Jennifer Love Hewitt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewitt in 2008
Born	(1979-02-21) February 21, 1979 (age 46) Waco, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer producer director
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Brian Hallisay ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop pop rock
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Atlantic Jive

Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress, producer, and singer. She started her career as a child actress and singer. She appeared in TV commercials before joining the Disney Channel show Kids Incorporated (1989–1991).

Jennifer became very well known as Sarah Reeves Merrin on the TV show Party of Five (1995–1999). She also became a teen star for her roles in the horror movies I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Another popular role was Amanda Beckett in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait (both 1998).

Some of her other famous movies include Heartbreakers (2001) and The Tuxedo (2002). She also appeared in the two live-action Garfield films (2004–2006). On TV, she starred as Melinda Gordon in the supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer (2005–2010). She also played Riley Parks in The Client List (2012–2013). Later, she was Special Agent Kate Callahan in Criminal Minds (2014–2015). Since 2018, she has played Maddie Buckley on the show 9-1-1. She was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for the pilot film of The Client List (2010).

Jennifer has released four music albums. Her first album, Love Songs (1992), came out when she was 12 in Japan. She later released Let's Go Bang (1995), Jennifer Love Hewitt (1996), and BareNaked (2002). BareNaked was her first album to appear on the music charts in the United States. Her most successful song was "How Do I Deal" (1999). Besides acting and singing, Jennifer has also worked as a producer on some of her projects. She has often been named one of the world's most beautiful women in magazines.

Early Life and Start

Jennifer Love Hewitt was born on February 21, 1979, in Waco, Texas. Her mother, Patricia Mae, was a speech-language pathologist. Her father, Herbert Daniel Hewitt, was a medical technician. She grew up in Nolanville, in Central Texas. Jennifer and her older brother, Todd, were raised by their mother after their parents divorced.

From a very young age, Jennifer loved music. This led her to the entertainment world. When she was three, she sang "The Greatest Love of All" at a livestock show. The next year, she sang "Help Me Make It Through the Night" at a restaurant. By age five, she was learning tap dancing and ballet. At nine, she joined the Texas Show Team, which even toured the Soviet Union.

When she was ten, talent scouts suggested she move to Los Angeles. She had also won the "Texas Our Little Miss Talent Winner" award. So, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles to start a career in acting and singing. In Los Angeles, she went to Lincoln High School.

Becoming an Actress

First Acting Roles (1989-1994)

After moving to Los Angeles, Jennifer appeared in over twenty TV commercials. Many of these were for Mattel toys. Her first big chance came on the Disney Channel show Kids Incorporated (1989–1991). For this show, she was nominated for three Young Artist Awards.

In 1992, she was in a video called Dance! Workout with Barbie. She also got her first movie role in Munchie. A year later, she had her first main role in Little Miss Millions. She also appeared in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Jennifer also had roles in TV shows like Shaky Ground (1992–1993) and The Byrds of Paradise (1994).

Becoming a Teen Star (1995-1999)

Jennifer became a very popular teen star after joining the show Party of Five (1995–99). She was first meant to be on the show for only nine episodes. But producers and viewers liked her so much that she became a regular cast member. She stayed on the show until its last season. For her role, she was nominated for a Kids' Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award.

She became a movie star with the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). She played Julie James, the main character. The movie made US$125 million around the world. For this role, she won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Newcomer. She also appeared in the sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).

Jennifer starred as Amanda Beckett in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998). Amanda was the most popular girl in school. This movie was also a success. In 1999, she starred in and produced Time of Your Life. This show was a spin-off from Party of Five. But the show was canceled after only half a season.

Movies and TV Shows (2000-2004)

Jennifer Love Hewitt in 2002

In 2000, Jennifer played Audrey Hepburn in the TV movie The Audrey Hepburn Story. She also worked as an executive producer for the film. Critics had mixed feelings about her performance.

Jennifer starred with Sigourney Weaver in the romantic comedy Heartbreakers (2001). They played a mother-daughter team who trick rich men out of their money. The movie made US$57.7 million worldwide.

In 2002, Jennifer starred with Jackie Chan in the action comedy The Tuxedo. She played a smart scientist. The movie made US$104.4 million worldwide. She also lent her voice to two animated movies: The Hunchback of Notre Dame II and The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina.

In 2004, Jennifer starred in the romantic drama If Only. She also played Dr. Liz Wilson in the live-action comedy Garfield. Garfield became her highest-grossing film, earning US$200 million worldwide.

Back to Television (2005-2010)

Jennifer played Melinda Gordon in the CBS TV series Ghost Whisperer. Her character could see and talk to ghosts. The show ran for five seasons and 107 episodes, from 2005 to 2010. She also produced and directed three episodes of the show. The series was very popular. Jennifer won two Saturn Awards for Best Television Actress for her role.

In 2006, she played Dr. Liz Wilson again in Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. In 2007, she starred as The Devil in the comedy Shortcut to Happiness. In 2008, she had a small role in the action comedy Tropic Thunder. She also reunited with Freddie Prinze Jr. in the animated movie Delgo.

She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a TV movie for The Client List (2010).

More TV Roles (2011-Present)

In 2011, Jennifer starred as a journalist in the film The Lost Valentine. This movie was very popular, with 14.53 million viewers.

Jennifer Love Hewitt in 2018

In 2012, Jennifer played a masseuse named Riley Parks in the TV series The Client List. The show was based on her 2010 TV movie. It ran for two seasons.

From 2014 to 2015, Jennifer played Kate Callahan in the show Criminal Minds. Kate was an undercover agent. Jennifer left the show because she was pregnant with her second child. She took a break from acting for three years.

Since 2018, Jennifer has played Maddie Buckley on the Fox show 9-1-1. Maddie is an ER nurse who works as a 9-1-1 operator. She left an abusive relationship to take this job. Jennifer said her character is "tough" but also "caring and sensitive."

Other Talents

Music Career

Jennifer was a backing singer on Martika's song "Toy Soldiers" (1989). When she was 12, she recorded her first album, Love Songs (1992). This album was only released in Japan, where she became a pop star. She said the Japanese "love perky music."

She then signed with Atlantic Records and released Let's Go Bang (1995) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (1996). These albums did not become popular in the US.

Jennifer recorded the song "How Do I Deal" (1999) for the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer movie soundtrack. This song became her first to appear on the music charts. It reached No. 59 on the Hot 100 chart in the US. It also reached No. 8 in Australia. She also sang a cover of "I Will Survive" for the movie.

Jennifer appeared in the music video for LFO's song "Girl on TV" (1999). She also appeared in the music video for Enrique Iglesias's song "Hero" (2001).

In 2002, she signed with Jive Records and recorded her fourth album, BareNaked. The first song from the album, "BareNaked" (2002), became her biggest radio hit. It reached No. 6 in Australia. The song was also used in two episodes of Ghost Whisperer. The album reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Since 2004, Jennifer has not been very active in music. But she did release some compilation albums. In 2013, she recorded a cover of "I'm a Woman" to promote the second season of The Client List.

Writing Books and Comics

In 2009, Jennifer started working on comic books. Writer Scott Lobdell created a five-issue series called Jennifer Love Hewitt's Music Box (2009–2010). It was based on Jennifer's ideas.

She also wrote a book called The Day I Shot Cupid (2010). In the book, she shares her experiences with love and dating. While promoting the book, she talked about a chapter on "vajazzling". This part of the interview became very popular online. The book was a success and became a New York Times bestseller.

Her Family Life

In March 2012, Jennifer started dating her co-star from The Client List, Brian Hallisay. In June 2013, Jennifer announced they were engaged and expecting their first child. Jennifer and Brian got married on November 20, 2013. Their daughter was born a few days later, on November 26. In June 2015, the couple had a boy. In August 2021, Jennifer and Brian welcomed their third child.

Filmography

Film

Television

As a director

As a producer

Discography

Studio albums

• Love Songs (1992)
• Let's Go Bang (1995)
• Jennifer Love Hewitt (1996)
• BareNaked (2002)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  A robot for kids

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Love Hewitt para niños