Jill Awbrey ~ Actress & Screenwriter
Jill Awbrey’s feature debut, Held – a tense, single-location thriller that she both wrote and starred in – introduced her as a versatile talent with the ability to deliver on the page and on the screen. The Hollywood Reporter called the film “an uncommonly thoughtful and provocative suspenser,” while The Guardian praised Awbrey’s performance as “a confident calling card of a lead role.”
Awbrey embraces a multi-hyphenate approach to her career. With each role and screenplay, her expanding body of work across horror, thriller, and action reflects a clear commercial instinct for emotionally intelligent, high-concept stories that are built to entertain.
While continuing to develop original screenplays, Awbrey is also building a reputation for her collaborative script work in both the U.S. and Europe. Her ability to elevate existing screenplays while preserving the original writer’s voice has made her a particularly valuable creative partner for international filmmakers adapting material for English-speaking audiences. Her behind-the-scenes work spans character development, dialogue polish, story refinement, and targeted rewrites, with a focus on strengthening audience appeal, production readiness, and the commercial viability of each script.
Awbrey has stepped behind the camera for two short films – Abby Undone, filmed entirely in a studio apartment in New York’s West Village, and All We Have Left, shot in her hometown – which she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. These early projects embody an intimate, character-driven storytelling that helped shape her creative voice.
Upcoming acting and screenwriting work includes a playful, blood-soaked, darkly comedic horror feature with director Lauren Noll (Same Same But Different, SXSW 2026). Awbrey is penning the screenplay and will star in the film.
NOTABLE SCREEN CREDITS
HELD ~ “Emma Barrett” | Writer
Jill Awbrey’s feature debut, Held, produced by Tremendum Pictures and distributed by Magnet Releasing, received a limited theatrical release during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned strong reviews for its tense pacing and the on-screen chemistry between Awbrey and co-star Bart Johnson, with HorrorBuzz calling them “a great team on camera” whose dynamic elevated the film’s emotional impact. Following its theatrical run, Held became a top-performing title during Hulu’s annual Huluween horror showcase and has been featured on multiple curated lists of must-watch genre films. Now available worldwide across major digital platforms, Held introduced Awbrey to global audiences as an emerging talent who can deliver a contained, high-concept thriller with the emotional stakes, tension, and momentum to keep audiences watching.
NIGHT OF THE MISSING ~ “The Woman”
Jill Awbrey stars as the enigmatic lead known only as The Woman in the horror anthology Night of the Missing. Her emotionally layered and unsettling performance has been described as “haunting” and “tragic,” anchoring the film’s wraparound narrative with a quiet intensity that resonates long after the credits roll, further establishing Awbrey’s strength in genre roles with psychological depth and emotional weight. Night of the Missing is available on Amazon, Screambox, and other digital platforms, where it continues to connect with fans of psychological horror and female-led genre films.
LIFELINE ~ “Claire Thomas”
In the mystery thriller Lifeline, Jill Awbrey takes on a pivotal supporting role as Claire Thomas, a woman whose tragic fate reverberates through the story’s emotional core. The film has been described as a “smart psychological thriller with an excellent cast,” blending dramatic intensity with elevated genre tension. Awbrey’s portrayal adds emotional gravity to the ensemble, echoing the intimate and vulnerable work showcased in her previous films. Distributed by Dark Sky Films, Lifeline is available on Tubi and multiple digital platforms.
ABOUT JILL AWBREY
Jill Awbrey is an American actress and screenwriter. She grew up in Reedley, California, a small town in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. Awbrey attended Occidental College in Los Angeles for her freshman year as a theater major before transferring to The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree.
INSTAGRAM: @JillAwbrey