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Who Is Jennifer Love Hewitt?
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an accomplished actress and singer, recognized for her extensive career in both television and film. She first gained prominence as a child actor on the Disney show Kids Incorporated and later transitioned to a successful music career. In 1992, she released her debut album, Love Songs, and in 1995, she secured the role of Sarah in the popular TV drama Party of Five. Her breakout role came in 1997 with the lead in the iconic horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer. In 2005, Hewitt starred in the CBS drama The Ghost Whisperer, which ran for five seasons, and she made a return to television in 2012 with the series The Client List.
Early Life and Career
Jennifer Love Hewitt was born on February 21, 1979, in Waco, Texas, to two medical professionals who divorced when she was just six months old. Her first name, Jennifer, was chosen by her older brother Todd, who picked it after his childhood crush. Hewitt’s passion for music and performance emerged early; by the age of three, she made her debut as a singer at a livestock fair near her childhood home in Nolanville, Texas. Two years later, her mother enrolled her in dance classes, including jazz, ballet, and tap, eventually leading to her inclusion in the Texas Show Team. This group of talented performers toured Europe and the former Soviet Union, further honing Hewitt’s skills.
In 1989, a talent scout recommended that Hewitt and her mother move to Los Angeles to explore better acting and dancing opportunities. This move proved to be pivotal in Hewitt’s career, as she soon began appearing in television commercials for brands such as Mattel Toys and LA Gear, which also took her on a world tour to promote their sneakers.
Big Break
Hewitt’s early work in commercials led to her regular role on the music-driven television show Kids Incorporated, where her talents as a singer and performer were highlighted. She also appeared in the 1991 release Dance! Workout With Barbie, a fitness video featuring the young actress. In the early 1990s, Hewitt took on several acting roles, including appearances in failed television pilots and the 1993 film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, where she starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill.
In 1995, Hewitt’s breakthrough came when she joined the cast of Party of Five, a role that propelled her to stardom. Portraying the girl-next-door character of Sarah, Hewitt quickly became a household name, earning numerous award nominations, including from the Kids’ Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards. Her performance also contributed to the series winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Drama in 1996.
Music Career
Jennifer Love Hewitt attempted to capitalize on her growing fame with the release of a second album, which unfortunately did not perform well commercially. She returned to the studio to record what would become her 1996 self-titled album. While it did not yield any chart-topping singles, the album garnered critical praise for Hewitt’s voice and style. One reviewer noted, “Her feathery light voice is more soulful than you’d imagine,” adding, “Depending on your threshold for harmless, white-bread teen pop, this album could be a welcome addition to your collection because, frankly, it makes you like her even more than her image did in the first place.”
Hewitt’s music career continued with the release of her fourth album, Barenaked, in 2002, followed by a compilation album, Cool with You: The Platinum Collection, which was released in Asia in 2006.
Hollywood Star
Alongside her music career, Hewitt continued to pursue acting opportunities. Her filmography includes roles in House Arrest (1996) and Trojan War (1997). However, her big break came with the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which became a surprise hit, propelling her to major Hollywood stardom. Though the sequel did not achieve the same commercial success, Hewitt found success once again with Can’t Hardly Wait (1998), a teen comedy centered around a high school graduation party.
Hewitt’s acting trajectory took another turn with the spin-off series Time of Your Life, a Party of Five sequel in which her character moved to New York in search of her biological father. Despite her strong performance, the series struggled to gain viewership and was canceled after one season. This period marked a shift in Hewitt’s career as she sought to distance herself from her teenage roles. She took on more ambitious projects starting with the 2000 made-for-TV movie The Audrey Hepburn Story, followed by Heartbreakers (2001), in which she starred alongside Sigourney Weaver and Gene Hackman, and the 2002 action comedy The Tuxedo, alongside Jackie Chan.
Despite her success, Hewitt’s career has not been without criticism. Her performances in The Tuxedo and Garfield (2004) led to discussions of her as a potential Worst Actress nominee at the Razzie Awards, an event that celebrates Hollywood’s most poorly received films.
Recent Work
In the later stages of her career, Jennifer Love Hewitt shifted her focus to television, where she has achieved notable success. In 2005, she starred as the lead in CBS’s The Ghost Whisperer, portraying Melinda Gordon, a young newlywed who has the ability to communicate with the deceased.
Following the conclusion of The Ghost Whisperer in 2010, Hewitt continued her television career. In 2012, she took on the lead role in the Lifetime series The Client List. In the series, she played Riley Parks, a woman balancing her role as a single mother with working as a massage therapist in Texas. Despite its popularity, the series was canceled after two seasons in 2013.
In 2018, Hewitt joined the cast of 9-1-1, playing Maddie Buckley, a 9-1-1 operator, further cementing her place in television.
Personal Life
Jennifer Love Hewitt’s personal life has often been a topic of public interest. In late 2007, an unflattering bikini photo of Hewitt taken on a beach in Hawaii circulated online, prompting widespread criticism. In response, Hewitt defended herself and others facing body scrutiny, stating on her website, “A size two is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size zero doesn’t make you beautiful.”
Her romantic life has also garnered attention, with Hewitt being linked to several high-profile figures, including singer Enrique Iglesias, musician John Mayer, talk show host Carson Daly, comedian Jamie Kennedy, and actor Will Friedle. Notably, she became engaged to Scottish actor Ross McCall in 2007, after two years of dating. However, they called off their engagement in late 2008, ending their relationship shortly thereafter.
In June 2013, Hewitt announced she was expecting her first child with The Client List co-star Brian Hallisay, whom she had begun dating in 2012. The couple married quietly before the birth of their daughter, Autumn James Hallisay, in November 2013.
In May 2021, Hewitt revealed she was expecting her third child with Hallisay, marking another milestone in her personal journey.