Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy (19 November 1975) is a Canadian actor and singer. Her most well-known work is her role on the American television series Law & Order, on which she played the prosecutor Claire Kincaid for three seasons, and Crossing Jordan, on which she was the main character, Jordan Cavanaugh, for six seasons. She has also acted as an actress in films such RoboCop 3: Most Wanted as well as the independent films Chutney Popcorn (which she also co-directed) and The Acting Class (which was written by her). Hennessy was born and was raised in Edmonton, Alberta. John Hennessy, John's father, was a marketing and meat sales and marketing executive. The position required a lot of travel and meant that the family moved frequently. Her mother, Maxine, a secretary was a divorcee in 1982, leaving her daughter to be partially taken care of by her paternal grandmother, Eleanor, located in Kitchener, Ontario. Her younger brother named John Paul "J.P." Hennessy, Jr., and a identical twin sister named Jacqueline, who is an editor for magazines and a TV host in Canada. Hennessy is a mixture of Irish, French French, Swedish and Italian origins from her father's side as well as mostly Ukrainian Roma on the mother's. She was a student at Stanley Park Senior Public School. Grand River Collegiate Institute was her graduation. She was a busker in Toronto's subway. Hennessy was the sister of her brother. They made their acting debut in 1988 as twin call-girls in Dead Ringers. She was not selected to play Dana Scully on The X-Files according to Gillian Anderson, the actress who was eventually offered the role.She made an appearance in Broadway in the musical Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story in 1990.In 1993, she was on the show in the role of Dr. Marie Lazarus in RoboCop 3.In 1993, Dick Wolf signed Hennessy as the assistant district attorney Claire Kincaid in the NBC crime drama Law & Order. The role was played by her for three seasons before leaving the show in 1996.