Disney Star Jillian Shea Spaeder Found Her Dream Role in 'Godmothered'
Updated Dec. 4 2020, 2:18 p.m. ET
Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, came out in November 2019. Since then, they have released tons of original content, including multiple series and movies. In December 2020, Disney+ released the original movie, Godmothered, starring Isla Fisher, Jillian Bell, and newcomer Jillian Shea Spaeder.
Jillian got her start on a Disney XD series called Walk the Prank, and from there, she gained stardom in the Disney realm. Get all the details on Jillian’s history and future projects below!
Jillian stars as Isla Fisher’s daughter in ‘Godmothered.’
The 18-year-old actress stars in Godmothered, which is set at Christmas time. The Disney+ original movie is a comedy about a young, new fairy godmother-in-training named Eleanor, played by Workaholics’ Jillian Bell. When Eleanor hears that her chosen profession as a Fairy Godmother could soon be facing extinction, she decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers in order to help them grow and become the best version of themselves.
When she finds a lost letter from a 10-year-old girl named Mackenzie, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that she is now a 40-year-old single mom, working at a news station in Boston (and played by Isla Fisher). Mackenzie lost her husband several years earlier, and has now given up on finding love. She is no longer that 10-year-old girl, but Eleanor is determined to give Mackenzie the life of her dreams. Jillian Shea Spader plays Jane, Mackenzie’s oldest daughter.
Being cast in ‘Godmothered’ was a dream come true for Jillian.
When Jillian got the call that she was going to be cast in the new Disney+ original film, she couldn’t believe that she was going to be working with some of her favorite actresses, and that she also got to play a role that is close to her heart.
“I was thrilled to be cast as Jane in Godmothered. It was a dream role for me because I also got to sing and play guitar,” she told Just Jared, Jr. "Most of my scenes were with Isla, Jillian [Bell], Mary Elizabeth [Ellis] and Willa, so we really felt like a family by the end. I know they will all be my friends for life,” she said.
She also fell in love with the Godmothered filming location — Boston, Mass. — despite the cold temperatures. “We filmed in Boston in the middle of winter, so it was pretty cold out, but I fell in love with that city and hope to go back sometime,” Jillian added.
Jillian credits her older sister as her role model.
While Jillian has worked with some pretty famous actors throughout her career, she still feels that her older sister, Emma, has been her biggest supporter and inspiration. When Girl’s Life asked Jillian who her role model was, she explained why she chose her sister for that honor. “In life, it's my older sister Emma. She's wonderful and hardworking. She's actually a nurse right now during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is astounding and just incredible,” she shared.
When it comes to role models for her acting career and budding music career, she leans on a variety of talents. “For acting, I'd say Emma Watson. Obviously she's talented and dedicated, but she also makes an effort to use her platform to promote meaningful change and causes. For music, it's probably Julia Michaels. She writes music for so many cool artists but never really talks about it, which is even cooler. I'd love to follow her career path in that way,” Jillian explained.
