Jill Hennessy moved to the U.S. in 1990 with two duffel bags to pursue her acting career
NEED TO KNOW
She joined Law & Order in its fourth season when she claimed the show was at risk of cancellation
Hennessy is currently appearing in Hallmark+'s Hope Valley: 1874 as Hattie Quinn
Canadian-born actress Jill Hennessymoved to the United Statesin 1990 to pursue her acting dreams, and not long after, she landed her career-defining role onLaw & Order.
In an interview forYahoo's Unapologetically seriesreleased on Thursday, April 2, Hennessy, 57, explained that "the '90s in New York were incredibly exciting," as she was "coming in as this total outsider from Canada."
"I arrived with two duffel bags to appear in the Broadway musicalThe Buddy Holly Story, playing his wife. I didn't know if the move would be permanent, but I wanted it to be," the actress shared.
Three years later, Hennessy was cast as Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid onLaw & Order.Although the show went on to become a cornerstone of television history, the actress claimed it was nearly scrapped after its third season. "Then, to get a show likeLaw & Order...at that point, it wasn't well-known," she said. "I came in the fourth season, and it was about to be canceled."
" [Creator]Dick Wolfwas being pressured to add women to the cast, so they decided to add two female characters, [S. Epatha Merkerson] and myself, and within that year, the ratings went up — and it just got more and more successful," she continued.
Advertisement
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Hennessy starred on the beloved series until the end of season 6, when her character was killed in a car accident.
During a recent appearance on theNostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibiliapodcast, Hennessy reflected on what it was like starring alongsideSam Waterston,Jerry Orbach,Len Cariou,J.K. Simmonsand more "acting legends." She revealed, "When I first joined that show, it was intimidating. It was just a new environment for me. I'd never done like a series like that."
However, she noted that the crew "couldn't have been nicer" and the cast "was phenomenal."
"Very quickly, you feel like you're just part of this well-oiled machine," she said. "So it was the best acting education, or even college education I could have gotten."
After leavingLaw & Order,Hennessy continued to book steady work and landed the lead role inCrossing Jordan, which ran from 2001 to 2007. She is currently appearing in Hallmark+'sHope Valley: 1874as Hattie Quinn — a prequel to Hallmark'sWhen Calls the Heart.
Read the original article onPeople
0 Comments