Bethany Joy Lenz was born on 2 April 1981, in Hollywood, Florida USA, to Robert George Lenz, a history teacher and therapist, and Catharine Malcolm Holt Shepard, a personnel manager and entrepreneur, of Australian, Scottish, German and Irish descent. She is an actress, filmmaker and singer-songwriter, best known for her role as Haley James Scott in the television series “One Tree Hill”.
So just how rich is Bethany Joy Lenz? According to sources in late-2016, Lenz has earned a net worth of over $3.5 million, established through her involvement in the film and television industry, as well as through her singing career. She has been active since the late ‘80s.
Bethany Joy Lenz Net Worth $3.5 Million
When Lenz was seven years old, her family moved from to Arlington, Texas, where she attended Pope Elementary, and The Creative Arts Theater and School, taking dance, and acting and theater classes. She matriculated from New Jersey’s Eastern Christian High School in 1999.
Lenz began performing on stage during her early childhood, her first role being a Munchkin in a local production of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. She later performed in several stage productions, such as “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Annie”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Gypsy”, “CATS for Cats”, etc.
After various TV-commercial gigs and two uncredited film parts in the early ‘90s, she was cast in the role of Linda Halleck in the 1996 horror “Thinner”. Two years later she was cast as the teenage clone of Reva Shayne in the CBS Daytime soap opera “Guiding Light”, and after a nine-episode gig, she was recast as Michelle Bauer Santos, remaining a main cast member until 2000. Lenz’s performance earned her high praise and considerably added to her net worth.
After several minor film parts, a number of television guest appearances and various stage performances in the early 2000s, Linz was cast as Haley James Scott in the popular WB/CW television drama “One Tree Hill”, which was her breakthrough role. She remained in the main cast until 2011, a year before the show’s cancellation, and even directed several episodes of the show. Her performance of Haley won rave reviews and significantly contributed to Lenz’s wealth.
In the years since, the actress has tackled a mix of television and film work. She guest starred in the series “Men at Work” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, and had a recurring role in the series “Dexter”. Her most recent television appearances were in the series “Colony”, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “American Gothic” in 2016, and her last film part was in the 2016 “Exortion”. Aside from acting, Lenz has also done some producing work; in 2015 she produced the movie “One Of These Days”, written by Phyllis Heltay.
In addition, she has also pursued a singing career – she plays the guitar and piano, and writes her own music. Her first album called “Preincarnate” came out in 2002, and was followed by the 2005 “Come On Home”. During her time on “One Tree Hill”, Lenz performed a number of original tracks, including a duet with costar Tyler Hilton, entitled “When the Stars Go Blue”, after which the duo embarked on the One Tree Hill Tour.
In 2008 she formed a folk band called Everly with musician Amber Sweeney, releasing four EPs and a few singles in the following years. – their performance at a live concert event for military personnel for the USO in 2008 was a basis for one episode of “One Tree Hill”. After the band’s split in 2012, Lenz went on with live solo performances, releasing solo albums “Then Slowly Grows” and “Your Woman”, as well as EPs “Get Back to Gold” and “It’s Christmas”. She currently has her own band called “Joy Lenz and the Firepit Band”, and is working on a new album. Lenz has also been credited for co-creating “The Notebook Musical” with her producer Ron Aniello in 2009, which received numerous positive reviews.
Aside from entertainment, in partnership with German jewelry company Stilnest, she has created her own jewelry line as of 2016.
In her private life, Lenz was married to former Enation keyboardist Michael Galeotti from 2005 to 2012. They have one daughter together.
Lenz is a devoted philanthropist, who has been involved in numerous charity events and organizations, such as Love146, To Write Love on Her Arms, and Reading is Fundamental, largely through social media outlets.
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