Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy was born on November 25 in 1968. She is a Canadian actress, singer and musician. She is best known for her role on the American television series Law & Order, on which she played prosecutor Claire Kincaid for three seasons, and Crossing Jordan, on which she played the lead character, Jordan Cavanaugh, for six seasons. She has also acted as an actress in films such as 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, her father, was a meat-salesman and a marketing/sales executive. His job involved a lot of traveling, which meant numerous moves for the family. Maxine Her mother was a secretary. Her daughter was left behind by Eleanor her paternal grandmother from Kitchener, Ontario. John Paul Hennessy Jr. Her younger brother is Jacqueline Hennessy, an identical twin, who is a magazine journalist and a TV host in Canada. Hennessy is of Irish and French, Swedish, Italian and Swedish roots from her father, and predominantly Ukrainian Roma and Austrian heritage from her mother. She attended Grand River Collegiate Institute and Stanley Park Senior Public School. Hennessy as well as her sibling made their acting debut playing twins in the 1988 film Dead Ringers. According to Gillian Anderson (the actress who was cast in the role) She was selected for the role of Dana Scully in The X-Files. In 1993, Hennessy was signed by Dick Wolf as Claire Kincaid, assistant district attorney in the NBC crime drama Law & Order. The role lasted for three seasons until she was fired in 1996.