Actress Jen Lilley wants Christians to look past Hollywood’s reputation and see people who need hope as she prepares for the release of JIMMY.
“We always say Hollywood is so dark, and I’m like, yes it is, but I will say they’re searching. They’re searching for the truth,” Lilley told ChurchLeaders in an interview published Oct. 28.
For the actress, that search calls for compassion rather than writing people off. She said her experiences working with other actors have given her a renewed tenderness toward those who believe their mistakes have put them beyond redemption.
“We come into agreement with the enemy and we think we’re too far gone. And it’s like, that is not true,” she said.
Lilley described colleagues trying different ways to find peace while still struggling with a sense of shame. Her response isn’t to pretend those struggles don’t exist; she wants to meet people where they are and share the love of Christ.
Lilley brings that perspective to her next role. Known to television audiences from DAYS OF OUR LIVES and Christmas movies, she will portray Gloria Stewart, actor James Stewart’s wife, in JIMMY.
Related: Christian Actress Jen Lilley Shares How God Leads Her to Roles
Directed by Aaron Burns and starring actor KJ Apa as Stewart, the movie follows the Hollywood star’s service as a World War II combat pilot and his difficult return home. The official synopsis traces that journey toward the role audiences still treasure: George Bailey in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Lilley said she hadn’t known Stewart was a World War II hero before learning more about his life. His military service stood out to her as another part of the story behind a star many viewers know through his work on screen.
JIMMY opens nationwide Nov. 6, but Lilley’s conversation reached beyond her next screen appearance. Asked how Christians could pray for her, she focused on obedience, not simply landing another opportunity.
“I want God’s perfect will. I’m not interested in His permissive will,” she said.
She asked for prayer that God would open the right doors and close the ones that need to stay shut. That includes a willingness to set aside her own plans, rather than assume every available opportunity belongs on her calendar.
Her concern for people also extends beyond the entertainment industry. On her charity page, Lilley identifies foster care and adoption as the cause closest to her heart, drawing on her own experience as a foster and adoptive mother.
The page also describes Christmas Is Not Cancelled, a campaign that grew from a pandemic initiative into a yearly effort providing toys and school supplies to children and families in foster care. For Lilley, advocacy isn’t separate from the people and stories she wants to bring to audiences.
In the new interview, she brought the conversation back to a simple priority: making sure her work follows God’s direction. She expressed a willingness to go wherever He leads, while asking for discernment about whose plans she is pursuing.
“I don’t have time to do what I want. I want to be about my father’s business,” Lilley said.
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
