What Only True Fans Know About Hallmark Star Chyler Leigh

Chyler Leigh has played so many great characters it's hard to pick a favorite. The role that has captured the hearts of Hallmark Channel viewers, though, is Kat Landry on the series "The Way Home," a time-traveling woman trying to rebuild her past and current relationships. Leigh has acted since she was a teenager, tempting Mary with beer on "7th Heaven" and appearing in a Marilyn Manson music video. You might also remember her as June Tuesday on "That '80s Show," fan-favorite Lexie Grey on "Grey's Anatomy," or Alex Danvers on "Supergirl."  

While it may seem like these roles have nothing in common, there is at least one similarity between a few of them: music. In 2011, "Grey's Anatomy" featured a musical episode in which Leigh sang several songs. "What girl hasn't stood in front of the mirror before lip-syncing to some epic song that's on the radio," she said of the experience in a behind-the-scenes clip. "It's kind of like a childhood dream, really." 

She also does a karaoke scene in "The Way Home," where she expertly sings Alanis Morissette's "You Learn." Some fans were surprised to hear her vocal range, commenting on Leigh's Instagram, where she posted a clip of the performance. "Who knew she could sing??" asked one, while another exclaimed, "Chyler Leigh can sing?!? Wait, what??" Indeed, Leigh is more than just a one-hit karaoke wonder. She actually has a full-fledged singing career alongside her acting one.  

You can wait for Chyler Leigh to have a few more on-screen singing performances in various projects, or you can catch her doing nothing but stretching her vocal cords in a full-length performance. Her voice can be heard on several songs with the group East of Eli, with whom she made her professional singing debut in 2017 on the song "Nowhere." While perfectly comfortable on the acting stage, she was a little intimidated at the time of the song's release, she revealed to The New Nine. "This venture is very recent for me. It's amazing and terrifying at the same time."

Along with "Nowhere," Leigh also lends her voice to several other songs by East of Eli and even joined them on tour. "Our sold-out Troubadour show came during ["Supergirl's] hiatus, so it's just been figuring out a schedule that works for us," Leigh explained. "I knew from the beginning it would be challenging, and I welcomed it. We got to tour Europe during the break, and I love it. It's an amazing experience."

While Leigh is comfortable doing any sort of acting scene, she admitted to EOE Angels France that singing is a whole different animal. "It's something that I've always wanted to do, but I've been really scared. Every time I go to sing, my heart starts pounding." Luckily, she's gotten over her singing stage fright and now enjoys the experience. "I love it. I really, really do."

The band East of Eli is actually the creation of Chyler Leigh's husband, Nathan West. The two both began their entertainment careers in the acting world and met at an audition when Leigh was just shy of her 17th birthday. He proposed while they were on the set of the big-screen flick "Not Another Teen Movie," and the duo have been together for over 20 years. While Leigh continued acting, West focused more on music, and Leigh joined East of Eli for their second album, "Lost Transmission."

"Nathan and I have worked together from an acting standpoint several times in our careers," Leigh shared with People. "We thought this would be a great opportunity for us to not be working together playing somebody else, but working together being ourselves." In a behind-the-scenes video about the song "Love Lit the Sky," a love letter for their relationship, Leigh gushes, "I've never seen Nathan be more Nathan than when he's on stage. There's this whole other level of me falling in love with him again." West also heaps praise on Leigh. "When she starts singing, I just want to record an album for her."  

As for the possibility of hearing Leigh's melodic voice again on "The Way Home," the star is up for the task. "It was a lot of fun, and hopefully, it tracks with people," she said about the karaoke episode. "Hopefully, I make Alanis proud and am invited to sing again on the show."