'DWTS’ alum takes on first movie role — and she’s sharing the screen with some surprising names
'Dancing with the Stars' alum Jessie James Decker, who competed for the Mirrorball trophy in season 31 with pro dancer Alan Bersten, is once again making waves. But this time it's not for a smashing hit but for stepping into a new role in acting. In a recent Instagram post, the country-pop singer shared the exciting news with her 4.3M followers. The post showed Decker standing on the step of what looked like a dressing van. She was dressed in brown trousers and a green shirt, sporting a formal look with glasses. In the post, she captioned, "She’s an actress now… swipe for the big news!"
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Further revealing the name and the release date of the movie, she added, "I am so excited to be in the new Karen Kingsbury movie 'The Christmas Ring' alongside one of my best friends, @kramergirl, and new friend @debbie.winans! Out in theaters November 7th!!" In the following slide, the 37-year-old also shared a picture of The Hollywood Reporter covering the news, followed by a behind-the-scenes of her filming, and at the end, she shared a picture of her co-star Jana Kramer and singer Debbie Winans. The other cast member names also include Kelsey Grammer, as well as 'Virgin River' star Ben Hollingsworth, as reported by Entertainment Now.
While the news came as a surprise, fans wasted no time in rallying behind Decker. A fan of the singer wrote on the post, "What can’t she do?! Congrats to you!!!" Echoing the sentiment, another Instagram user added, "Watch out!!!!! This is HUGE! So happy for you!! So excited to see big things coming!" Praising the author, a netizen also said, "Have always loved Karen Kingsbury books…. Congrats!!!! So fun & exciting!!!" Her co-star Kramer also didn't hold back from showing her support and commented on the post, "Couldn’t be prouder, girl! You have been killing it!"
Seeing love being poured from everywhere, TheChristmasRingMovie also wrote, "You are just perfect in our movie!!! Can’t wait for the world to see YOUR acting chops!"While Decker has a long way to go in her acting career, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she resonated with the part of "Leigh," the best friend of a military widow. She shared, “The minute I read for the role of ‘Leigh,’ I knew this character was perfect for me. Leigh and I have so much in common. I related to her immediately."
She explained, "She’s a supportive, loving, enthusiastic, speak-your-mind kind of girl. She genuinely wants her best friend, Vanessa, to find happiness and love again. I connected to that because I feel the same way. When the people I love are happy, that’s when I feel the most joy. We all deserve love and a happy ending. I also felt deeply connected to the military storyline. As a military brat myself, I understand the lifestyle and the sacrifices that come with it. And of course, Christmas is my favorite time of year.”
