then we looked forward to going back to work on Monday. It was a clear win-win!”
With all the laughter and family bonding on and off the set, it prompts us to wonder how the actors feel about Hallmark giving the go-ahead for Season 3, which has not happened yet.
“I want there to be a Season 3 because we have a lot of stories to tell and a lot of the characters still have a lot more living to do,” says Thompson. “It’s interesting how they have this place in your heart, and you just want to see where they are going to go next.”
Angelson wholeheartedly agrees. “I want not just Season 3, but Season 200,” she says. “If I were younger, I would say that Lea is who I want to be when I grow up. Lea is just as cool as you want her to be, and the idea that I get to work with her, Wendie, and Schuyler every day. I want Season 3 because this is truly a dream gig!”
Related: Watch a Sneak Peek of This Week’s Scandalous Episode of ‘The Chicken Sisters’ (Exclusive)
‘The Chicken Sisters’ Stars Lea Thompson and Wendie Mallick Reveal How They Created a ‘Girl’s Network’ With the Cast (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Aug 17, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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