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'He' Online Magazine: Jill Hennessy
Interviewed by Shaun Fawcett
Premier Issue Summer 2006
In the world of television
and film entertainment, it is sometimes hard to shake a
label or a stereotype. Take actor Jill Hennessy's
connection to her Law & Order alter ego, assistant
district attorney (ADA) Claire Kincaid, for example.
Jill
illustrated the point when we spoke, referring to an
appearance at the Golden Globes. "I found myself
walking down the red carpet with the beautiful Catherine
Zeta-Jones in front of me, and gorgeous Julia Roberts
not far behind me. I thought, no one's going to notice
me with this kind of competition, I'll just sneak across
the red carpet and head for the free food tables when I
get inside. Suddenly, I hear some people behind me
screaming, "Jill! Jill! Jill!" I turned around, and
there was this group of people in the bleachers, all
waving and screaming "Jill we love you! We cried when
you died!" I knew right away they were talking about
Claire. It felt good, I was flattered. I waved back and
yelled, "I'm sorry I made you cry!"
A Tough Act To Follow
Such is the burden of this former cast member of NBC's
acclaimed Law & Order television series. Despite doing
some tremendous work since she left that show some ten
years ago, Jill is still best remembered for her three
year acting stint as assistant to New York district
attorneys Ben Stone, and then Jack McCoy, played by
Michael Moriarity and Sam Waterston, respectively.
Since
that tragic final episode in which Claire was instantly
killed when her car was broad-sided on a dark and rainy
Manhattan night as she drove a drunken colleague home,
many hardcore fans have had trouble accepting that sweet
Claire is gone forever.
Indeed,
a little Internet surfing will confirm that both Jill
and the Law & Order series have developed a bit of a
cult following, with many committed online devotees.
Interestingly, of all the Law & Order characters over
the years, it is Jill's portrayal of Claire Kincaid in
particular, that has won more hearts than any other.
This might explain why Jill still ranks among the top
100 of a current online celebrity poll of some 250
celebrities.
Cult-Like Status
Claire
Kincaid may be resting in peace evermore, but I have
good news for you gentlemen
—
Jill Hennessy is alive and well, and thriving in New
York City! I'll save the bit of bad news I have for a
little later on, so as not to distract you at this
point.
For the
handful of you who may have spent most of the 90's
preparing and stocking your Y2K bunkers, and are
therefore not quite up to speed with me yet, I'll give
you a couple of hints. First, Law & Order is one of the
most acclaimed and honored dramatic series that has been
aired on television in North America over the past
decade. Second, and most noteworthy, the dark haired
beauty in the accompanying photo, is none other than
Jill Hennessy who co-starred in that series for three
memorable years during the mid 1990s.
Tune in to the Arts and
Entertainment (A&E) cable television network any weekday
evening at 7:00 p.m., and the odds of you running across
Jill and her legal colleagues are extremely high. That's
because Law & Order re-runs are aired at those times
during the week in most parts of the country.
Canadian Born and Bred
Born in
Edmonton, Alberta on November 25, 1969, Jill (Jillian)
doesn't remember much about that city because she was
quite young when the family moved away. At birth, she
was accompanied by an identical twin sister, Jacquie
(Jacqueline), who actually filled in for a Jill in one
episode of Law & Order (I bet you didn't notice).
Predictably, as kids they were known as "Jacq and Jill."
After leaving Edmonton, Jill's family made a series of
moves that took them to several places around Canada
before finally settling in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.
She calls Kitchener-Waterloo her Canadian home because
she still has family and friends there.
Although
she did well academically in high school, when she was
17 years old Jill decided to forego grade 13 (yes,
there's a thirteenth grade in Canada) and made the move
to Toronto to study improv comedy with the Second City
company. Her acting career began in 1988 when she and
twin Jacqueline were cast as a pair of hookers in
Dead Ringers. After that, she did some Broadway and
off-Broadway stage work, including Buddy: The Buddy
Holly Story in 1990-91.
The Road To The Big Time
During
this formative period while Jill was still finding her
way, she played supporting roles in a number of movies,
including Robocop 3. Her first important break came when
she starred in Ron Howard's 1994 feature film The Paper.
During that period she also got her feet wet in
television, doing episode guest appearances on a number
of series, including: War of the Worlds, The Hitchhiker,
Friday the 13th, and Flying Blind.
Jill's
big break came in late 1993 when she was cast as ADA
Claire Kincaid in Law & Order. At the time, it didn't
necessarily look like such a big break because although
the critics had raved about the show during its first
couple of years, the ratings were lukewarm and the
series was almost cancelled.
As it
turned out, the casting of Jill Hennessy as the first
female ADA was one of the important changes that helped
the show improve its ratings and go on to achieve its
current, almost legendary, status. In fact, not only is
Law & Order still being made by NBC, but several
spin-off series has ridden the original's coattails to
success.
Has
there been life after Law & Order for Jill Hennessy?
Life Does Go On...
The
answer to that question is a resounding "absolutely!" In
fact, for Jill, her association with Law & Order was
just the beginning. It was an "incubator" of sorts for
her, where she could grow and mature, and refine her
craft as an actor. Leaving that series has given her the
opportunity to demonstrate that, not only is she
beautiful and talented, but she is also very smart, and
multitalented to boot.
Since
departing L&O she has worked on twenty television and
film projects in which she has demonstrated incredible
versatility, playing a wide range of interesting, and
sometimes off-beat characters. Jill has played a number
of challenging roles: as a lesbian in the film
Chutney Popcorn, as the wartime private secretary to
Alec Baldwin's character in the critically-acclaimed TV
miniseries Nuremberg, and as the American icon
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the 2001 NBC television
mini-series Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot.
Jill Wins A Golden Satellite
Not only
was Nuremberg nominated for a Golden Globe Award as
"Best Television Miniseries", but in January 2001, Jill
Hennessy was awarded a Golden Satellite for "Best
Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Film Made
for Television" at the 2000 Golden Satellite Awards
ceremony, for her outstanding acting in that production.
Although
the Golden Satellite Awards have existed for less than
ten years, and don't yet receive as much publicity as
the Golden Globes, the "Satellites" are voted on by the
more than 250 full-time professional entertainment
journalists from both the U.S. and abroad that make up
the International Press Academy (IPA).
To win
this prestigious international honor, Jill had to
overcome some extremely formidable competition
including: Jennifer Beals, Holly Hunter, Vanessa
Redgrave, and Gena Rowlands. For Jill, this was
significant recognition from the film and entertainment
industry worldwide, and is definitely a large feather in
her professional cap.
Doing Her Own Thing
Perhaps
Jill's most ambitious, courageous and accomplished
achievement to-date has been the making of her own film,
The Acting Class. Not only did she act in this
production, but she co-produced it, co-directed it, and
wrote the screenplay as well. Released on the film
festival circuit in 2000, the film is a humorous
behind-the-scenes look at the world of acting schools
based on some of Jill's personal experiences over the
years.
The
ensemble cast is a veritable "who's-who" of Jill's
friends, colleagues and acquaintances from the
television and film business. It was shot on the set of
Law & Order, with some of the actual staff from that
production helping out. Making appearances in the film
are the late Jerry Orbach, Angie Harmon, Chris Noth and
Benjamin Bratt, all of L&O fame. Alec Baldwin, who Jill
worked with in Nuremberg, also took part, as well as
Jill's sister Jacquie, and Paolo Mastropietro.
The The
Acting Class only received limited exposure on the film
festival circuit but when we talked recently, Jill
hinted that something is now in the works that could
lead to wider distribution of her little masterpiece. Be
on the lookout for it.
Jill was
very busy in 2000, working on a number of film and
television projects. She was in Italy filming Steven
Seagal's thriller Exit Wounds. In that film she plays a
police supervisor who must force Seagal's character to
undergo some "anger management" training.
"Jackie" and Jill
Jill's
major achievement of 2000 was her performance as Jackie
Kennedy in the NBC miniseries Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The
Women of Camelot. When she saw the final cut she even
surprised herself, "I was shocked at the job I did
playing Jackie. I didn't know if I would be able to pull
it off. That's why I wasn't sure about doing the role in
the first place. I was incredibly insecure, and really
doubting myself at the time.
But,
when I saw the final cut, I've got to say, I bought it
hook, line, and sinker; and it was me, I was watching
myself playing Jackie Kennedy and believing it!" she
exclaimed with a mixture of pride and genuine amazement.
Crossing Jordan
Jill's
current project is Crossing Jordan, another A&E series
in which she plays Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a forensic
pathologist who was fired from the Boston medical
examiner's office due to becoming overly involved in
murder cases (just like Jack Klugman in Quincy).
Eventually, she gets her old job back and teams up with
her dad, a former Boston police detective, to solve
crimes. If you don't have cable, get it now!
The Bad News!
I've
saved the worst for last. In case you didn't know, I'm
sorry to say guys, but Jill is no longer footloose and
fancy free. Back in 2000, she and her longtime boyfriend
Paolo Mastropietro quietly tied the knot in Italy during
a break in the filming of Exit Wounds. Maybe in another
life?
The Lovely Jill Speaks
Are you still a Canadian citizen, and if so, do you
intend to stay that way?
Yes, absolutely, through and through. I also consider
myself a New Yorker. I've spent more time there than in
any other one place. When I was a kid we moved an
average of every three years. To me, New York symbolizes
a lot of elements about life that I really embrace, that
I relate to. Particularly because of the fact that it
was built by immigrants, I feel that I can be a Canadian
in New York and be a viable part of that society, and I
don't have to change who I am. So yeah, I do consider
myself both a Canadian and a New Yorker.
What's your favorite place in Canada?
Nova Scotia. One year my boyfriend and I decided to go
there on a motorcycle trip. We hopped on the BMW in West
Manhattan, rode to Portland, Maine and then took the
ferry over to Yarmouth. We rode the entire periphery of
mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. To this
day, it's one of the best places I've ever been to. I
loved the seafood; the scallops and lobster. I was in
heaven. The nicest people run these little bed and
breakfasts; usually women who would tell us the stories
of their lives.
In your early years you studied improv comedy with
the Second City Company in Toronto. Did you ever see
yourself going the direction of many Second City alumni
and ending up on Saturday Night Live, and do you have
any regrets that you ended up going off in the direction
of playing mostly serious roles?
Yes, I have always revered the SCTV (Second City) people
and Saturday Night Live. That was where I wanted to be
at that time. But, I enjoy serious roles too. You know,
the reason I became an actor was to play a wide variety
of characters. I feel I've already accomplished a lot of
that, and that makes me happy.
In
1994, how big a challenge was it for you to move into
the role of assistant DA Claire Kincaid on Law & Order?
Oh boy, that's a good one. To be honest, when I heard
about the audition, I hadn't seen the show yet, and it
had been running for three years. It was terrifying. I
had never really done serious television work before and
this one involved copious amounts of technical dialogue.
To be honest, I felt like I had just pulled the wool
over everybody's eyes. Also, I was totally intimidated
by some of the accomplished actors already on the show
when I joined, like Michael Moriarty and Steven Hill.
This
question is for all the true Law & Order fanatics.
Although it was never brought totally into the open on
the show, many people have theorized that there was
something going on between Claire and Jack behind the
scenes. At times, there seemed to be some sexual tension
in the air. In your mind, was anything romantic
happening between them?
I can tell you that at script meetings, some of the
"powers that be" wanted something to be going on. At
first, I didn't see it as appropriate since Claire had
already been in that relationship with a judge earlier
in her career. And Sam Waterston really didn't think it
was appropriate either. But then after a while Sam and I
thought, "why don't we play with this a bit." I've got
to say that, not only do I love Sam as a human being,
but he's an incredibly sexy guy. We just loved to tease
the camera.
For example, we'd be shooting a scene involving the
crossing of a New York street. I'd say to Sam, "ok I'm
going to try something here, just play along and react
in kind," and he'd go along with it. So we'd do the take
and I'd just sort of lightly pat his butt as we crossed
the street. If you look very closely at some of the
episodes you'll see little body language things like
that happening. I think there might have been something
there when I watch the episodes now, more so than when I
was shooting them. Now when I think about it, I liked
Claire and Jack together. As an audience member, I would
want to see it happen!
What do you think about the cult following that both
you and Law & Order seem to have developed?
I love it that people like to watch the show. There are
a lot of worse things one could be a member of a cult
for; you know what I'm saying?
What do you consider your best work to date?
That's tough because they're all so different. Maybe I
can break it down to three. One was a film I did fairly
recently called "Chutney Popcorn." Making it was a
wonderful, joyous experience and I really liked what I
did in that. Next to that, I must say that I was shocked
at the job I did playing Jackie Kennedy. I didn't know
if I could pull it off. That's why I wasn't sure about
doing the role in the first place. I thought that this
could be the perfect place to fall on my face in a
really public arena. I was incredibly insecure and
really doubting myself at the time. But, I saw the
finished cut and I've got to say, I bought it hook,
line, and sinker; and it was me; I was watching myself
playing Jackie Kennedy, and believing it!
Which
character role has been the most difficult for you to
play so far?
Oh, that was Jackie Kennedy, for sure. Because she is,
and I use the present tense here, such a unique
individual who has left such a lasting impression on so
many. She's such a part of the world consciousness, and
will be for quite some time. The challenge was, how to
do that part justice? She is so beloved by so many
people, you don't want to exploit or taint that in any
way. Then there was the technical aspect too. The
behavior so unique to her; the sound of her voice, her
vocal inflections, her pronunciation.
Now let's talk about your very own film "The Acting
Class." You wrote it, acted in it, co-produced it, and
co-directed it. Is there any aspect of that film you
weren't involved in?
Well, I never drove anybody! Actually, I wanted to
create an environment where all the actors could take
the script that I had written, use it as a springboard,
and then improvise. If they wanted to use their own
personal experiences, they could, or they could use the
fictitious circumstances that I had created. It was so
much fun! I'm very happy with it. I've been in many
wonderful, healthy, incredibly helpful acting classes,
but this film is based on some of the insane and
incredibly abusive experiences that I've had in some
classes over the years. I've left out the really
depressing, bad stuff. I think anybody who has had a
bizarre mentor-student relationship can relate to this
film. I've tried to take a very light-hearted look at
it.
Turning to your television miniseries "Jackie, Ethel,
Joan: Women of Camelot." What did you think of the final
product when you saw it?
To be quite honest, I was kind of blown away. When
you're working on something like that, you pray every
day that the overall project will work out. You can only
get so much of a sense of the big picture when you're
shooting individual scenes separately. I could see that
all of the other actors in the cast were phenomenal,
both male and female. In particular, Daniel Hugh Kelly
as JFK is simply unbelievable. And the director Larry
Shaw, shot it like a film; and the final product does
look like a film.
Can we talk about your future as a professional now?
Will your focus remain on acting in films, or will you
be shifting more to producing, directing and writing?
What direction do you see yourself going in?
Oh boy, that's a tough one. Well, I'm always looking for
new material whether that's in films or television, or
by writing it myself. As for writing it myself; I've got
a couple of ideas that I've already started to outline.
Just pursuing new material excites me. Again, I've got
no aversion to television. They're doing some amazing
stuff on TV these days. For example, if I were to see a
pilot screening of a TV sitcom that I liked, I would
love working on it. If you can get me a role on SCTV I'd
be really happy to work on that!
How
about your namesake Hennessy's Tavern in Northvale, New
Jersey. Is that still going strong?
Yes, Hennessy's tavern is going strong. I'm not actually
into that business though. That's totally my husband's
thing, he just named it after me. I helped with the
painting, the decorating, and the sign outside. Ben
Bratt came down and helped out with the drywall. He's so
sweet. But the tavern is really all my husband's doing.
What
do you do for fun and relaxation when you have the time?
I play guitar. When I'm lucky enough to get away for a
while I love to go snowboarding. Actually, Paolo taught
me snowboarding. God, I love it. It really is a
Zen-like, joyous experience. Maybe even more joyous than
that is going anywhere in Italy. I seem to have this
special connection with Italy. I cannot shake it from my
subconscious.
What
do you consider to be the main characteristics of the
ideal man?
Oh wow, let's see. Someone who is funny as hell. I like
a person who expresses things clearly; when they're mad,
they're mad, and when they're sad, they're sad. They
express things and don't hold it in. I like someone who
embraces life; who wants to be on a long journey but has
no particular plan or destination in mind. An
adventurous man, open to the concept of living life in
the moment.
Thanks for this Jill, and all the best in the future.
Thank you, its been great! I already feel like I know
you!
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