Best known to Hallmark Channel viewers for her starring role in 2018’s “Royal Matchmaker” and, most recently, in “Bottled with Love,” Bethany Joy Lenz also served up a memorable performance as a guest star in two episodes of ABC’s hit series “Grey’s Anatomy” last season. In addition, Lenz joined the second season of USA’s much lauded Carlton Cuse series “Colony” as resistance fighter Morgan with a major recurring arc through the entire season. In May 2017, she co-stared in the Lionsgate film, Extortion, with Barkhad Abdi and Eion Bailey.
In the last few years, Lenz was the female lead opposite JoBeth Williams and Bruce Greenwood in Jerry Bruckheimer’s thriller pilot “Home” for TNT. She also played the title role in E!’s pilot “Songbyrd,” based on the life of multiple Grammy winning songwriter Diane Warren, and she had pivotal arcs on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Dexter.” From 2002 to 2011, Lenz was the female lead of The CW’s “One Tree Hill,” for which she regularly directed episodes. She was also in rotation as a director on the award-winning web series “Nasty Habits.”
An accomplished singer trained by the Director of the Brooklyn College of Opera, Lenz fell in love with musical theatre at a young age. She was raised and trained on Rogers & Hammerstein, Gershwin and Sondheim, but mostly performs acoustic indie-rock and bluegrass when she tours. Her music credits include five indie albums, an extensive tour with Michelle Branch and Gavin DeGraw and a recording contract with Epic Records. She has collaborated on several albums with Bruce Springsteen’s producer, Grammy winner Ron Aniello, and co-wrote a staged musical with Aniello based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel, The Notebook.
Lenz is most active with charities Equality Now and Love146, and she was selected by Lancôme to promote their 2016 St. Jude’s campaign in a commercial she wrote and starred in. She also adds jewelry designer and fine artist to her repertoire and is best known for being a terrific actress in both comedy and drama.