Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, singer, producer, and director. Born on February 21, 1979, in Waco, Texas, she began her career as a child performer appearing in commercials and television series. She gained widespread recognition for her breakout role as Sarah Reeves Merrin on the teen drama Party of Five and her portrayal of Julie James in the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer. Over the course of her career, she has built a varied filmography while also producing projects, recording music, and writing.

Hewitt grew up in Nolanville, Texas, and was raised alongside her older brother, Todd, by her mother, Patricia Mae, a speech-language pathologist, following her parents' divorce. Her father, Herbert Daniel Hewitt, was a medical technician. Showing an early interest in music, Hewitt performed publicly at age three and began practicing tap dancing and ballet by age five. At age nine, she joined the Texas Show Team, an L.A. Gear troupe that toured the Soviet Union. She relocated to Los Angeles at age ten to pursue acting and singing.

Her career began with more than twenty television commercials and a starring role on the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated from 1989 to 1991, which earned her a Young Artist Award as part of the cast. Hewitt made her feature film debut in the independent comedy Munchie in 1992, followed by roles in Little Miss Millions and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit in 1993. During the early 1990s, she also appeared in short-lived series such as Shaky Ground, The Byrds of Paradise, and McKenna.

From 1995 to 1999, Hewitt achieved teen idol status playing Sarah Reeves Merrin on Fox's Party of Five. Her performance garnered nominations for a Kids' Choice Award, a Teen Choice Award, and a YoungStar Award. She transitioned to film stardom with the 1997 horror release I Know What You Did Last Summer and its 1998 sequel, winning a Blockbuster Entertainment Award. She also starred in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait and both starred in and produced the spin-off series Time of Your Life.

In the 2000s, Hewitt portrayed Audrey Hepburn in the biographical television film The Audrey Hepburn Story, serving as an executive producer. Her film credits during this period included comedies such as Heartbreakers, The Tuxedo, and the live-action Garfield movies. From 2005 to 2010, she starred as Melinda Gordon on the CBS supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer, also acting as a producer and directing three episodes. Her performance on the series earned her two Saturn Awards for Best Television Actress.

Hewitt continued her television work with a starring role in the 2010 Lifetime television film The Client List, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film. She later starred in the television series adaptation of The Client List, joined the cast of Criminal Minds for its tenth season, and began starring as Maddie Buckley on the procedural series 9-1-1 in 2018.

In addition to acting, Hewitt released four studio albums between 1992 and 2002: Love Songs, Let's Go Bang, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and BareNaked. Her 1999 single "How Do I Deal" peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She authored the 2010 dating-advice book The Day I Shot Cupid, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list, and appeared on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list in 2008.