Days of our Lives Favorite Jen Lilley Talks B&B Merry & John Aniston

As Theresa Donovan on Days of our Lives, Jen Lilley fought hard for romance. Now, as travel blogger Tracey Moore, she’s fighting a gentler battle for a happily ever after in the GAC romantic holiday movie ‘B&B Merry’ opposite actor Jesse Hutch (Batwoman; Smallville).

Jen Lilley Checks into ‘B&B Merry’ on GAC

Spoilers are a big no-no in scripted programming but Lilley freely admits that there’s a certain comfort in knowing that star-crossed lovers in feel-good movies like ‘B&B Merry’ are all but guaranteed to find happiness by the time the credits roll. “There’s always a formula,” she says, comparing rom-com genre movies to comfort food like mac & cheese.” “I think people want to know that a couple’s going to get together as they watch while they’re baking cookies and preparing for their own holidays,” Lilley offers.

“Jesse’s a friend of mine and I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time,” Lilley adds. She says it’s refreshing that when Tracey and Graham, Hutch’s character, are in conflict they actually come together pretty quickly by sharing open communication. “There’s no misunderstanding,” she says. “I love that.”

Viewers will instantly get in the holiday spirit when they see the beautifully decorated sets. “This is the best ‘set dec’ I’ve had on any movie,” Lilley says. “I told our set decorator Olga that every day.”

During the course of the film, Tracey reveals to Graham that she felt family pressure to go into law. Conversely, Graham opens up about honoring his late father by helping his mother run the family bed & breakfast business. (That, by the way, is the ‘B&B’ in the title — it’s not a reference to The Bold and the Beautiful!)

Christmas is Not Canceled

It’s safe to say that Lilley’s in the holiday spirit year-round. She and her pal Alejandra Boggiano, an entrepreneur, are the driving force beyond Christmas is Not Canceled, a charity that does many things including putting toys into the hands of children at Christmas. Balsam Hill, a company Lilley affectionately calls the ‘Rolls Royce’ of Christmas Trees and holiday decor, reached out to her about helping out with her toy drive. “We’re up to about 15,000 toys and we have about another week to get 10,000 more,” Lilley says. “I think we’re going to do it!”

Lilley says that the first person to sign up to help her with Christmas is Not Canceled is actor Trevor Donovan, who, like Lilley, has a tie to DAYS as he once played Jeremy Horton on the Peacock soap opera. “He was our first supporter,” Lilley says. “I adore Trevor Donovan.”

Jen Lilley Recalls the Late, Great John Aniston

The actress also has extremely fond memories of the late John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis). While Victor wasn’t always Theresa’s biggest supporter, Lilley says she and Aniston got along just great. “I am so saddened by the loss of John Aniston. A veteran and consummate professional,” Lilley posted on social media.

Is the actress up for reprising Theresa? “I love being on DAYS and I’d drop by anytime for a visit,” she says. In the meantime, check out Lilley in ‘B&B Merry’ on Sunday, December 4 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on GAC (Great American Family). Check your local cable listings to see if your cable provider carries GAC.

The best place for true soap fans to be is our Facebook groups. Have you joined? If you love soap spoilers, gossip, and fans as dedicated as yourself, check out Days of our Lives Fans, General Hospital Exclusive, The Young and the Restless Fans, and The Bold and the Beautiful Fans.