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From the high-stakes action of “Lioness” to the holiday adventure of “A Very Arctic Christmas,” Jill Wagner is taking on two very different worlds.
But off camera, the actress has traded Hollywood’s hustle for a quieter life raising her two daughters on a Tennessee farm in a town of just 800 people — where horses and buggies are still a familiar sight.
“First of all, I love Tennessee … I’m from the South. I’m from North Carolina,” she told Fox News Digital. “I love the people here but especially love the small-town mentality.”
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Life in her Tennessee town offers a glimpse of a world that can feel far removed from Hollywood.
“I was at the post office this morning and one of the Mennonites was in front of me … I got to look at their horse and buggy,” she said.
Wagner said the small-town atmosphere has become an important part of the childhood she and her husband want to give their girls.
The actress explained why she hopes her daughters will eventually appreciate the slower pace, even if they someday follow in her footsteps and move to bigger cities.
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“In some ways, going back to a simpler, slower pace … I think as we get older, or at least I know I can speak for myself, as I get older, I really value that,” she added.
Wagner knows the pull of Hollywood firsthand. She left home at 17 to pursue a career in entertainment and suspects her daughters may one day be eager to spread their own wings.
But she hopes they’ll always remember what their upbringing gave them.
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“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 … That’s a gift that my husband and I gave them, and they probably don’t even know it yet,” she said.
Away from the action of “Lioness,” Wagner is embracing the holiday spirit in “A Very Arctic Christmas,” reuniting with Cameron Mathison for a festive adventure.
Wagner plays Jane, a wildlife conservationist who helps a father and daughter navigate an unexpected Arctic adventure after their holiday cruise goes off course.
The actress said working with Mathison brings plenty of laughs to “A Very Arctic Winter” set.
“There’s never any dull moment when you have Cameron Mathison and I on set together. In fact, it’s hard for us to get through a scene without laughing, I’m sure. Robin Dunne, the director, is always rolling his eyes, like, ‘Oh, guys, guys, guys, guys, bring it in,” she laughed.
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For Wagner, the holiday films also have a personal connection.
The actress has found ways to include her daughters in her Christmas-movie tradition.
When Wagner’s daughters were younger, she included them in one of her films as extras, giving them a chance to sit on Santa’s lap.
Now that they’re older, Wagner said they understand that Christmas movies are a genre of their own — and she 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.
While Wagner’s career continues to take her between intense action roles and feel-good holiday projects, she values sharing those experiences with her daughters while giving them a childhood rooted in small-town life.
When Fox News Digital asked whether her daughters were becoming the Tennessee farm girls she had envisioned, Wagner admitted there’s still some work to do.
“So, I don’t know about farm girl. I know that … they love outdoors. They don’t necessarily like doing farm work. So, we’re trying to still work on that,” she laughed.
“They do love running around barefooted in the dirt, and they can play outside all day long, which I love for them,” Wagner said.
The family hopes to add chickens and goats when Wagner’s work schedule allows more time at home.
“Maybe one day we’ll get a horse or a pony for them,” she added.
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But for Wagner, the biggest perk of small-town life isn’t just the farm — it’s the neighbors who show up when it matters.
Her family owns Scott Mansion Farms, where they host charitable events benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Children’s Hospital. Wagner said the community’s support has been especially meaningful.
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“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 of local festivals and community traditions.
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“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.
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