Bethany Joy Lenz is an actress known for “One Tree Hill” and her daughter, Maria March, is beginning to follow in her footsteps as a young performer. The 15-year-old recently appeared alongside her mother in the Hallmark+ series “Hope Valley: 1874” and joined Lenz at the show’s Los Angeles premiere. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Bethany Joy Lenz’s Daughter Maria March, Is Already Acting
GettyMarch, whose birth name is Maria Rose Galeotti, is beginning her acting career while still in high school. In the “When Calls the Heart” prequel series “Hope Valley: 1874,” she plays Vivian Doyle, the teenage daughter of a prospector who appears early in the series.
Lenz told People that she made sure her daughter earned the role through the same audition process as other actors.
“I made her audition,” Lenz said. “I was like, ‘You’re not just giving her a free part. She needs to earn it. It has to be something that you actually would cast her for.’”
According to Lenz, March impressed the production team and secured the role on her own.
“She’s doing a great job,” Lenz said. “I’m really proud of her. It’s a beautiful story, and I’m so happy.”
2. Bethany Joy Lenz & Her Daughter Appeared at the ‘Hope Valley: 1874’ Premiere
March also joined her mother for the premiere event of “Hope Valley: 1874” in Los Angeles on March 18. The pair posed together on the red carpet, marking one of March’s first major public appearances connected to the project.
Lenz shared that working with her daughter has made the experience especially meaningful.
“We’re having so much fun,” Lenz told the outlet. “It’s such a dream job.”
The series itself is a prequel connected to “When Calls the Heart,” a popular Hallmark franchise. In the show, Lenz plays Rebecca Clarke, a single mother who travels to the Western frontier with her young daughter to start a new life.
3. Maria March Is the Daughter of the ‘One Tree Hill’ Star and Michael Galeotti
March was born in 2011 to Lenz and musician Michael Galeotti. The couple married in 2005 and later divorced in 2012.
Lenz has often spoken about how becoming a mother shaped major decisions in her life. During a 2024 appearance on “Good Morning America,” she explained that her daughter influenced her decision to leave a controlling religious group she had been involved with for years.
“I left because of my daughter,” Lenz said. “I left because it was time.”
She also recalled the moment that helped her decide to move forward.
“I remember having this thought,” she said. “‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me and why I will allow myself to be treated this way, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to allow this to happen to her. We gotta get out.’”
4. Bethany Joy Lenz Previously Revealed Her Daughter Was Interested in Acting
Lenz has said her daughter shares her interest in performing, though she has been careful about how quickly March enters the entertainment industry.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Lenz explained that she understands the challenges of working as a young actor.
“She does,” Lenz said when asked if her daughter wants to act. “She’s one of us.”
However, Lenz also said she hopes her daughter takes time to grow before fully entering the business.
“That’s really hard for me because I was a kid actor and I know how difficult it is in this industry,” she said. “Maybe when she’s 18.”
5. Maria March Resembles Bethany Joy Lenz and Shares Her Family’s Creative Roots
Fans have also noticed how much March resembles her mother. Lenz shared a side-by-side photo of them together on Instagram in February 2024.
“Forever Valentine,” Lenz wrote in the caption.
Many followers commented on how similar the two look. One fan wrote, “She is your twin!”
Lenz has also said creativity runs deep in the family. In a social media post, she shared a childhood photo with her grandmother Doris and described her as an inspiration.
“This is my Grandma Doris. She was a musical theatre QUEEN and inspired me when I was young,” Lenz wrote.
“Hope Valley: 1874” premiered on Saturday, March 21, 2026, on Hallmark+. New episodes of this 8-episode, “When Calls the Heart” prequel series stream weekly on Thursdays at 3:00 a.m. ET exclusively on the Hallmark+ streaming platform.
