Jen Lilley Opens Up About Jimmy Stewart Movie Role, Faith Book & Hallmark Future (Exclusive)
The actress shares what drew her to the biopic, her new devotional and whether she'd return to Days
With the highly anticipated Jimmy Stewart biopic already getting award season buzz, Jen Lilley takes Woman’s World behind the scenes of making Jimmy! Plus, the soap opera and Hallmark Channel beauty celebrates the story of the Oscar-winning American hero who starred in The Philadelphia Story, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life and also fought for our country as a combat pilot in WWII. Here, Lilley reflects on landing the role of Gloria Stewart and reveals how Riverdale hunk KJ Apa was able to nail Stewart’s iconic voice.
Having once stepped in to cover Kirsten Storms’ Maxie on General Hospital, Lilley also gets candid about whether she’d return to Days of Our Lives now that costar Emily O’Brien has assumed the role of Theresa.
And as we step into 2026, Lilley invites you to pick up her devotional, Wake Up Your Faith: 365 Daily Encounters with Jesus and reveals whether there’s more Hallmark in her future.
Jen Lilley dishes on Jimmy Stewart biopic—’I love this movie!’
With over 60 film and TV projects under her belt, including The Artist, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Chicago Med and iCarly, Jen Lilley was over the moon when she landed the role of Gloria Stewart in Jimmy, due in theaters November 2026.
“It felt very redemptive because I’d walked through a two-year period of the Lord just shaking away at everything that could be shaken in my life, even things I loved,” says the actress who was recast on Days of Our Lives during that time. “God cleared my deck, and it wasn’t easy, but it was like He was saying, ‘Hey, I have to take all these things from you, because I have other things for you to do.’”
“And I love this movie,” she continues. “It was so well written, so beautifully made and the acting is amazing. KJ is amazing, and I cannot believe the cast they were able to swing!”
In addition to herself and KJ Apa, Jimmy stars Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer, Max Casella as Frank Capra, Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper, Neal McDonough as Alexander Stewart, Christopher McDonald as Lionel Barrymore, Rob Riggle as U.S. Army Colonel Terrill and many more.
‘Jimmy Stewart’s story is so powerful and so relatable’
Surrounded by a cast of familiar faces, Lilley found herself falling for the hero at the center of the film.
“I did not know Jimmy Stewart’s true-life story, and it is so powerful and so relatable,” she marvels. “He really was every man. He was third-generation military and wanted to serve his country in World War II, but MGM made him dodge the draft. He fought for the right to fight, and then fighting left him with PTSD.”
“When you watch It’s a Wonderful Life knowing that, the story of George Bailey hits so hard,” she adds. “You realize this is Jimmy’s story. He lived a tremendous life and even though he’s a multi–Academy Award winning actor, he was so down to earth.”
‘I felt like I was at a table read with Jimmy Stewart’
Lilley was also touched by her character, Gloria, and the love story in this Hollywood tale.
“Their marriage was so beautiful,” she says. “And like me, she was a mom of four. She was pretty and powerful in a maternal way, so she could take the reins but still be very loving. They said, they were having a hard time finding that, so I was very excited to play her.
“And of course, I got to wear this adorable 1940s bathing suit, we fly off in this cute 1940s plane, and you see the boys in that era,” she teases. “It was just such an incredible experience, through and through.”
Lilley reveals her rom com favorites and Hallmark future
With Jimmy now ranked as one of her favorite projects, this Hallmark queen and Great American Family star still has love for making rom coms.
“I know people want me to say Spirit of Christmas or USS Christmas is my favorite,” she says. “But I loved A Paris Christmas Waltz because I was a dancer as a kid. It was a very sensitive part of me that I let die, so reawakening it with Matthew Morrison was incredibly healing.”
With her latest rom com, A Chrismystery, available for purchase/rental on most streaming services, Lilley’s not counting out more Hallmark down the line.
“I don’t think they’ve seen the last of me, but we’ll see,” she hedges. “I absolutely love making them. They bring joy to people, especially during tough seasons in their lives. People go to Hallmark to escape.”
Lilley wants to ‘wake up the church’ with her new devotional
While escapism is all in good fun, Lilley’s new devotional, Wake Up Your Faith: 365 Daily Encounters with Jesus, is available now.
“I felt strongly that the Lord wanted me to wake up the church that’s gotten a little too cozy,” she shares. “We live in a hurt, divided world and sometimes, church becomes a social club and we say we believe, but we don’t act on it. We need to BE the love. So where a lot of devotionals have prayers, mine has practical action items instead—like, ‘If you have an extra coat, put it in your car and when you see someone who needs it, consider giving it to them.”
With the New Year upon us, Lilley invites Woman’s World readers to start the journey with her. “I want to build you up and make this the most fruitful year of your life, but I cannot get you there unless you can hang out with me in January and embrace the art of surrender and repentance,” she says. “I had a 15-year eating disorder, so I’m not here on a pedestal. I try to be raw and transparent so readers feel so loved, seen, valued and known that you can make changes.”
‘Days’ alum admits, ‘Theresa is my favorite character I’ve ever played’
With a Wake up Your Faith Wake up Your Campus giveaway campaign launching at colleges this month, this mom’s decks are certainly no longer clear!
This spring, Lilley is set to release Called to Foster: An Honest Guide to Getting Started with Dr. John DeGarmo. The Days of Our Lives and General Hospital alum is also developing two series, has a top-secret project she can’t discuss yet, and can’t wait for Jimmy to hit theaters and reintroduce the world to Stewart on November 6, 2026.
With her former Days of Our Lives costar Emily O’Brien now playing Theresa, Lilley adds that she has nothing but love her old stomping grounds.
“When I found out that Emily (who also plays Gwen) was going to take over for Theresa, I ran down to her dressing room and gave her a huge hug,” Lilley tells Woman’s World. “No bridge has been burned with me and Days of our Lives, and Theresa’s my favorite character I’ve ever played. I love her. I love that cast. I would go back in a heartbeat… in a few years or so.”
Happy New Year, indeed!
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