‘A DASH OF LOVE’

Cast Bios

JEN LILLEY (Nikki Turner) – Jen Lilley is best known for her role as Theresa Donovan on NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” and her portrayal of Maxie Jones on ABC's “General Hospital.” She also appeared in the Academy Award-winning film, The Artist.

She's been a series regular and guest-starred on several sitcoms, including MTV's improvised comedy series, “Disaster Date.”

Her most recent projects in post production include feature films Mommy I Didn't Do it, The Wedding Do Over, Galileo, Where Are You Bobby Browning and Crossing Streets, and television appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy” and new series, “The Encounter.”

Born in Roanoke, Virginia, Lilley didn't start acting until college (University of VA) when she played the lead in an indie film called The Loss of Life. In addition to acting, she is also a talented singer, baker, children's book author, and DIY enthusiast.

She is involved in various charities and garnered the National Educators Award for her work in Guatemala. She is a children's rights advocate, and supports charities that focus on protecting children against physical and sexual abuse, human trafficking, and the world water crisis. Lilley is currently a celebrity ambassador for the child abuse and treatment organization Childhelp, an advisory board member for the Innocent Justice Foundation, a school tour speaker for the Thirst Project, and a foster parent.

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BRENDAN PENNY (Paul Dellucci) – Brendan Penny recently starred as Detective Brian Lucas in the ABC/USA crime-drama series “Motive,” and plays Kevin O’Brien in the Hallmark Channel original series “Chesapeake Shores.” On the film front, Penny can be seen opposite Ron Perlman and Trace Adkins in The Virginian.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Penny obtained his degree in Accounting from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Penny knew deep down he was not meant to be an accountant, and at his father’s suggestion decided to give acting a try. He studied at Vancouver’s Lyric School of Acting for two years. In 2003, he booked his first real job, guest-starring on “Jake 2.0” for UPN. Other guest roles followed, including “The L Word” for Showtime, “Kyle XY” for ABC Family, “Smallville” for the WB, and then his first series regular role, on “Whistler” for CTV; the show also aired on The N Channel in the U.S.

Penny landed a series regular role on “The Assistants” for The N Channel, and also appeared in the Lifetime movie, “Held Hostage.” In 2012, he appeared in the Reelz Channel mini-series “Ring of Fire,” and additional television credits include guest-starring roles in “Blade: The Series,” “Flashpoint,” “The Killing,” “Stargate: Atlantis” and “Supernatural.” He has had supporting roles in a number of feature films, including The A-Team, Tooth Fairy, I Love You, Beth Cooper and John Tucker Must Die.

When not working, Penny loves to surf, go fly fishing, and hang out with this family. He currently lives on Vancouver Island.

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PERI GILPIN (Holly Hanson) – Best-known to television audiences as radio producer Roz Doyle in NBC’s Emmy-winning comedy series “Frasier,” Peri Gilpin was most recently seen on CBS’s “Scorpion,” as Homeland Security’s Katherine Cooper. Prior to that, Gilpin starred alongside Craig Robinson and Amandla Stenberg in “Mr. Robinson.”

Gilpin recently wrapped the independent films Only Humans, directed by Vanessa , and The Outdoorsman, directed by David Haskell. She will next be seen in the independent film Occupy, Texas, which premiered at the National Dallas Film Festival.

Among many of Gilpin’s television credits are roles in “Men at Work,” “Make it or Break it,” “CSI,” “Modern Family, “Law and Order,” “Hot in Cleveland” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Gilpin has appeared in the films How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog, with Kenneth Branagh and Robin Wright Penn, and Spring Forward, with Liev Schreiber.

Gilpin’s theatre credits include three summers with the Williamstown Theatre in Massachusetts. She starred as ‘Alexa Vere de Vere’ in “As Bees in Honey Drown” at the off-Broadway Lucille Lortell Theatre and at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 2009, she enjoyed a successful run in “Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas” at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles.

As a child, Gilpin enrolled in the Dallas Theater Center, and went on to study drama at the University of Texas in Austin and the British-American Academy in London. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and twin daughters.

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