“Days of our Lives” and “General Hospital” alum Jen Lilley will star opposite Matthew Morrison (“Glee”) in an all-new Christmas movie for Great American Family, part of the network’s Great American Christmas holiday programming event which kicks off on October 21 with new holiday movies premiering every Saturday and Sunday, and 24/7 Christmas movies through the end of the year.
Titled “Paris Christmas Waltz,” an expansion to the highly successful “Christmas Waltz” movie franchise by Michael Damian (DannyRomalotti, “The Young and the Restless”) and Janeen Damian, the movie follows Emma (Lilley) who quits her job so a colleague with a family will keep his. Contemplating life’s next steps, Emma meets a professional dancer, Leo (Morrison), whose love for competitive dancing is waning until a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises for the novice to join the pros and sweep all of Paris off its feet. The movie was shot on location in Paris and highlights majestic views from the city’s most iconic destinations.
Collaborating on 17 original movies, including the highest-rated holiday movie of 2020, “The Christmas Waltz,” the Damians reteam with Michael directing from an original screenplay he co-wrote with his wife, Janeen, who herself also serves as a producer. The movie is being executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Amy Krell, Jimmy Townsend and Lorenzo Nardini.
Best known for her portrayal of Maxie Jones on “General Hospital” (2011-2012) and as Theresa Donovan on “Days of our Lives” (2013-2016, 2018), Lilley has made a name for herself appearing in more than a dozen TV movies for either Hallmark Channel or Great American Family, including playing the head writer of a daytime soap opera in “A Little Daytime Drama” which co-starred Ryan Paevey (ex-Nathan West, “General Hospital”) and Linda Dano (ex-Felicia Gallant, Another World).
For his part, for six seasons, Morrison played Will Schuester in the musical comedy series “Glee.” He followed the role up with appearances in several popular primetime dramas, including “Younger,” “The Good Wife,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “American Horror Story.” In 2020, he played The Grinch in “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical,” NBC’s live-action TV adaptation of the Broadway stage musical based on the Dr. Seuss classic, “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”