The Stunning Transformation Of Hallmark Star Jill Wagner

Jill Wagner is a jack-of-all-trades in the television sphere. The actor is likely most notable for hosting the 2008 game show "Wipeout," but she quickly grew her repertoire to reflect an incredible amount of diverse projects. Jill has played out everything on-screen, from the happy holidays to whodunnit mysteries for the Hallmark Channel. She also stars in the Paramount+ series "Lioness" alongside actors like Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman, and Jill sat down with The List to dish on the series.

Jill was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her grandmother and father raised her, and her father is U.S. Marine David Wagner — a factor that eventually played a part in her "Lioness" role. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a pursuit for a career in business. Her natural TV magnetism, however, was the wall that separated her from a regular nine-to-five job. Fortunately for us, Jill found her mark in Hollywood as a sketch performer in the 2003 hit MTV series "Punk'd," famously hosted by Ashton Kutcher. But what you don't know about Jill is that her career timeline didn't start on television.

As a teenager, Jill Wagner was randomly approached to do a photoshoot for a modeling contest in Jamaica. Fifteen-year-old Jill was sitting at her local mall's Cinnabon restaurant when she was scouted by a photographer. "He told me that he was doing this shoot in Jamaica where they were having a contest to find some models," the star revealed to North Carolina paper "News & Record" in 2009. "I thought maybe he wasn't being serious or that he had other interests." She reportedly gave the photographer her father's card and he did reach out. Jill's father was hesitant to allow her to take the trip, but eventually came on board with the idea.

"I always told her to pursue and follow her dreams," David Wagner told the outlet. Soon she found herself training at the Raleigh branch of the Barbizon Modeling and Acting School, where she honed her performance skills. "I always say I wanted to act because I can't shut my mouth long enough to be a model and for someone to take a picture," Jill said in her "News & Record" interview. After moving to Hollywood, she received small roles in a few popular shows, but her "Wipeout" stint took her career to the next level.

You may remember Jill Wagner from car commercials back in the early 2000s. The actor became a spokesmodel for Ford's Mercury brand of cars in 2005 — giving her the nickname "The Mercury Girl." According to Wagner, her commercial fame led to her co-hosting gig on ABC's 2008 reality competition series "Wipeout." "I was doing commercials for Lincoln-Mercury, and ['Wipeout' executive producer] Matt Kunitz had seen me on the commercials, so they called me from them," she told Premium Hollywood in 2011.

Wagner was the show's on-field host for all of its seven seasons; she saw a lot of wild moments. The "Mystery 101" star told the outlet that there were times she had to hold her breath while watching a contestant attempt their way through the outdoor obstacle courses. "I wish the camera would show that half the time I've got my hands over my eyes going ... 'Just don't tell me, don't tell me ... '" said Wagner.

All in all, Wagner seems grateful for her time as host, working alongside commentators John Henson and John Anderson. In 2018, she posted a throwback on her Facebook, saying, "#Tbt to the old Wipeout days. I had never hosted a show before and was given the great opportunity to be a part of such a fun show!"

Jill Wagner may be known for her time on television, but a passion for film led her to star in a few cheery Hallmark hits. According to Wagner, the personal catalyst behind her work with the network was her grandmother. "All that came about because my grandmother — love her soul — I asked her what I hadn't done in my career, what did she want me to do, and she was like 'Well, I just want you to be in one of those family-friendly movies 'cause they're so decent,' and I said, 'Okay, grandma,'" she told Sidewalks Entertainment.

Aside from her MTV and ABC antics with "Punk'd" and "Wipeout," Wagner's fans know her for her roles in Hallmark classics, such as "A Harvest Wedding," with Hallmark hunk Victor Webster, and "Maggie's Christmas Miracle." Per The Journal Gazette, the latter film is based on a book and coincidentally has similarities to Wagner's own love story with former professional hockey player, David Lemanowicz. She told the outlet she was working on a script about their relationship and planning to produce, adding, "I'm very proud of my work with Hallmark. As long as they'll have me, I'd love to continue a long-term relationship with them." As of writing, a movie about Wagner and Lemanowicz hasn't come to fruition, but she said in 2024 that it's possible the film could still happen one day.

Jill Wagner gave her fans a glimpse into how she met and fell in love with David Lemanowicz, revealing on Hallmark's "Home & Family" that she was 17 when she met a 20-year-old Lemanowicz. "I snuck out of my dad's window at home ... and went out at night, which I wasn't supposed to," said Wagner. "I snuck out and met him. Fell completely head over heels. We went out three times, and then I never heard from him again."

Their next chance encounter is quite a unique meet-cute, as the pair met again in Afghanistan while Wagner was on a USO tour with the United Service Organizations and Lemanowicz was serving in the Air Force. They were in other relationships at the time. It wasn't until 2016 when the pair met again, crossing paths at a Los Angeles restaurant, that they gave their romance another chance. The love birds tied the knot in April 2017 and since then, Wagner and Lemanowicz's married life has looked like a fairytale.

The couple share three kids: Wagner and Lemanowicz's two biological daughters, Army Gray and Daisy, and Wanger's step-daughter — Lemanowicz's biological daughter — Lija. In 2021, when Wagner gave birth to Daisy, she shared "A Love Letter To My Husband" on Instagram. She detailed the complications of her daughter's birth, but how Lemanowicz never wavered. "It's been the toughest 11 days of my life but it was your strength that pulled us all three out of it," she wrote. " ... I have a deeper renewed connection with you my love ... and for that I am forever grateful."

For most of her career, Jill Wagner's appearance has stayed consistently stunning. It wasn't until 2022 when she amped up her look to an otherworldly level. The actor shared her major haircut journey on Facebook, posting the video when she sliced off her long locks to rock a short 'do. She shared the reasoning for the "liberating" chop in the caption, writing, "I have been given the chance of a lifetime with my new show #Lioness (starting to film soon). I am completely turning into my character #Bobby not only because it's my job but I want to be an example to my girls. I want them to experience new things and know that their true worth isn't wrapped up in hair or what they drive or how much money they make ... it's in their character, their spirit, and how they treat others."

The setting for "Lioness," which has been streaming on Paramount+ since 2023, was reportedly the brain baby between Wagner and her husband, all stemming from Wagner's respect for those in the military and Lemanowicz's stories of being in the Air Force. Along with Wagner's role in the show, the couple also are executive producers. "I really have one regret in my life [and] it's that I never joined the military," Wagner told Decider in 2024. "If I could play a member of the military on screen, I felt that I could honor those who did serve by telling their stories."