Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy (19 November 1975) is a Canadian singer and actor. She is most known for her roles on the American television series Law & Order, on which she played the 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 like 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. Her father, John Hennessy, was a meat salesman and sales/marketing executive, a job which required a lot of travel, and resulted in frequent moves for the family. Maxine Hernnessy was Maxine's mother and secretary, passed away in 1982. Eleanor her paternal grandmother from Kitchener (Ontario) took part in raising her daughter. John Paul Hennessy Jr. is her younger brother. Jacqueline is her identical twin sister and is a journalist from Canada and host. Hennessy is of Irish as well as French, Swedish, Italian and Swedish roots from her father. She also has predominantly Ukrainian Roma and Austrian heritage from her mother. She went to Stanley Park Senior Public School and graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute, both of which are located in Kitchener, Ontario, and utilized to be a busker on the Toronto subway. Hennessy as well as her sibling were first actors when they appeared as twins in the 1988 film Dead Ringers. According to Gillian Anderson (the actress who played the part) She was selected for the role of Dana Scully in The X-Files. In 1993, Hennessy was signed by Dick Wolf as Claire Kincaid an assistant district attorney on the NBC crime drama Law & Order. The role was played by her for three seasons, and left the show in 1996.