Texas gal Jennifer Love Hewitt first got a taste of showbiz performing at livestock shows in the Lone Star State, and found she “loved entertaining people and making them happy.”
When her mom took her to see the bright lights of Tinseltown at age ten, she felt she’d come home and “truly belonged somewhere because there were lots of people around just like me. The married mom of three says her philosophy is simple: “Spend your life doing things you really want to do."
Here are ten of Hewitt’s favorite roles and what the 44-year-old actress says they mean to her.
Kids Incorporated (1989)
Hewitt says she "learned at a really young age you don’t get anything necessarily easy. I was a workhorse.”
Sister Act 2: Back In the Habit (1993)
The role is the first time she used her full name in the credits. "My mother was just going to name me Love, but my brother was afraid people would think I was a freak. He said, 'I think Jennifer is the most beautiful name in the whole wide world.'"
Party of Five (1995)
During her time starring as Sarah Reeves in the show, she was praised by teenagers and says, "I like knowing that people look up to me."
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
After the teen scream horror movie became a blockbuster hit, she was overwhelmed by the attention, especially as it would be focused "on my chest or who I’m dating or what bikini I was wearing wherever."
The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000)
"She’s everything a woman should be," says Hewitt, who watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s” as a child because her mom told her, "You’re going to grow up to be a great female, so you should see what a really great female is."
Heartbreakers (2001)
The character "was this great combination of where I was at the time; still young at heart with a lot to learn but definitely not a teenager."
Ghost Whisperer (2005)
"It was probably the most fulfilling part I’ve ever played. Every day I felt like I was connecting with people," Hewitt said.
The Client List (2010)
She met future husband Brian Hallisay on the show. They’ve just celebrated their tenth anniversary. "I knew the moment we met that my life would be better with him in it.”
Criminal Minds (2014)
"I was pregnant in real life — literally, my brain was just gone,” said the happy mom.
911 (2018)
Hewitt formed a bond with costar Kenneth Choi. Now, her kids call him Uncle Kenny. "He’s really a family member. I adore him."