Jill Wagner Movies & TV Shows: From ‘Wipeout’ Host to ‘Lioness’ Star, Her Journey Inspires

Some faces were just made for the screen—one of those being North Carolina native, Jill Wagner. You may recognize her from your evening channel surfing, as she hosted ABC’s obstacle course competition show, Wipeout, from 2008 to 2014, or perhaps even from her role as the intense Kate Argent in MTV’s Teen Wolf. More recently, Jill Wagner’s movies and TV shows have expanded to include Taylor Sheridan’s hit spy thriller, Special Ops: Lioness, on Paramount+. 

Alongside Zoe Saldaña, Wagner takes on undercover operations to take down terrorist groups from within. With filming of the show’s third season already underway, fans can’t wait to see her back on our screens, but even before appearing in this high-profile project, the actress found a wonderful fanbase, acting consistently in various projects on Hallmark and Great American Family. Here, learn all about Jill Wagner’s journey to stardom and see what the actress has been up to in recent years. 

Jill Wagner movies and TV shows: from ‘Wipeout’ host to ‘Teen Wolf’ villain

After attending North Carolina State University, Jill Wagner moved to California to make her mark in the entertainment industry. Her earliest roles were on MTV’s Punk’d, followed by Blade: The Series, Quintuplets and Bones. It wasn’t until 2008 that she got her very first television hosting gig on the popular obstacle course competition series, Wipeout. She remained as the host up until 2011, when she decided to pursue acting once again, but returned in 2012. Wagner’s charm, humor and natural wit made her a great fit for roles of this nature, but during her break from Wipeout, Wagner took on one of her most popular parts as Kate Argent in the MTV teen supernatural series, Teen Wolf. Her character was a werewolf hunter and one of the major antagonists in the show.

In an interview with The List, Wagner said, “I remember my grandmother, one day we were sitting in her living room and we were talking about my career, different things that I’ve done, and she made a comment. She said, ‘I just don’t understand it, Jill. I don’t understand why you always have to play the bad one because people don’t understand you’re good.’ And I laughed at that because I always told my grandmother, I said, ‘Grandma, it’s actually fun to play the villain.’ It’s fun sometimes to play the bad girl.” 

In a recent chat with Numero Netherlands, the actress explained that she had gotten used to playing the typical “girl next door” role, “so playing the antagonist on Teen Wolf was refreshing. I think any time an actor gets to show a different side, it is rewarding for the artist. I welcomed the challenge, and it did nothing but help me hone my craft.”

Jill Wagner’s Hallmark and Great American Family era

Jill’s first introduction to the Hallmark world came in 2015, when she starred in the film Autumn Dreams. Since then, her Hallmark catalog has grown quite a bit, starring in films and shows such as Christmas Cookies, A Harvest Wedding, Maggie’s Christmas Miracle, Pearl in Paradise, Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa, Mystery 101, The Angel Tree, Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses, and many more.

“I originally got involved with [Hallmark] because I asked my grandmother what she wanted me to do that I hadn’t yet done in my career,” Wagner told MediaVillage. “She said, ‘Hallmark movies.’ I took that to heart, called my manager and said, ‘Can we get a Hallmark movie going?’ Grandma wants a Hallmark movie; she gets one.”

Despite loving her Hallmark roots and the network playing a big part in her career, around 2021, the actress made a switch to Great American Family—a network with a similar audience to Hallmark, known for their faith-based, family-oriented films. Since joining the network, Wagner has appeared in movies like A Christmas Miracle for Daisy, A Merry Christmas Wish, Bringing Christmas Home, Christmas Under the Northern Lights and most recently, Christmas at the Inn opposite Trevor Donovan. 

The incredible story behind Jill Wagner and husband David Lemanowicz’s romance

Jill married ex-hockey player David Lemanowicz in 2017 after a series of chance encounters. However, their origin story dates all the way back to Jill’s early days in North Carolina. In an episode of Hallmark Home & Family, Jill told the story of the first three dates they went on, her at 17 and he at 20.

“I snuck out of my dad’s window at home and went out at night, which I wasn’t supposed to,” Jill revealed. “I snuck out and met him. Fell completely head over heels. We went out three times, and then I never heard from him again.” But that’s not where their story ends. In fact, it continued all the way in Afghanistan.

By some twist of fate, Jill was there on a USO tour at the same time David was stationed there while active in the Air Force as a special agent. The two made the connection upon meeting each other after all this time, but were both in other relationships. Then, in 2016, the pair ran into each other at a Los Angeles restaurant, and at that point, they knew that the connection they had wasn’t something to mess around with.

Jill Wagner on motherhood and the importance of chasing dreams

Jill Wagner is mom to a daughter named Lija, now 15, her husband’s daughter from a previous relationship, and since tying the knot with her hubby, she’s welcomed two more daughters. Army Gray, 5, was born in 2020 and soon after, she found out she was pregnant with another child, Daisy, 4, who she gave birth to in 2021. However, shortly after Daisy was born, both Jill and her baby began experiencing frightening health complications from childbirth, but in the wake of their recovery, the actress praised her husband for his support during such a scary time. 

“When I had complications after labor, I know it was scary for you. How did you hold it all in? You never broke. You were a rock. My rock. You made me feel safe, although my situation was not. I watched you care for our newest daughter during that time (while I could not ) and I know she also felt safe in daddy‘s arms,” she wrote in a touching tribute on Instagram. “As we bring home our beautiful healthy baby girl today I am reminded of how precious life truly is and the importance of having a strong devoted partner.”

Why Jill Wagner pitched ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ to Taylor Sheridan

Today, Wagner can be seen in the Paramount+ series Special Ops: Lioness, where she acts alongside Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman in her role as Bobby. The series, spearheaded by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, lets us see Wagner as a tough CIA Special Activities Division operative—which is a far cry from her Hallmark and GAF rom-coms and cozy mysteries!

Though Sheridan’s name might be attached to the hit series, it was actually Jill herself who pitched the idea to him! Raised in a military family, the actress has been outspoken about her support of the military, prompting her to reach out to Sheridan (who just so happens to be her former acting coach!) to share with him the idea to focus on this aspect of the military. Her character is tough and driven, and bringing a role like this to life on screen has been important to her in many ways.

“Lioness is the most significant accomplishment in my career, but not for the reasons one would probably think. While I am in awe of the talent surrounding me on that show and the fact that each episode is a masterpiece of Taylor’s words, that’s not why I am so proud of it,” she told Parade. “One day, my two little girls will be in their forties and come across a challenge in their lives that they think they can’t overcome. I want them to remember what I did in my forties and how it’s never too late to chase down a dream.”

Whether she’s taking on the role of a host, hunter or Hallmark romantic love interest, we can’t wait to see what Jill Wagner has in store next!