Across both series of County Rescue, Julia Reilly plays the lead character Dani Miller in the original action-adventure EMT/paramedic drama, with Series 2 recently released on PureFlix. Last November, Julia played Amy March in A Little Women’s Christmas on Great American Family, and the previous year, she played Allie in A Perfect Christmas Pairing alongside Ansley Gordon as Grace Cooke. Amongst Julia’s other screen work, she had a guest role in Series 4 of Stranger Things as Tammy Thompson, and she appeared in two Lifetime thriller films – A View to Kill For as Natasha and The Secrets She Keeps as Heather. Julia has unannounced projects she’ll be working on and, with stage experience, she was in the cast of CATS for her first professional theatre job. We caught up with Julia, who told us about starring as Dani Miller in County Rescue, filming as Amy March in A Little Women’s Christmas and having a guest role in Stranger Things as Tammy Thompson.

Across both series of County Rescue, you star as lead character Dani Miller, how would you describe Dani and what is she like to play?

Dani is a young woman in her 20s navigating the ups and downs of the unpredictability of life, especially as an adult. She is kind, passionate, driven, a bit of a firecracker at times, and loves the Lord. I feel connected to Dani in multiple aspects of my life, so playing this role is a dream. She feels like a piece of me at this point. There is a lot of me in Dani and so much Dani has taught me about myself.

Can you tell us about County Rescue and how has it been seeing the fan response to the recently-released Series 2 on PureFlix?

It has been so sweet and incredibly heartwarming. This show is so special to us, the cast, and we are thankful it has resonated with others. We wouldn’t have this show, especially not a Season 2, without the support of the fans, so we are incredibly thankful to each person who has taken the time to watch County Rescue! We love making it.

Do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the starring role of Dani and how did you prepare for filming?

I was in shock. I loved the role and material from the show I had seen so far, but you never know if it’s going to go to you. I remember getting the call from my agent, then I immediately called my mom, and my next call was to Riley Hough, who plays Tim on the show. We had been close friends before the audition process for this show and couldn’t wait to work together on set. We started filming a week or so after I found out I booked it, so everything moved quickly, and I immediately started researching ‘Day in the Life of an EMT’ vlogs on YouTube. I had several calls with Brian Baugh, the creator of the show, who also wrote and directed on Season 1, and we really found Dani together. He made it an incredible experience, and I’ve learned so much from him.

How do you find the experience on set of County Rescue and working alongside the rest of the cast?

The best. I love them with my entire heart, and we would all do anything for each other. We keep each other laughing on and off set, and I personally have learned so much from each person in this cast about work and about life. We’ve been through so many incredible moments together and also shared so much grief in the recent passing of Keller Fornes. He was such a prominent and special part of our family, and the void without him has been felt every day. We’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support the fans of the show have had in expressing their condolences, especially to Keller’s family. We were proud to dedicate Season 2 to him and will continue to honour him in our work moving forward.

What was it like reading the new scripts for the second series and how has it been developing the character so far?

I could not wait to see where the story was going to go in Season 2 and would drop everything and read each script immediately as I received them. Dani is so much like me, and she has taught me so much too. I’ve loved having the opportunity to embody this role. It’s been a blessing and a gift.

Who do you think will enjoy watching County Rescue and why would you recommend watching it?

County Rescue is truly a show for everyone – you can watch it with the whole family! It has a mix of everything from drama, to comedic moments, to action-packed rescues, and a little romance. Anyone who wants to see a story of hope will enjoy the show, and that is the message I want people to take away from it!

In November, you were seen as Amy March in A Little Women’s Christmas on Great American Family, how much did you know about Little Women before auditioning for the festive retelling and how was it taking on the role of Amy?

I knew a good amount about Little Women! I had the book growing up, and one of my best friends, Emerson Steele and I, performed Some Things Are Meant to Be from the musical when we were in the 5th grade! I played Jo and she played Beth in the duet – it’s probably on YouTube somewhere. I was also a huge fan of the recent Little Women movie and loved Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Amy. She is incredible. I was so excited to take on such an iconic role and story and put our own twist on it.

How was it filming with your fellow March sisters – Jillian Murray (Jo), Jen Lilley (Meg) and Laura Osnes (Beth) and being directed by Brandon Clark?

Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, and Laura Osnes are immensely talented and some of the kindest and most empowering women I have met in the industry. They welcomed me right in. They have all been doing this at a high level for longer than me, and I learned so much from watching and working with them. Brandon Clark was a wonderful director and really knew how to command the set in such a cool and gracious manner. He gave wonderful notes to play with, and it was an honour to work with him on this movie!

What was the story of A Little Women’s Christmas like to tell?

I love Little Women and this was the sweetest project to be a part of. The cast and crew were phenomenal, especially my sisters in the movie. I love the character of Amy – she was a dream role. It was fun to take some original aspects of Amy and then tie in new ideas based off of a modern, Christmas adaptation of the original!

You played Allie in A Perfect Christmas Pairing in 2023, how was this?

I worked the last day of the whole shoot for this project and we shot all my scenes back to back! I got to play a chef, which was a bit challenging as I am not the best cook in real life. I learned a lot from lead actress, Ansley Gordon, who is now a friend of mine! I love Ansley and we may have something new in the works.

What was it like having a guest role in Series 4 of Stranger Things and can you tell us about your character Tammy Thompson?

This was one of the coolest experiences ever. I got to spend a few days on set and remember trying to be present and soak it all in. The hair/makeup/wardrobe was so much fun, and the cast was so sweet. You could tell this was a true on-set family. I did get to sit in the hair trailer next to Joe Keery as he got his blowout, so that was a highlight.

How was your time involved with the Lifetime thriller films A View to Kill For as Natasha and The Secrets She Keeps as Heather?

These sets were a blast. I got to play the mean girl in both, and there’s something so fun about playing into that stereotype. The Secrets She Keeps was the first TV movie I got to do, so that was a memorable milestone!

We understand you have also worked on stage in shows such as Steel Magnolias and CATS, can you say about some of the productions you’ve performed in?

Live theatre is challenging and exciting, and there’s nothing like the energy of being on stage in front of an audience, knowing that anything could happen at any moment and getting an instant reaction from the crowd. I did CATS in high school and it was one of my favourite shows to be in because we all would get to the theatre early and do our makeup together before the show. It was also my first professional theatre experience, so it will be a favourite memory for many reasons.

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

I did my first musical when I was seven! I played Jojo in a production of Seussical, Jr and then I never stopped acting and performing after that point, and here we are!

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch and how do you like to spend your time away from acting?

One of my all-time favourite shows is This Is Us. The writing and performances are stunning and heart-wrenching and just so good. Another favourite drama is The Bear. There’s so much genius in that show. For comedy, I recently watched A Man on the Inside and was laughing out loud constantly. For films, I love a lot of 80s and 90s movies – The Breakfast Club and Clueless are a couple all-time favourites!

When I’m not acting, I love to hang out with my friends, spend time with my dog-son, Finneas, and I recently got certified to teach the Lagree workout, so I’ve been spending a lot of time training!

Do you have any upcoming acting projects that you can share, and what are you hoping this year brings for your career?

I do have some upcoming projects but nothing I can share specifics of quite yet! I look forward to sharing more when I’m allowed!

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