Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy (born November 25 in 1968) is a Canadian actress and singer from Canada. Her most well-known work is her roles on the American television series Law & Order, on which she played prosecutor Claire Kincaid for three seasons, and Crossing Jordan, on which she was the main character, Jordan Cavanaugh, for six seasons. She also appeared as an actor in films like RoboCop 3 or Most Wanted and independent films Chutney Popcorn, which she co-directed. Hennessy was raised in Edmonton, Alberta. John Hennessy, her father was a meat salesman as well as an executive in sales and marketing. His work required a lot of travel, which resulted in many changes for the entire family. Maxine, Maxine's secretary mother had to leave the family in 1982. Eleanor, Eleanor's paternal grandmother, took care of her daughter, who lived in Kitchener. Her younger brother, John Paul "J.P." Hennessy, Jr., and a identical twin sister named Jacqueline, who is a journalist for magazines and a television show host in Canada. Hennessy is of Irish, French, Swedish and Italian ancestry on her father's side, and most Ukrainian Roma, as well as Austrian and Austrian ancestry from her mother's. She was educated at Stanley Park Senior Public School and graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario and busked in the Toronto subway. Hennessy along with her sister and their first acting role was as twin call girls in 1988's Dead Ringers. Gillian Anderson, Gillian Anderson's sister, revealed that she was shortlisted in The X-Files for Dana Scully's part. Hennessy also played the part as Dr. Marie Lazarus on RoboCop 3. In 1993, Dick Wolf signed Hennessy to the role as Claire Kincaid assistant district attorney in the show Law & Order. She played the character for three seasons before resigning the show in the year 1996.