Jennifer Lilley (born August 4, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Lilley played a supporting role in the 2011 film ''
The Artist'', temporarily portrayed
Maxie Jones
Maxie Jones is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is the eldest daughter of supercouple Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings, raised most of her life by Mac Scorpio. The role was first portrayed by Robyn Richards ...
on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' from September 2011 to August 2012, and has played the character of
Theresa Donovan
Jeannie Theresa Donovan is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Introduced in September 1990, she was portrayed by several child actors until the character left the series in 1992, with furt ...
on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's soap opera ''
Days of Our Lives
''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
'' from July 2013 to November 2016 and again from May to July 2018. She has also starred in several television films from Hallmark Channel.
Early life
Lilley was born in
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is lo ...
to Ellen and Vincent Lilley. She is the second oldest of four children. She has two brothers, Michael and Ryan, and one sister, Katherine. Lilley graduated from
Cave Spring High School.
["Free Lilley." ''Soap Opera Digest.'' May 8, 2012. p. 55.] She went on to attend the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
and graduated early with ''magna cum laude'' honors.
Career
Acting
In 2011, Lilley had a supporting role in director
Michel Hazanavicius
Michel Hazanavicius ( lt, Hazanavičius; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...
's silent movie ''
The Artist''.
She also appeared as Monie in the ''
iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
'' TV movie, "
iParty with Victorious
''iParty with Victorious'' is a 2011 television movie that acts as a crossover of the television series ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious''. It premiered on Nickelodeon June 11, 2011.
The crossover's theme song mash-up, "Leave It All to Shine", prem ...
".
In the fall of 2011, Lilley took over the role of
Maxie Jones
Maxie Jones is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is the eldest daughter of supercouple Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings, raised most of her life by Mac Scorpio. The role was first portrayed by Robyn Richards ...
, as a temporary recast for
Kirsten Storms
Kirsten Renee Storms (born April 8, 1984) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Zenon Kar in the '' Zenon'' trilogy, Emily in '' Johnny Tsunami'', and Bonnie Rockwaller in ''Kim Possible''. Storms played Isabella "Belle" Bl ...
on ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' while she was on medical leave for
endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...
. She made her on-screen debut on September 28, 2011.
In August 2012, Lilley confirmed that she had finished taping and made her on-screen exit on August 20, 2012;
Storms later returned on September 5.
In April 2013, Lilley joined the cast of ''
Days of Our Lives
''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
'' as a newly created character.
She made her on-screen debut as
Theresa Donovan
Jeannie Theresa Donovan is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Introduced in September 1990, she was portrayed by several child actors until the character left the series in 1992, with furt ...
on July 3, 2013.
In June 2016, she confirmed she was exiting the soap due to the demanding filming schedule hindering her ability to pursue other commitments and opportunities. Lilley reprised her portrayal as Theresa in May–July 2018. In November 2016, Lilley appeared in a film for the
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...
titled ''A Dash of Love''.
Singing
In the summer of 2014, Lilley traveled to Georgia, where she hosted and sang in a benefit concert with SOWEGA Art Performance to raise funds for ONEless Ministries.
On November 24, 2015, Lilley released her first Christmas album, "Tinsel Time". The album's title track premiered on ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
''s TV Insider.
On October 5, 2018, Lilley debuted her studio single, "King of Hearts" from her forthcoming album, ''Lilley''.
Personal life
On May 26, 2007, Lilley married Jason Wayne. In 2016, Lilley and her husband became foster parents through the organization, Childhelp.
In June 2019, Lilley and Wayne adopted their two foster sons and in July 2019, she gave birth to a daughter. In May 2022, Lilley gave birth to the couple's fourth child, another daughter.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
* Jen Lilley a
TV.com* Jen Lilley o
Disaster Date
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilley, Jen
1984 births
Actresses from Virginia
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
American television actresses
Living people
People from Roanoke, Virginia
University of Virginia alumni
21st-century American women