The One Thing Hallmark Star Jill Wagner Regrets About Her Life

Jill Wagner has had quite a successful career in television. She initially gained recognition as the host of the hit game show "Wipeout," before starring in her own series of Hallmark original movies, and eventually made the jump to rival station Great American Family like a number of other Hallmark actors, such as Danica McKellar.. Likewise, Wagner has also found more mainstream success thanks to her role in "Lioness" with "Yellowstone's" Taylor Sheridan. Away from the cameras, Wagner enjoys married life with U.S. Army Major David Lemanowicz. That said, the prolific actor and game show host's life is not entirely free of remorse, and one big hang-up she has is that she never served her country herself.

During a December 2024 interview with Parade, the Hallmark alum revealed what exactly drew her to "Lioness," a show that follows a special squad of female soldiers. "I am not easily starstruck, but these women are my heroes," Wagner enthused about the real-life women serving in the military. "If I look back on my life, I don't have any regrets except for one: that I didn't join the military. I have the most profound respect for the women who lay down their lives for this country." The actor shared that in addition to being an army wife, her father, grandfather, and uncle were Marines, adding, "I come from a very patriotic family, and I've always greatly respected the men and women who serve our country."

Notably, Jill Wagner's support for the men and women of the U.S. military goes beyond mere words of encouragement and admiration. Back in 2013, the "Lioness" star traveled to Afghanistan to support the American troops stationed over there. Wagner recalled the lifechanging experience in a 2024 Facebook post, simultaneously revealing that, in a twist of fate, David Lemanowicz — whom she married just four years later — was actually working at one of the bases she visited at the time. More recently, Wagner and Lemanowicz hosted an event called The Patriotic Pick at her family's Tennessee compound in September 2024. The event was in aid of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. 

That same year, the couple celebrated National Vietnam War Veterans Day by honoring those who served overseas. "To all you Vietnam vets out there and the ones with us and the ones that aren't, we love you, we're honoring you. Well-deserved day, long overdue, thank you for your service," Wagner said in a video for Great American Family (via Movieguide). The Hallmark alum made similar comments in another GAF clip celebrating Thanksgiving the previous year. "We were just having a little conversation about Thanksgiving [and] all of the things that we are thankful [for], and it landed on the military," Wagner pointed out (via Movieguide). "What the men and women of the military have done and continue to do for us. So, I guess we just wanted to say a little thank you to all of them."