Actress Jen Lilley, a devout Christian and co-host of the 2020 Movieguide® Awards, says each role she plays has something in common: She’s prayed and sought the Lord’s will for what project to take on.
“The truth is Jesus hung out with tax collectors and harlots,” Lilley said. “I’m open to doing roles that are maybe edgier, as long as there’s a redemptive message to them, which is why I played the role of Theresa on Days of Our Lives.“
The Days of Our Lives spot was initially not one Lilley was interested in, until she said the Lord spoke to her clearly about why that character mattered.
She said the Lord told her, “Somebody has to play that role, and I’d rather it be a Christian because you can play the unspoken moments when the guy leaves the room. You play the emptiness the girls actually feel where they’ve sold themselves short of their value. Those are the exact condition of humanity that I sent My Son to die for. You know, I died for broken people. I didn’t die for perfect people. And she’s not beyond redemption, and there’s no pits so deep that My love cannot find someone still.”
Lilley said those words still bring tears to her eyes, and that’s why she doesn’t necessarily pigeonhole herself into traditional wholesome roles, though those are definitely her favorite jobs.
“I do ask myself, Is it the role that You want me to play, God?” Lilley said. “I don’t necessarily only choose wholesome roles, but at the same time, I’m not going to do nudity. I’m not going to sell myself short as a daughter of the King.”
Read the rest of this article at Movieguide®. Find out what God is doing in Hollywood!
