Soap Opera Digest: You have two new holiday films out this season, A Little Women’s Christmas and Operation Mistletoe, and A Paris Christmas Waltz is now streaming on Netflix. What do you enjoy most about doing these movies and are there any highlights that stand out from any of them?
Jen Lilley: Holiday movies are pure joy to make. They bring so much warmth, hope, and nostalgia. It’s like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket and sharing a moment of happiness with the world. Each film has its own highlights, but for A Paris Christmas Waltz, dancing in Paris was an absolute dream come true. The city is so magical, and the choreography was challenging but so rewarding. A Little Women’s Christmas also holds a special place in my heart, because of the classic story it honors and the incredible cast I got to work with. And Operation Mistletoe was just all around fun. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed so much on set, and I think Grace [the character I play] is most like me in real life.
Gallery Update: A Little Women’s Christmas
Interview: Digital Journal
Actress Jen Lilley chatted about her latest Great American Family movie “A Little Women’s Christmas,” as well as the 2024 Christmas Con in New Jersey, and the Great American Family Christmas Festival.
“Obviously, it is exciting to be here,” Lilley said about Christmas Con. “I brought my full sparkle to show my full excitement. I love Christmas Con, and I am a fan of it. I can’t believe they have me; they just let me in every year.”
She was one of the stars of “A Little Women’s Christmas” on Great American Family.
“It was an incredible experience,” she noted. “I love Trevor Donovan; the fact that Trevor was in it was one of the reasons that I wanted to do it. With Jesse Hutch and Trevor Donovan, I was in!”
“Then, I got to meet Jillian Murray, and I got to work with Laura Osnes; she is amazing. Julia Reilly was great too. Our ensemble cast was incredible,” she added.
Interview: Country Living
Actress Jen Lilley has appeared in a whopping 18 Christmas movies, including two new ones this year: Operation Mistletoe, co-starring Nick Bateman, on Hulu, and A Little Women’s Christmas—a modern take on Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel filmed in Franklin, Tennessee—on Great American Family. And for her next act, she’s changing the way movies, Christmas and otherwise, are made with the launch of her crowdfunded production company Raise the Reel.
“I wanted to give fans the opportunity to not just watch their favorite films but be part of them,” she tells Country Living of Raise the Reel. “You can snag a walk-on role, visit the set, or even see your name in the credits. Plus, it’s amazing for filmmakers too—they can get the financing they need to bring their films to life without going into debt or giving away equity. Plus, every film we produce also donates 10% to charity, so it’s entertainment that makes a difference.”
First up for the new production company: Holiday Hearts, filming this spring, which is based on Dana Volney’s novella A Heart for the Holidays. Adapted for the screen by writer Bill True, the script moved Jen to tears when she first read it, before she even knew True had written it with her in mind for the lead.