SEGA has today announced that actress Lacey Chabert is set to join the cast of Sonic The Hedgehog, by playing the role of Princess Elise. Chabert is probably best known for her TV role playing Claudia Salinger in the hit series Party of Five, which co-starred Matthew Fox of the current hit series Lost.

Lacey Chabert brings her diverse voice acting experience to the Sonic The Hedgehog project, and this is the first time in the history of the franchise that Hollywood talent will voice one of the characters in a Sonic game. Chabert has previously appeared vocally in various TV shows and animated films, including Don Bluth’s An American Tail, Fox’s Family Guy and Disney’s Hercules.

“We are thrilled to work with Lacey Chabert for SEGA’s premiere franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing for SEGA of America, Inc. “As we take Sonic into the next generation of gaming, Lacey’s experience and talent are the perfect match for the game’s deeper storyline, delivering the powerful emotional connection that gamers have grown to expect from Sonic titles.”

“I couldn’t be happier to make my videogame debut in Sonic The Hedgehog,” said a thrilled Chabert. “I’ve been playing Sonic games since I was nine years old, and I am so excited to be part of his 15-year legacy!”

Raising the franchise to new heights, Sonic’s breakneck speed and dazzling, multi-layered world is brought to life in this all-new adventure. Sonic The Hedgehog for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is rated ‘E-10’, and will ship in time for the Christmas 2006.

Here’s hoping SEGA fix the dodgy controls before it hits shelves, as the demo on Xbox Live was a bit of a dog in that regard.