Bethany Joy Galeotti as
Haley James Bethany Joy Lenz-Galeotti, who was born on April 2, 1981 in Hollywood, Florida, began singing at the age of three, at the Carpenter's Church in Lakeland, Florida. A year later, she and her family moved to Arlington, Texas, where she discovered her talent for acting. By the time she was seven, she played a Munchkin in a local production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Three years later, she played Scout in the production of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Irving Community Theater in Texas. It was during a trip to Los Angeles with her drama school that she landed her first commercial for teen series Swan Crossing. When she was 13, the family relocated to New Jersey, where she immediately began auditioning and working with various commercials.
Galeotti began filming her first movie, Stephen King's Thinner at the age of 15. In 1998, she played a role in CBS' soap opera,
Guiding Light , with which she stayed for two years.
Kidz World talked to Galeotti about her work in
Guiding Light , and she said, "I absolutely loved working with Paul Anthony Stewart on Guiding Light. He is a wonderful, spontaneous actor and the chemistry we had was rare. Also, I had a blast playing Paul Sorvino's daughter in an ABC pilot called 'Burning Down the House'. And of course I can't rule out my theater roles... the stage is really a home away from home for me. I feel I get to be me the most when I'm on stage."
After her departure, she appeared in a number of shows such as Off-Centre,
Charmed ,
Felicity , Maybe It's Me and The Guardian. In 2001, she landed the role of Marni Potts in the film Bring It On Again. A couple of years later, she landed the role of Haley James in the teen drama, One Tree Hill. There, she did not only showcase her talent in acting, but also contributed to the show's soundtrack, singing the song "Halo." She also released two independent records, entitled "Preincarnate" (October 2002) and "Come On Home" (March 2005).
In December 2005, Bethany Joy Lenz married Enation band member Michael Galeotti, thus acquiring his last name. Since then, she has been credited as Bethany Joy Galeotti.
In an interview with StarShine Magazine in October 2006, Galeotti said, "In the future, I really hope to keep working and find projects that will really move people and encourage them. I also have 'someday' plans to open a bakery and a florist in my hometown. Additionally, I'm composing a musical for stage."