Jill Hennessy
{{Short description|Canadian actress and singer (born 1968)}}
{{for|the Australian politician|Jill Hennessy (politician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jill Hennessy
| image = JillHennessyTIFFSept10.jpg
| caption = Hennessy at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
| birth_name = Jillian Noel Hennessy
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|11|25}}
| birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| occupation = Actress, singer
| years_active = 1988–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Paolo Mastropietro|2000}}
| children = 2
}}
Jillian Noel Hennessy (born November 25, 1968) is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her roles on the American television series Law & Order, on which she played prosecutor Claire Kincaid for three seasons, and Crossing Jordan, on which she played the lead character, Jordan Cavanaugh, for six seasons. She has also acted in films such as RoboCop 3 and Most Wanted, and the independent films Chutney Popcorn and The Acting Class, the latter of which she also wrote and co-directed.
Early life
Hennessy was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Her father, John Hennessy, was a meat salesman and sales/marketing executive, a job that required considerable travel and resulted in frequent moves for the family. Her mother, Maxine, a secretary, left the family in 1982, leaving her daughter to be partially raised by her paternal grandmother, Eleanor, in Kitchener, Ontario.{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800023460/bio|title=Jill Hennessy Biography - Yahoo! Movies}} She has a younger brother, John Paul "J.P." Hennessy, Jr., an older sister, Faith and an identical twin sister, Jacqueline, who is a magazine writer and TV show host in Canada. Hennessy has Irish, French, Swedish and Italian ancestry on her father's side, and mostly Ukrainian Roma, as well as Austrian, ancestry on her mother's.{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-artslifechat-hennessy-htmlstory.html|title=Jill Hennessy chat|website=The Baltimore Sun|date=April 27, 2000|access-date=April 7, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624142209/https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-artslifechat-hennessy-htmlstory.html|url-status=dead}} She attended Stanley Park Senior Public School and graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute, both in Kitchener, Ontario,{{cite web |url=https://people.com/archive/jill-of-all-trades-vol-56-no-23/ |title=Jill of All Trades|work=People |access-date=September 20, 2022|date= December 3, 2001|author= Michelle Tauber}} and used to busk in the Toronto subway.{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/fnm-exclusive-actress-and-musician-jill-hennessy-used-to-play-guitar-in-the-street-for-money |title=FNM Exclusive: Actress and Musician Jill Hennessy 'Used to Play Guitar in the Street For Money'|website=Fox News |date=February 21, 2017 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}
Career
Hennessy and her sister, Jacqueline, made their acting debut playing twin call girls in 1988's Dead Ringers. She was short listed for the role of Dana Scully on The X-Files according to Gillian Anderson, the actress who was eventually chosen for the role.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/10/13/gillian-anderson-david-duchovny-revisit-the-origins-of-the-x-files/|title=Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny Revisit the Origins of 'The X-Files'|first=Kathy|last=Shwiff|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=October 13, 2013}}
She appeared on Broadway in the musical Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story in 1990.
In 1993, she appeared as Dr. Marie Lazarus in RoboCop 3.
Hennesey's big network breakthrough came in 1993, when Dick Wolf signed Hennessy as assistant district attorney Claire Kincaid in the NBC crime drama Law & Order. She played the role for three seasons, leaving the show in 1996.
In 1999, she appeared as Lisa in Chutney Popcorn. In 2000, Hennessy wrote, produced, and jointly directed (with Elizabeth Holder) an independent film mockumentary titled The Acting Class, which looked at the trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional acting class. The film co-starred her sister, Jacqueline, and included cameo appearances from a number of Hennessy's former Law & Order co-stars. She also appeared in the film Nuremberg, as Elsie Douglas.
In 2001, she portrayed Jackie Kennedy in the film Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot. That same year she appeared in a small role as Commander Mulcahy in the Steven Seagal action film Exit Wounds. She received praise from critic Owen Gleiberman who said "With the right role, Hennessy might just be a movie star."{{cite magazine |author = Owen Gleiberman |author-link = Owen Gleiberman |title=Exit Wounds |url= https://ew.com/article/2001/03/22/exit-wounds-2/ |magazine= Entertainment Weekly }} In 2003, she made a cameo appearance in the film Abby Singer. From 2001 to 2007, she starred on the TV show Crossing Jordan as title character Jordan Cavanaugh. She also played the wife of Tim Allen's character in the 2007 film Wild Hogs. On June 9, 2007, she received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
During sessions in Austin, Texas, Hennessy recorded the album Ghost in My Head,{{cite web |url=http://www.jillhennessy.com/ |title=Jill Hennessy.com}} which was released in June 2009. She performed as a guest of the Indigo Girls on a November 2009 episode of Mountain Stage,{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120028309 |title=Indigo Girls On Mountain Stage|publisher=NPR |access-date=January 24, 2010 }} and was the focus of another episode of the show later the same month.{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120181406 |title=Jill Hennessy On Mountain Stage|publisher=NPR |access-date=January 24, 2010 }} She performed at Lilith Fair in 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/z3ju5o/lilith-fair-to-feature-mary-j-blige-colbie-caillat-jill-scott-more|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920205830/https://www.mtv.com/news/z3ju5o/lilith-fair-to-feature-mary-j-blige-colbie-caillat-jill-scott-more|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 20, 2022|title=Lilith Fair To Feature Mary J. Blige, Colbie Caillat, Jill Scott, More|publisher=MTV |access-date=September 20, 2022|date = December 10, 2009|author= Gil Kaufman}}
File:Jill Hennessy at The Mint - 13.jpg
Hennessy starred in the independent crime thriller Small Town Murder Songs in 2010. She also appeared as a veterinarian in the HBO series Luck, and promoted Zaxby's "Zalads" in a pair of television commercials in 2012.
In 2015, Hennessy appeared in several episodes of Madam Secretary,{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/jill-hennessy-cast-cbs-madam-secretary-1201482540/|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=July 20, 2015|publisher=Deadline|title=Jill Hennessy Joins CBS' 'Madam Secretary'}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jill-hennessy-boards-cbs-madam-809997|title=Jill Hennessy Boards CBS' 'Madam Secretary'|first=Lesley|last=Goldberg|date=July 20, 2015|work=The Hollywood Reporter}} and in October of that year, her second album, I Do, was released.
In 2018, she appeared on the Michael Weatherly series Bull as the mother of the deceased hacker character Cable McCrory.{{cite web|url=https://cartermatt.com/318208/bull-season-3-spoilers-jill-hennessy-signs-on-for-significant-role/|title=Bull season 3 spoilers: Jill Hennessy signs on for significant role|date=July 25, 2018|access-date=November 26, 2018}} Also in 2018, she began the role of Senator Huntington on the series Yellowstone.
Personal life
Hennessy is multilingual, and fluently speaks English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German.{{cite web| last = James| first = Faye| title = Jill Hennessy - Biography | url = https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/20091008895/jill-hennessy/| website = hellomagazine.com| date = October 8, 2009| access-date = March 27, 2024}} She plays the guitar and sings, and enjoys riding motorcycles with her husband, whom she married in 2000. They had a second marriage ceremony in January 2001, which took place at New York City Hall with Mayor Rudy Giuliani officiating. Their first son was born in 2003, and a second was born in 2007.
In popular culture
The Minneapolis-based band Mollycuddle wrote the song "The Ballad of Jill Hennessy" in honor of the actress.[http://www.guiltriddenpop.com/artists/mollycuddle/05-theballad.mp3 The Ballad of Jill Hennessy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615233731/http://www.guiltriddenpop.com/artists/mollycuddle/05-theballad.mp3 |date=June 15, 2007 }} audio Hennessy was reportedly very pleased and offered to perform with the band on rhythm guitar.[http://www.citypages.com/databank/20/948/article7139.asp Pop of Futures Past] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181633/http://www.citypages.com/databank/20/948/article7139.asp |date=September 30, 2007 }} Jon Dolan, Minneapolis/St. Paul CityPages, February 3, 1999
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Film ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1988
| Mimsy | |
| 1993
| Dr. Marie Lazarus | |
| 1993
| Trip nach Tunis | Kathryn Darby | |
| 1994
| {{sortname|The|Paper|The Paper (film)}} | Deanne White | |
| 1996
| Laura | |
| 1996
| Kiss & Tell | Interrogator Angela Pierce | |
| 1997
| {{sortname|A|Smile Like Yours}} | Lindsay Hamilton | |
| 1997
| Dr. Victoria Constantini | |
| 1998
| Weekend Getaway | Lily | Short film |
| 1998
| Dead Broke | Kate | |
| 1999
| {{sortname|The|Florentine}} | Brenda | |
| 1999
| Patti | |
| 1999
| Mike, The Bartender | |
| 1999
| Lisa | |
| 1999
| Molly | Susan Brookes | |
| 1999
| Komodo | Dr. Victoria Juno | |
| 2000
| {{sortname|The|Acting Class}} | Amanda Smythe / Jill / Anonymous | |
| 2000
| Lynn McCale | |
| 2001
| Commander Annette Mulcahy | |
| 2002
| Marina Peck | |
| 2007
| Kelly Madsen | |
| 2007
| Game of Life | Brenda | |
| 2008
| Lymelife | Brenda Bartlett | |
| 2010
| Rita | |
| 2011
| Roadie | Nikki Stevens | |
| 2012
| Alice | |
| 2013
| If I Had Wings | Sandy Taylor | |
| 2017
| Cindy Bradford | |
| 2019
| Crypto | Robin Whiting | |
| 2019
| Vanessa | |
| 2022
| data-sort-value="Road to Galena, The" | The Road to Galena | Teresa Baird | |
| 2024
| National Security Agency (NSA) Agent | |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Television ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1987
| Twin Makeup Artist | Episode: "Let's Make Gold" |
| 1988
| Patty | Episode: "Goliath Is My Name" |
| 1989
| {{sortname|The|Hitchhiker|The Hitchhiker (TV series)}} | Marla | Episode: "Striptease" |
| 1989
| {{sortname|The|Hitchhiker|The Hitchhiker (TV series)}} | Elisabeth | Episode: "Pawns" |
| 1989–1990
| Various | 4 episodes |
| 1990
| C.B.C.'s Magic Hour | Hooker |Episode: "The Prom" |
| 1990
| Scott | Episode: "Max" |
| 1990
| Lex | Episode: "The Dealbreaker" |
| 1992
| Lauren Benjamin | Episode: "Crazy for You... and You" |
| 1993–1996
| Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid | 68 episodes |
| 1996
| Homicide: Life on the Street | Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid | Episode: "For God and Country" |
| 2000
| Elsie Douglas | Television movie |
| 2001
| Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot | Television movie |
| 2001–2007
| Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh | 115 episodes |
| 2004–2006
| Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh |3 episodes |
| 2011–2012
| Luck | Jo | 9 episodes |
| 2012
| Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town | Agnes Leacock | Television movie |
| 2013
| Jo | Sister Karyn | 8 episodes |
| 2014
| data-sort-value="Good Wife, The" | The Good Wife | Rayna Hecht | 2 episodes |
| 2015
| Jane Fellows | 15 episodes |
| 2017
| Alicia Carr | 10 episodes |
| 2017
| data-sort-value="Blacklist, The" | The Blacklist | Margot Rochet | Episode: "The Harem" |
| 2018
| Crawford | Cynthia | 12 episodes |
| 2018
| Senator Huntington | Episode: "Daybreak" |
| 2018
| Bull | Ellen | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2022
| Jenny Rohr | 26 episodes |
| 2023
| Accused | Lynn Harmon | Episode "Scott's Story''" |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography|Film|Television|Music}}
{{Commons category|Jill Hennessy}}
- {{official website|http://www.jillhennessy.com}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jill+hennessy Jill Hennessy] on YouTube
- {{IMDb name|0005007|Jill Hennessy}}
- {{IBDB name}}
{{Satellite Award Best Actress Television Miniseries or Film}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessy, Jill}}
Category:Actresses from Edmonton
Category:Canadian film actresses
Category:20th-century Canadian actresses
Category:Canadian people of Austrian descent
Category:Canadian people of Irish descent
Category:Canadian people of Italian descent
Category:Canadian people of Swedish descent
Category:Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
Category:Canadian women singer-songwriters
Category:Canadian television actresses
Category:Canadian women film directors
Category:Film directors from Edmonton
Category:Identical twin actresses
Category:Musicians from Edmonton
Category:21st-century Canadian women singers
Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters