Days of our Lives Alum Jen Lilley Celebrates Her Birthday

Days of our Lives fans always miss Theresa Donovan and her adorable portrayer, Jen Lilley, but the deliriously happy mother of four and busy actress certainly has a reason to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Jen Lilley!

That’s because she was born on August 4, 1984, in Roanoke, Virginia, meaning that she turns 39 years old today. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in both Geology and Theatre Studies and received Magna Cum Laude honors.

Lilley was made an offer to teach geology courses at her alma mater and actually spent about a year heading a kindergarten class before deciding to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

She remembers making a promise that she would allow seven years in which to establish herself as an acting professional, and if she found no opportunities, she would return to the world of academia.

The year 2011 proved a banner year for Jen Lilley, who secured a role in the major motion picture The Artist, which won the Oscar for Best Film, and a guest role on the iCarly TV film iParty With Victorious. That same year, she auditioned for General Hospital casting director Mark Teschner, who was looking to cast “The Woman in White.”

She didn’t secure that role (and it’s just as well, considering the moment the character stopped “haunting” Wyndemere and started speaking, she took a bullet to the gut), but she made a big impression. Later that year, Teschner called her back to test for another role, and the food-poisoned actress dragged herself out of her sickbed to make the call.

She wound up subbing for actress Kirsten Storms in the part of fan-favorite Maxie Jones and stayed on the soap for over a year. In 2013, Lilley joined the cast of Days of our Lives in the role of legacy character Theresa Donovan, daughter of supercouple Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease).

Lilley played the role until 2016 and returned for a three-month guest stint in 2018. Since then, she has appeared in many movies, including the Hallmark Channel original A Dash of Love, and released two music albums entitled Tinsel Time and Lilley.

Soap Hub would like to wish Jen Lilley a very happy birthday, and you can, too, by clicking the Twitter link below.