Honestly, if you ask most people about Megan Hilty, they immediately start humming something from Smash. It’s inevitable. As Ivy Lynn, she became the face of every talented "chorus girl" who ever felt overlooked. But if you think her career starts and ends with a fictional Marilyn Monroe musical, you've been missing out on one of the most versatile resumes in Hollywood.
Megan Hilty movies and tv shows aren't just a list of credits; they’re a masterclass in "the workhorse" mentality. She’s the person you hire when you need a powerhouse belt, a comedic genius who can play "dumb" while being the smartest person in the room, or a voice actor who can make a garden fairy sound iconic.
The Smash Phenomenon and the Ivy Lynn Legacy
We have to talk about Smash. We just have to. It’s the show that launched a thousand "Team Ivy vs. Team Karen" debates. For two seasons on NBC, Hilty played Ivy Lynn, the seasoned Broadway veteran constantly losing out to the wide-eyed newcomer.
What made her performance so sticky—the kind of thing people still talk about in 2026—was how she leaned into the messiness. Ivy wasn't a villain. She was a woman who worked her tail off and still got the short end of the stick. Hilty brought a level of vocal prowess to songs like "They Just Keep Moving the Line" that basically set the bar for musical television.
Even though the show was canceled after season two, it never really "died." Just look at the Bombshell in Concert events or the fact that Hilty is still synonymous with that role over a decade later. It was the perfect marriage of her Broadway roots and TV sensibilities.
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From Guest Stars to Leading Lady: The TV Grind
Before and after she was a "household name," Hilty was doing the rounds on every major network. It’s actually pretty wild to see her pop up in the mid-2000s in shows you totally forgot about.
- The Early Years: You can find her in episodes of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (as Enid!) and Ugly Betty. She even did the CSI and Bones guest star thing.
- The Sitcom Pivot: After Smash, she jumped into Sean Saves the World with Sean Hayes. It didn't last long, but it proved she could handle a traditional multi-cam format without breaking a sweat.
- The High-End Drama: She’s had recurring stints in the "Good Universe"—specifically The Good Wife and The Good Fight—playing Holly Westfall.
One of her most underrated television projects is actually the 2019 Lifetime movie Patsy & Loretta. She played Patsy Cline, and she was genuinely incredible. It earned her a Critics' Choice nomination, and for good reason. She didn't just "do" Patsy; she captured that specific, lonely ache in Cline's voice that most people miss.
The Voice Behind Your Kid’s Favorite Characters
If you have kids, or if you just happen to enjoy high-quality animation, you’ve heard Hilty more than you’ve seen her lately. She has become a staple in the voice-over world.
She took over the role of Rosetta the Garden Fairy in the Tinker Bell film series (starting with Secret of the Wings), replacing Kristin Chenoweth. It’s a bit of a pattern for her—she famously replaced Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, too.
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In the last few years, she’s been everywhere. She’s Wammawink in the bizarrely wonderful Netflix series Centaurworld. She’s Holly Darlin’ in TrollsTopia. She’s even in the 2024 series The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh. Her voice has this bright, bell-like quality that animators clearly love, but she can also grit it up when the character needs to be a bit more "New York."
Megan Hilty Movies: The Silver Screen Presence
Movies have always felt like the one area where Hilty is underutilized. She’s had some solid turns, like in Warren Beatty’s Rules Don't Apply, but she hasn't had that "big breakout film" yet.
Most of her movie work is in the animated space—think Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return or providing the singing voice for Snow White in Shrek the Third. It’s a bit of a crime that we haven't seen her lead a massive movie musical yet, especially considering how well her voice translates to film.
What’s Happening Now? (January 2026)
As of right now, Hilty just finished a massive, career-defining run on Broadway. She originated the role of Madeline Ashton in the musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her (the role Meryl Streep made famous).
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She took her final bow just a few days ago, on January 11, 2026, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. It was an emotional goodbye—she'd been with the project since the 2023 workshops. The show was a juggernaut, earning 10 Tony nominations, and Hilty's performance of "Falling Apart" became an instant Broadway legend.
So, what’s next for the "Megan Hilty movies and tv shows" list? She’s heading to London for a concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May 2026. After a grueling Broadway schedule, she’s focusing on live performances and, likely, some new screen projects that are currently under wraps.
Your Megan Hilty Watchlist
If you’re looking to get a full sense of what she can do, don't just stick to the hits. Here is the move:
- Watch Smash Season 1: Even if you skip season 2, you need to see why the world fell in love with her.
- Find Patsy & Loretta: It’s her best dramatic work on screen, period.
- Check out Centaurworld: It’s weird, but her performance as Wammawink is soulful and hilarious.
- Listen to the Death Becomes Her Cast Recording: Since she just left the show, this is the best way to hear her at the absolute peak of her powers.
Megan Hilty is one of those rare performers who actually lives up to the "triple threat" label. Whether she's playing a narcissistic immortal on stage or a TV guide employee on American Dad!, she brings a level of professionalism that's honestly rare. Keep an eye on the 2026 casting announcements—now that she’s free from her Broadway contract, she’s likely headed back to a soundstage near you.
To dive deeper into her discography, start with her debut album It Happens All the Time. It moves away from the "Broadway sound" and shows off a more intimate, pop-folk side of her voice that you don't get to hear in her theatrical roles.