Bethany Joy Lenz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bethany Joy Lenz
Lenz in 2024
Born	(1981-04-02) April 2, 1981 (age 44) Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Other names	Bethany Joy Joy Lenz Bethany Joy Galeotti Joie Lenz
Occupation	Actress singer-songwriter
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Michael Galeotti ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2012)​
Children	1

Bethany Joy Lenz (born April 2, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Haley James Scott on the TV show One Tree Hill from 2003 to 2012. She also played Michelle Bauer Santos on the soap opera Guiding Light from 1998 to 2000. Bethany is also known for her music, both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Everly. Since 2021, she has been a co-host on the Drama Queens podcast with her former One Tree Hill co-stars, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Morgan.

Acting Career

Early Roles

Bethany Joy Lenz got her first acting job in a commercial for dolls while visiting Los Angeles. She then appeared in commercials for popular brands like Eggo Waffles and Dr Pepper. She kept finding acting work, and by her second year of high school, she got a role in the movie Thinner. She also appeared in different TV pilots, commercials, and films, and performed in local theater shows. Eventually, she became a regular cast member on the TV show Guiding Light.

When she was 17, Lenz played a teenage clone of Reva Shayne on Guiding Light for nine episodes. Viewers and critics really liked her performance. Because of this, she was later cast as Michelle Bauer Santos when the previous actress left the role. This was very unusual in the TV industry. In 1999, while working on Guiding Light, she finished high school. She also played Rose Cronin in Mary and Rhoda, a TV movie that brought back Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper. At this time, Bethany was very busy. She had a big storyline on Guiding Light, filmed a TV movie, performed in a New York cabaret show, and played the main role in an independent film.

Moving to Los Angeles

After her two-year contract with Guiding Light ended, Bethany left her role and moved from New York City to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, she worked with famous director Garry Marshall in a musical version of Happy Days. She also had guest roles on TV shows like Charmed, Felicity, and The Guardian. In 2002, Lenz joined the cast of Bring It On Again as Marni Potts, a cheerleading co-captain.

One Tree Hill and Directing

When she was 22, Lenz was cast in the TV series One Tree Hill. She tried out for two roles, but got the part of Haley James. Haley was a friendly, smart girl who was best friends with Lucas Scott and later married Nathan Scott. While on One Tree Hill, Bethany was offered the role of Belle in the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast, but she couldn't do it because of her filming schedule. She also appeared in an episode of Life Unexpected as Haley James Scott, connecting the two shows.

In the sixth season of One Tree Hill, Lenz directed her first episode. She had wanted to direct for a few years and finally got the chance. She learned by watching other directors prepare and scout locations. She went on to direct two more episodes of the show. One Tree Hill ran for eight seasons and then had a final ninth season with thirteen episodes. The show ended on April 4, 2012.

Recent TV and Film Projects

After One Tree Hill ended, Bethany wanted to work on different types of projects. In September 2012, she guest-starred on an episode of Men at Work, playing a single mom named Meg. She said comedy was a bit challenging at first since she hadn't done it in a while.

In March 2013, Lenz had a recurring role on the show Dexter. She played Cassie Jollenston, a former finance executive looking for a quieter life. Her character appeared in four episodes of the final season. In late 2013, Lenz was cast in the pilot show Songbyrd for E! The show was about a talented songwriter named Lauren, but it was not picked up by the network.

In 2015, Lenz was cast in the drama The Catch for ABC. However, she was later replaced in the role. In 2016, she starred in a short film called Grace and appeared in two episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She also joined the cast of American Gothic.

Since 2021, Bethany has been a co-host on the Drama Queens podcast. On the podcast, she and her former One Tree Hill co-stars talk about their experiences on the show and other topics.

Music Career

After leaving Guiding Light, Bethany Joy Lenz made a demo of her own songs. She learned to play guitar and piano and writes her own music. Her first album, Preincarnate, came out in October 2002. She also worked on a new musical based on the TV series Happy Days with musician Carole King.

Lenz in France at the 2012 OTH Convention

While working on One Tree Hill, she continued to release new music. In 2005, she recorded "When the Stars Go Blue" with her co-star Tyler Hilton. They then went on a 25-city tour across North America called the One Tree Hill Tour. Their duet "When the Stars Go Blue" even made it onto the Billboard Pop 100 chart. During the tour, Lenz released her second independent album, Come On Home. She also filmed her first music video for "Songs in My Pockets" in New York.

In 2006, Lenz co-wrote and recorded "Halo" with Kara DioGuardi, which was featured on the One Tree Hill Soundtrack. She signed a deal with Sony Epic Records and worked on new music. However, due to changes at the company, she later left the label. Despite this, she wrote and recorded several songs for the soundtrack of the movie Ten Inch Hero in 2006. She then signed with an independent record label called Hillasterion.

In 2008, Lenz formed the band Everly with her friend, Amber Sweeney. They performed for military personnel as part of a USO concert, which was filmed for an episode of One Tree Hill.

In 2012, the Everly band decided to focus on their solo careers. In November of that year, Lenz performed new songs and duets at a concert in New York City. At the concert, she sold a 9-song CD called Then Slowly Grows.

In 2013, Lenz began recording a new album with producer Jeff Cohen. She shared a sneak peek of a new song called "Please." She later talked about her plans to release her first full-length studio album, Your Woman, independently. She described the album as a mix of different music styles.

In November 2014, Lenz started a Kickstarter page to raise money for a new music project. The project, called "Get Back to Gold," was released in December 2014. It also helped support the charity Stop the Traffik.

Lenz later formed Joy Lenz and the Firepit Band. They toured from May to July 2016 and planned to release an album in 2017. In December 2020, Lenz released her first solo Christmas album, Snow. It included six songs, with four of them being original songs written by her.

The Notebook Musical

In 2005, after watching the movie The Notebook and reading the book, Bethany Joy Lenz started singing songs based on the story. She decided to write them down and create a musical. She worked with her producer Ron Aniello on the project. In 2006, Lenz announced they were writing a musical. After finishing the script, she shared it with the book's author, Nicholas Sparks, who loved it. She then got the rights to create the musical.

Auditions for The Notebook musical took place in August 2009. The musical was performed in a small theater in October 2009 for Broadway producers and investors, and Nicholas Sparks himself. Lenz said that everyone gave positive feedback about the music and story.

In 2010, Lenz recorded songs for the musical with other singers. She also rewrote some parts of the show. The songs written by Lenz and Aniello included "The Colors Play," "Carolina Moon," and "My Christmas With You." In November 2010, Lenz released the song "Troublesome Tongue" as a thank you to fans who supported the charity Love146. In December 2010, Paul Teal, who played Noah in the musical, released the song "Sunday Train."

Personal Life

Lenz at the Nicholas Sparks Celebrity Family Weekend in 2012

Bethany Joy Lenz married musician Michael Galeotti on December 31, 2005. In 2011, she gave birth to their daughter. In March 2012, Lenz announced that she and Michael were getting a divorce after six years of marriage. She shared that they remained friends and were focused on raising their daughter together.

In August 2023, Bethany Joy Lenz shared on her Drama Queens podcast that she had a challenging personal experience for 10 years. She wrote a book about her experience called Dinner for Vampires, which was released in October 2024.

Philanthropy

Bethany Joy Lenz supports the international human rights organization Love146. She learned about the organization from her former bandmate, Amber Sweeney. In June 2011, she launched an online store called Lark, selling clothes with her own designs. All the money raised from Lark goes to support Love146, To Write Love On Her Arms, and Reading is Fundamental.

Jewelry Design

In July 2016, Lenz designed her own jewelry line with Stilnest. The jewelry features a buffalo design, inspired by a trip she took to Fort Apache, Arizona. Lenz donated ten percent of the profits from her jewelry line to the Tanka Fund.

Modern Vintage

In 2023, Lenz announced she was starting a newspaper for women called Modern Vintage. This is also the name of her website, where she writes about art, culture, travel, and style.

Filmography

Film

Television

As a Director or Producer

Podcasts

Theater Performances

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Here is a list of albums and songs by Bethany Joy Lenz.

Studio Albums

EPs

Singles

Other Songs

• "215"
• "February Leather"
• "Cameron"
• "I'll Never Walk Alone"
• "The Loneliness is Better Near Now" Released on her old music site in 2005
• "One More Thing" Released by Bethany herself
• "Ophelia" Released in 2005 during Hurricane Ophelia
• "Troublesome Tongue" An exclusive song from "The Notebook" Musical, released in 2010 as a thank you to fans
• "Street Where You Live" From the musical "My Fair Lady", released in 2011
• "It Happens" Video Karaoke of Sugarland's "It Happens" for HelloGiggles in 2011
• "It's Magic" Released on SoundCloud in 2011
• "Someone to Watch Over Me" Released in 2012 for her novel, Diamond Gothic
• "Lullaby" Released in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Bethany Joy Lenz para niños