Jen Lilley Bravely Shares How ‘Stressed’ She Was Before Her ‘Wonderful’ Hallmark Return (EXCLUSIVE)

Days after the premiere of Jen Lilley’s first Hallmark rom-com in four years — “A Royal Setting” — the actress is breathing a big sigh of relief.

On April 8, 2026, Lilley told EntertainmentNow she could not have asked for a better “homecoming” after feeling quite anxious about returning to the network.

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Jen Lilley Was Worried Things Might Be ‘Awkward’ as She Returned to Hallmark

Hallmark

After getting her big acting break in network soaps, playing Maxie Jones on “General Hospital” and then Theresa Donovan on “Days of Our Lives,” Lilley became a mainstay on Hallmark Channel, starting with 2017’s “Dash of Love” opposite Brendan Penny.

She starred in a dozen popular Hallmark movies over the next four years, but signed an exclusive contract in late 2021 with Great American Family, the cable network started by former Hallmark Channel CEO Bill Abbott. Lilley’s decision to join fellow Hallmark alums who’d also made the jump, including Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar, shocked many fans who were disappointed to see her go.

After Lilley’s two-year contract was up in early 2024, she didn’t renew and told EntertainmentNow at the time she didn’t want to be tied down by an exclusivity agreement. She also expressed hope she’d wind up again at Hallmark one day.

Once the network did invite Lilley back into the fold for 2026’s “A Royal Setting,” the mom of four realized just how anxious she was about returning, telling EntertainmentNow, “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be awkward coming back to Hallmark. Was there going to be drama? And there wasn’t.”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but normally I’m a perfectionist,” Lilley continued, “so I put a lot of pressure on myself. Like, ‘If this is not the top-rated movie (it’s a failure).’ It’s ridiculous. But for some reason on this one, everything about it felt easy.”

Lilley laughed, “I’ve not been so not stressed out in like, five years, so it was really great.”

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Jen Lilley Confirms the Future is Bright for Her at Hallmark

Hallmark

Now that “A Royal Setting” has premiered and is available to stream on Hallmark+, Lilley is beaming over her return, telling EntertainmentNow, “The experience was absolutely incredible. It felt like the sweetest homecoming. It felt natural. It felt really, truly, like the feeling of coming home. It was like when you find your favorite pair of boots that you worked so hard to break in, and you put ’em on, and you’re like, ‘This feels right.'”

Lilley also noted that even their filming location was comfortable for her — in the small Canadian town of North Bay, near Ontario, where she’s shot at least four movies.

“I’m a creature of habit, so I like to know where the restaurants are, know where I’m staying, know where to walk, what to do on the weekends,” she said. “I have a good church there now, and I have friends there. So just in every single way, it was the most wonderful experience top to bottom.”

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It also helped that Lilley’s leading man, longtime Hallmark star Dan Jeannotte, was familiar to her; the duo co-starred in the 2019 Hallmark movie “Paris, Wine & Romance.”

“Of course, working with Dan Jeannotte again was amazing,” she gushed. “And it was so much easier this time because I wasn’t six months pregnant!”

Lilley has a busy year ahead, including playing Jimmy Stewart’s wife Gloria in the holiday feature film “Jimmy,” filming another yet-to-be-announced biopic this spring, and authoring two books — including the just-released “Called to Foster? An Honest Guide to Getting Started,” for those considering becoming a foster parent.

Lilley assured EntertainmentNow that she’s also made sure to leave room for more projects with Hallmark, noting with a wink, “I can confirm you have not seen the last of me on Hallmark!”