Jennifer Love Hewitt

Biography

Jennifer Love Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, to Patricia Mae (Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician. She has English, Italian, French, Scottish, and German ancestry.

 She got her first name from her older brother Todd Daniel Hewitt (b. November 8, 1970), who picked the name after a little blonde girl he then had a crush on. Her mother selected Jennifer's middle name, Love (which she goes by offstage), from her best friend at college.

 Her parents separated when she was six months old. She was raised by her mother in Killeen, Texas. She made her official performing debut at age 3 where she sang at a livestock show. At age 5, she was taking tap, jazz, and ballet lessons which led her to join the Texas Show Team, which toured the Soviet Union and Europe. 

At age 10, the family moved to L.A. with the encouragement of talent scouts, while Todd stayed behind to finish high school in Texas. Jennifer quickly found commercial work and a role on Disney's Kids Incorporated (1984) in 1989. She went through a series of television flops before finally hitting it big on Party of Five (1994) in 1995.

Is slightly claustrophobic and, while filming an episode of Ghost Whisperer (2005), in an underground tunnel set, a removable wall had to be installed so she could get out quickly.

Returned to work 8 months after giving birth to her daughter Autumn, to begin filming on Criminal Minds (2005), but decided to leave after one season, to spend time with her second child after he or she is born.

She was offered a role on the WB's Charmed (1998), taking over Shannen Doherty's place, which she turned down (2001).

She gained critical notice for her performances in her guest starring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and for The Client List (2010).

On November 20, 2013, she married Brian Hallisay in an intimate ceremony after a 5-month engagement with just the two of them present only six days before she gave birth to their daughter Autumn.

Gave birth to her first child at age 34, a daughter named Autumn James Hallisay, born on November 26, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. The child's father is her husband, Brian Hallisay.

Gave birth to her second child at age 36, a son named Atticus James Hallisay, born on June 24, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. The child's father is her husband, Brian Hallisay.

She disappeared at the age of 4 while at a restaurant dance hall. She was found on the stage singing "Help Me Make It Through the Night".

Announced that she was pregnant with her third child on May 18, 2021.

Sent three dozen pink roses to Gwyneth Paltrow the night before Paltrow won the Oscar in 1999. Hewitt also wrote her a two-page letter praising her as a role model and admiring her work. 

Paltrow sent a reply a week later, and Hewitt framed it - "It's my favorite thing." When the two actresses met for the first time at the 2000 Golden Globes, "she came up to me and gave me a hug for the flowers. I thought I was going to pass out. I was absolutely going to have a heart attack.".

Hosted the Comedy for a Cure and raised over $100,000 for Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance's research programs.

Broke her finger filming the "flopper dive" scene in Heartbreakers (2001).

Her mother, Patricia Pat Hewitt, passed away at age 67, on June 12, 2012, from cancer.