Jennifer Hope Wills

Hometown: Ocean City, Maryland.

Currently: Starring as Eileen Sherwood, the winsome, warm-hearted sister to Brooke Shield's flinty Ruth in Wonderful Town.

A Family Affair: Wills cut her teeth in the acting trade as a very young age, appearing with a theater company run by her parents. "I performed there, my brother did, my sister did, and even my grandmother did," she says. "I was a baby, not even one year old yet, and I was the Baby Prince in Rumplestiltskin. At age six, they did Little Red Riding Hood, and the poor girl who was supposed to play the lead came down with a cold or something. So I was like, 'Mommy! Mommy! I know the words!' And so I went on as Little Red Riding Hood, and I continued to work with my parents' company for about 17 years." The company still exists today, doing traveling theater and dramatic readings. "They perform the stories of Presidents and First Ladies, like for presidential libraries. They've been on C-Span and the BBC, among others. They're such an inspiration to me, to do what they do and to still be together."

I Enjoy Being A Girl: With previous roles like Belle in Beauty and the Beast she made her Broadway debut as an understudy in the role, Sandy in Grease, and now Eileen Sherwood, Wills is cornering the market on wholesome ingénues. "Well, I'm a very cheesy person, as you can see," she says with a giggle. "I'm very aware of where I fit in this business. I know that I have an old-fashioned look and an old-fashioned voice. That's the realm I'm in right now, that's where I fit, and I'm going to run with it." And she does grant that playing these goodie-two-shoes parts can be fun. "Belle and Eileen, these are two characters I really relate to," she says. "Belle is so intelligent, so resolute in what she believes. And Eileen is just incredible. She loves everybody, but when you cross her, you'd better watch out. That's where Eileen are I are very similar, in that her views about men and women are sort of my views. I like it when guys open doors for you."

Maybe You'd Better Go Home: When asked if moving to New York was as terrifying a prospect for her as it is for the young heroine she plays eight times a week, Wills waxes sentimental. "I grew up in safe, sheltered environment, and I think because of that, I see a lot of good in people. I've been very lucky in New York thus far. I've been surrounded by really good people. But who knows, maybe something, someday will manage to jade me."

Sister Act II, Back In The Habit: When Wills prepared to step into the role of Eileen, she hadn't seen the work of her predecessor, Tony-nominee Jennifer Westfeldt. "I didn't see Donna [Murphy] and Jennifer do it, but I felt the same amount of pressure, because they had been so well-received," she recalls. "I saw Linda Muggleston and Nancy Anderson, who were fantastic, and a great help to me. But it was nice to be able to come in with the new Ruth and create a relationship that's hopefully different than the one that came before." Wills is also a great admirer of her onstage sister, famed beauty Brooke Shields. "We just love working together, and I couldn't have asked for better. She is such a hard worker, you wouldn't believe it. And we do feel very sisterly towards each other. She has a sister and I have a sister, and there are moments in the play where I call upon those feelings for my own sister. I haven't seen my own sister in quite a while, because she's in California with five children, but our bond is still very strong."

Enjoying The Spotlight: "Thing have worked out so well for me this year," Wills admits. "I just love doing this show, especially with Brooke, because everyone involved with the production feels this sense of rebirth. And I got to meet Tommy Tune!" When asked for a favorite moment from the show, Wills gives the nod to the second act Irish jig that Eileen does with some of New York's finest. "The audience loves that moment almost as much as I do. To be sung to by all those great and talented men... why, it's a dream come true!"