Hollywood has seen its fair share of high-profile breakups, but Jen Lilley says the secret to her nearly 20-year marriage has nothing to do with fame, fortune or romance.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the “Jimmy” star credited putting Jesus first with helping her and her husband get through some of life’s most challenging moments.
For Lilley, the secret isn’t a Hollywood-approved relationship trick or a carefully guarded marriage formula.
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“This is just something that I can say for me personally. You know, maybe it’s not the secret for other people, but we both, we have a really strong faith,” Lilley told Fox News Digital.
“And I think that for us, keeping Jesus at the center of our marriage has really been what has gotten us through extremely difficult times,” she said.
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Lilley said her commitment to faith also influences the roles she takes in Hollywood.
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While many actors chase the next big opportunity, Lilley says no role is worth sacrificing for her brood.
“I think the values that I hold onto are actually common to most people, but I really value my family. I will make decisions based on the well-being of my own children and my marriage, even when sometimes it’s not what I want,” she said.
“There have been times I’ve had to turn down a role or something because it just doesn’t fit what I need in this season.”
“The values that I’ve carried are just really making sure that you’re loving your family and your neighbor well,” she added.
Lilley married engineer Jason Wayne in 2007, and the couple share four children, including two sons adopted through foster care and two daughters.
In her latest project, the actress portrays Gloria Stewart, the wife of Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart, in the biopic “Jimmy.”
While preparing for the part, Lilley discovered a love story that went far beyond the glamour of Hollywood.
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“I think what surprised me the most was just how much they enjoyed each other’s company their entire lives,” she told Fox News Digital.
Jimmy Stewart, once dubbed Hollywood’s eternal bachelor, found lasting love with Gloria, who brought two sons from a previous marriage into their relationship. Stewart adopted the boys, and the couple later welcomed two daughters together.
But their marriage faced challenges that went far beyond Hollywood.
Lilley said Stewart returned from serving in World War II with symptoms she described as consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at a time when the condition was not yet formally recognized under that name.
She described Gloria as the actor’s emotional anchor — someone who could navigate Hollywood’s elite social circles but also provide a safe haven when the cameras stopped rolling.
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Lilley told Fox News Digital portraying Gloria also gave her a fresh perspective on what keeps a marriage standing when life gets messy — trust, laughter and having someone who feels like home.
“I think what made their marriage really work was the fact that they did have so much trust with each other, and they had a lot of humor,” she said.
“I mean, I think that if you don’t have a sense of humor, good luck getting through life. You know, life has a perfectly adequate way of knocking you back down often.”
The lesson hit close to home for Lilley, who said the Stewarts’ relationship reinforced the importance of finding laughter even during difficult seasons and being a dependable source of comfort for a spouse.
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“And so, I think for my own marriage it just encouraged me that, you know, you can always find something to laugh at even when times are hard and just to be consistent and safe with each other,” she said.
The Hallmark actress called playing Gloria Stewart a dream come true.
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“I have always been a huge fan of Jimmy Stewart, his movies and his life philosophy,” she previously said. “It is a dream come true to step into the role of the love of his life. This film is beautiful and will be beloved by many.”
The film is also offering free tickets to veterans, a gesture Lilley praised as an opportunity to honor those who served.
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Away from Hollywood, the actress has also advocated for foster children, drawing on her experiences as a foster and adoptive parent. She co-authored “Called to Foster” to encourage more families to open their homes to children in need.
She also relaunched her “Christmas Is Not Canceled” campaign, which began in 2020 and helped deliver gifts to 10,000 children. The 2026 initiative encourages toy donations for children in need, with donors entered to win a Hallmark-style Christmas prize package.
Jimmy Stewart’s biopic “Jimmy” hits theaters Nov. 6.
