Jennifer Love Hewitt enthusiastically discusses the vibrant atmosphere of Universal CityWalk, Los Angeles. She proposed this location for our meeting on a Monday morning and arrived in a stylish white SUV, stepping out from the valet parking at her petite height of five feet two inches, dressed in a radiant pink blazer, roomy jeans, and polished silver sneakers. CityWalk holds a special place in Hewitt’s heart as she has visited it since her childhood and was there just last week for her son’s 10th birthday at Buca di Beppo. “Growing up in Burbank, this place was like my teenage hangout spot,” she reminisces, finding comfort in the distinctly American energy here, with attractions such as Margaritaville, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., a skydiving wind tunnel, and countless children about to experience these activities in an unconventional order.
Hewitt yearns for a large pretzel, but everything is still closed at the moment. As we patiently wait, she offers an unplanned stroll through her past. “This was the venue for my first major red-carpet event,” she reminisces, standing before what was previously a Hard Rock Cafe. “I remember thinking, What on earth is going on? I was only 15.” She indicates another structure. “Back then, this building housed an Abercrombie & Fitch store. I would often visit to inquire about work since I desired a typical job. I managed to secure employment for a week and a half at one in the Glendale Galleria. I sold clothing there, learned folding techniques. However, I was let go because there was a long line of people who wanted me to autograph items, and they said, ‘This is not functioning as an Abercrombie & Fitch.’ She chuckles, guiding me along the scorching sidewalk. “My friends and I would frequently visit Cinnabon, which lies in that direction. Back then, carbs didn’t affect my body the way they do now that I’m in my 40s.
At 46 years old, Hewitt has been working steadily since she was just 10, first appearing in Barbie commercials and then on the variety show Kids Incorporated. Over the past decade or so, she’s been a staple on network television (currently playing dispatcher Maddie on Ryan Murphy’s 9-1-1). However, she is set to make her return to the big screen in a reboot of the franchise that kickstarted her film career in 1997 when she was 18. In the new I Know What You Did Last Summer, written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Hewitt reprises her role as Julie James, who suffered immense trauma from a post-graduation cliffside car accident that triggered a series of events leading to a middle-aged man in fishing gear murdering all her friends and loved ones across two films.
Now, Julie is 27 years older and more experienced, serving as a professor who educates her students on PTSD while criticizing her hometown police for manipulating their constituents, a term she calls “gaslighting.” Still bearing deep scars from her past ordeals, such as discovering Sarah Michelle Gellar’s body frozen in ice and nearly being incinerated in a tanning bed in the Bahamas. Professor James had maintained a quiet life until another group of young adults, including Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Hauer-King, accidentally killed a man on the same cliff in a similar manner, leading to them being targeted by vengeful fishhooking. Sui Wonders’ character Ava locates Julie at her workplace and pleads for help. At first, Hewitt was hesitant about returning, stating that all of her friends had to persuade her to do so. “They had to talk me into it,” she explained, “Right up until the night before shooting, they were saying, ‘You know you’re going tomorrow, right?'” I inquire about what made her apprehensive, and she responds straightforwardly: “I was anxious only about how much older I would appear compared to when I was 18.
Among a few well-known celebrities with three names (Prinze Jr., Gellar, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Rachael Leigh Cook, Melissa Joan Hart), Hewitt was one who gained popularity in the 1990s and garnered moderate attention from teen magazines. However, during the early 2000s, fame transformed into a ruthless game involving the public, paparazzi, and their predominantly female targets, led by figures like Perez Hilton. By that time, Hewitt had already established herself both on television (as a regular on “Party of Five” and later on her character’s short-lived spinoff “Time of Your Life”) and in films (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Can’t Hardly Wait”, “Heartbreakers”), and she experienced some of the harshest criticism. Looking back at her old press articles, where people casually or inappropriately discussed her body, feels like stepping into a haunted Y2K time capsule where “MMMBop” plays endlessly and Carson Daly constantly laughs at you.
Hewitt admitted only recently, a few years ago while watching the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” that she finally understood how much the situation had affected her mentally. The documentary discusses, among other things, the disrespectful and misogynistic behavior the singer faced from the media and public. As she began watching, Hewitt felt a sudden realization: “They spoke to me like that too.” This recognition led to tears, first for Britney Spears, then for herself.
Jennifer Hewitt was found at the age of 8 in Waco, Texas, performing in a barn filled with pigs by a talent scout. After this discovery, she moved to Los Angeles to focus on acting with the encouragement of her late mother, Patricia Hewitt. As a child, Jennifer exhibited an almost manic level of grace and charisma, a self-assuredness that seems to be innate rather than learned. “I simply trusted myself,” she explains casually. “I strongly advise it.” I inquire if she still feels this way. “No,” she replies, not unenthusiastically. As she grew older, she began to question herself more. On the set of her first film, I Know What You Did Last Summer, she admits that she was constantly worrying, thinking, “Don’t mess this up.” This anxiety was compounded by her dislike for horror movies. Prinze provided her with a list of films to prepare: The Omen, Pet Sematary. She couldn’t finish them. “I would spend all night running from what I thought was a fisherman, only to encounter him the next morning and exclaim, ‘That’s the damn fisherman!'” she recalls.She was also anxious about acting alongside Gellar, who was a few years older and gaining popularity for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “I had to observe how comfortable she was, and I would mimic her posture,” she explains. “Inside, I was terrified.
In her acting, there’s no hint of the polished beauty queen role she was initially considered for; instead, it’s raw, sincere, and fittingly troubled. Initially, Hewitt felt miscast for Gellar’s part, stating, “I didn’t feel like that person.” During her audition, she admits to feeling frustrated because she wasn’t doing well. Intrigued by the character of Julie, she asked to try out for the role. The casting directors wondered why. Hewitt explained, “I connected with someone who experiences the worst imaginable and carries that pain deeply.”
Much like in many of her early roles, Hewitt brings angsty wisdom and a prickly frustration about being underestimated to Julie. In the movie’s opening scene, Julie sits in the audience as Gellar’s Helen struts across the stage during a small-town beauty pageant, while the characters played by Prinze and Ryan Phillippe openly ogle her. “I’m already on sexist overload,” Julie complaints, exasperatedly rolling her eyes.
We’ve eagerly anticipated the opening of Wetzel’s Pretzels, and now we find ourselves at the food court, savoring enormous lemonades while our fingers are crusted with salt and butter. Hewitt deems it a “worthy carb.” Our talk shifts to the media attention surrounding the movie. It’s challenging to locate a clip from Hewitt’s past that doesn’t focus on her appearance rather than her talent, often in a manner that is critical or objectifying. Here’s an example, written by Tamara Ikenberg for the Baltimore Sun: “It isn’t clear exactly what Jennifer Love Hewitt can do besides attract legions of boys to gaze at the I Know What You Did Last Summer movie poster, which showcases Love in a rather snug tank top.” Another instance, from Frazier Moore of the AP: “It is difficult to express how you feel when with Jennifer Love Hewitt. But I’ll try. Spending time with her makes you feel like an old man with dirty thoughts, not because she’s young and delightful and you’re older than her father, but because she exudes a youthful innocence that feels inappropriate for an adult.” And from a Fort Worth Star-Telegram review of the sequel: “Hewitt does have some advantages, none of which are particularly related to acting. She is, however, one of the greatest screamers in film history, as this movie frequently reminds us. She also possesses that face – and let’s be honest – that body, which the movie finds an excuse to dress in a bikini.
Hewitt expresses that the issue bothers her more now than it did in her younger years, as she had already found herself in the midst of it all. At an age where she was barely aware of what sex was, Hewitt was seen as a sexual symbol. She admits that she’s still grappling with fully understanding this label because it began so strangely.
Growing up, her mother shielded her from the outside world, managing her career and even accompanying her to every film set. However, they never had open discussions about such topics, something Hewitt ponders over now. She wonders if her mother ever felt uncomfortable discussing these matters at the dinner table, given that people often talked about Hewitt in such a manner.
Hewitt feels a sense of sadness for her mother. ‘What must it have been like,’ she says, ‘to be my mom, sitting so close to me, while people spoke about those things and she couldn’t…’
In the early 2000s, protecting Hewitt from the hazards associated with fame became increasingly challenging. Previously, fans were content with red-carpet premiere photos, but the deteriorating conversation on the internet sparked an insatiable hunger for private moments like candid shots at Les Deux. As Hewitt recalls, “Suddenly, the images were of actresses stumbling out of clubs drunk. It was them in public looking unwell. It opened a very frightening door.” To avoid such situations, she diligently stayed away from parties, using her free time to explore the town with her mother instead. Typically, she was asleep by 10 p.m. She didn’t take her first sip of alcohol until she turned 25 (a glass of champagne, shared with her mother). The friends she walked around CityWalk with were mostly non-celebrities or older crew members from her films.
During her promotional activities for movies, Hewitt attempted to transform inappropriate focus on her appearance into humor by joking about it. She humorously recalled, “I was nicknamed ‘the girl who laughed her way through The Tonight Show.’ I just couldn’t stop laughing,” referring to her 1996 appearance at the age of 16. “I was trying to convey, ‘I’m not overly sexy! I’m a nerd!’ I often referred to myself as a dork, and I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, that was my way of saying, ‘That’s not me.'” On the show, Jay Leno inquired about her love life and asked her age. When she responded, he appeared displeased and asked when she would turn 17.
As a movie critic, I can empathize with Hewitt’s sentiments. She didn’t fault those questioning, but felt overlooked when it came to the quality of her performance in that film. Despite the focus on her iconic attire, she worked diligently to bring substance to the movie. The blue crop top and cardigan, synonymous with her character, initially struck her as questionable. Yet, with a touch of humor, she recalls her internal dialogue: “Alright, here we go. Running again. There they go! Bouncy-bounce!”
At the Australian press junket for the first ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’ she made a statement by wearing a “Silicone-free” T-shirt. She felt empowered by that choice, but alas, her intention was overshadowed as people continued to discuss her physical appearance rather than her acting abilities. She yearned to be recognized for her craft and not just her body.
Her hard work didn’t go unrecognized, as her film career prospered for some time: Notably, she starred in 1998’s “Can’t Hardly Wait” as the secretly sensitive cool girl Amanda Beckett, and 2001’s mom-and-daughter scammer comedy “Heartbreakers,” alongside Sigourney Weaver. Hewitt shines in the latter. She manages to keep pace with Weaver, Gene Hackman, and Ray Liotta, delivering a performance that requires physical comedy, emotional depth, and an extensive wardrobe of bandage dresses. Reflecting on her experience, she recalls, “We arrived on my wardrobe day, and every single outfit I wore in the movie was sealed in a Ziploc bag. My mom asked, ‘What’s that?’ And they replied, ‘These are your clothes.'” She felt both grateful for the opportunity to work with her acting idols and apprehensive about being typecast. “There was a part of that movie that made me uneasy because I thought, This is going to revive that stereotype again.
Hewitt realized that persisting in her actions involved accepting some level of deliberate exploitation. Looking back, the movie Heartbreakers serves as a critique of this phenomenon. As Page, Hewitt learns from her mother that her beauty is her sole valuable asset and learns to manipulate it to deceive rich, foolish men, taking their money with decreasing effectiveness. Hewitt struggled to strike the right balance in portraying her character’s exaggerated sexuality—be it by performing an intimate act under a desk with Liotta or donning a French maid’s outfit and caressing Hackman’s lap. “When I could express the humorous side of her or the vulnerable side of her, that’s when I felt connected to her,” she explains.
When asked about her most significant accomplishment during that phase of her career, she finds it hard to pinpoint a particular achievement as she wasn’t given many opportunities beyond what was offered. “The Tuxedo,” she admits, wasn’t particularly seductive; it was just a fun and goofy role for her. In the 2002 comedy, she worked alongside Jackie Chan as his science assistant. She believes that the movie didn’t perform well because audiences weren’t expecting her in that role. Initially seen as a candidate for scream-queen status, she was not given another horror film part – something she expresses regret for, stating she would have gladly taken it. A TV-movie portrayal of Audrey Hepburn received mixed reviews, followed by a series of poorly performing independent films in the subsequent decade. Regarding the 2004 film Garfield, where she played the vet, she recalls it as amusing. Despite receiving negative criticism, it was a significant box-office success. In that movie, they put her in form-fitting outfits, but she felt it was more for her own satisfaction. She’s glad she took part in it since she can now show the film to her children, making her content with her decision.
2007 marked a significant change in Hewitt’s life during a vacation in Hawaii with her partner, Ross McCall. Upon waking up, she found herself featured on the cover of People magazine, with paparazzi photos showcasing her enjoying the ocean in a bikini and the headline “Stop Calling Me Fat!”. This event left an indelible impact on Hewitt. “I was living my best life,” she recalls, “I had composed a silly tune about indulging in snacks and frolicking in the sea, and I was belting it out for my boyfriend, dancing strangely, when they took the photo.” She felt heartbroken. “I hadn’t experienced much insecurity prior to that cover,” she admits. “But afterwards, I don’t believe I’ve ever truly moved past it. Because there’s a part of me that always wonders, ‘Will this version be good enough, or will something like that happen again?’, ‘Is someone going to say, ‘Here she is at the cleaners without makeup, looking 59.’
Hewitt ponders out loud why that specific moment, among countless others throughout the years, was so distressing for her. After a brief pause to take a sip of lemonade, she explains, “I think I was traumatized because that was me. Until now, I hadn’t really connected that realization with my ongoing insecurity.” She manages a laugh, though it feels forced. “But the pretzel is helping,” she adds. “It made me realize, Wow, I was myself once and this is what happened to me. My mother comforted me at the time by telling me something that I hadn’t quite grasped before. She said, ‘You don’t understand yet. You can’t win because people have a problem with the version of you they think they own.’ She encouraged me, saying, ‘Take your power back. Belong to yourself and stop worrying about it.’
It took Jennifer Love Hewitt several years to find a way to handle that situation. In 2012, she encountered her current spouse, actor Brian Hallisay, on the set of Lifetime’s “The Client List.” That year, she also lost her mother, and for the first time in Hollywood, she didn’t feel lonely. “When she passed away,” Hewitt recounted, “I was like, ‘Now I’m alone. I don’t know what to do without her.'” She paused to learn how to move forward without her. She shifted her focus to television, finding it more stable and dependable than film. With roles on shows such as “Criminal Minds,” “Ghost Whisperer,” among others, she also directed and starred in a Lifetime Christmas movie titled “The Holiday Junkie.” Taking breaks from work, she had three children: Autumn (now 11), Atticus (10), and Aidan (3). In 2018, Hewitt heard that Ryan Murphy was looking for an actress resembling herself for “9-1-1.” “I thought,” she said, ” ‘I guess I could be a Jennifer Love Hewitt type.’
Maddie, a character played by Hewitt on the show, experiences intense hardships such as being slit in the throat, kidnapped, and chained to a basement floor. These events have sparked discussions on Reddit. Despite these challenging circumstances, Hewitt is particularly proud of this role because it allows her to portray a raw and unpolished character. She explains, “I don’t mean ugly, but real in a way that doesn’t matter. I get to pour all those little things into her that I might not have noticed or given attention to before, and heal them.” For Hewitt, the show 9-1-1 represents a significant milestone in her career since Party of Five, as it is generating more conversations about her acting skills rather than her appearance. “Before it was always about the body, and not the body of work,” she says. “Now we’re focusing on the work aspect again.
He hadn’t heard about the reboot of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” until 2023 when he came across the news online. As he put it, “A friend of mine in PR said, ‘Congratulations.’ I was puzzled and asked, ‘What’s happening?'” Upon checking Deadline, all he found was a hint that Jennifer and Freddie might return. He admitted, “I hoped this wasn’t an awkward situation where we wouldn’t be asked back.
After receiving the call from Robinson promptly, Hewitt shared her hesitations. “I took a while to agree as I wanted to ensure that the character of Julie was portrayed accurately,” she explained. “Jenn worked hard to make sure Julie was authentic to our vision.” This assurance came in the form of creative control for Hewitt. “When you’re a young woman stepping into something iconic and having no control over it, I wanted her to have the opposite experience with this film,” Robinson added. They both aimed to avoid a version of Julie that was merely tough without any remaining trauma. Instead, the character is described as a blend of Hewitt’s own self and the original Julie, representing a person who confidently carries vulnerability and past traumas while navigating the world with strength. Hewitt insisted that Julie would not meet her end in this version of ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, leaving room for a potential sequel, which she sees as both an objective and a hope.
During the excitement over Hewitt’s comeback in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” there were traces of early 2000s-style turmoil in the media. For instance, Perez Hilton, among others, hinted at an ongoing, elusive conflict between Hewitt and Gellar. This stemmed from Gellar dodging questions about Hewitt during a red carpet event and excluding her from an Instagram story about the film. Regarding Gellar, Hewitt becomes surprisingly evasive. “I’m honestly not sure what that was all about,” she states. “It seems people don’t want straightforward narratives. Why must we always be at odds with each other and support one another?” I ask if they’ve spoken about the matter. “I haven’t seen Sarah since I saw her at 18 when the first movie came out,” Hewitt replies. “That’s why it amuses me. People said, ‘Say something back.’ But what would I say? I haven’t seen her.” I propose they might cross paths at the premiere. “I hope so,” says Hewitt. Later, after the premiere, Gellar addressed the rumors again on Instagram. She wrote, “For everyone asking – I never got to see @jenniferlovehewitt, who is fantastic in the movie. I was inside with my kids when the big carpet happened. And unfortunately JLH didn’t come to the after party.
Hewitt expresses a strong sense of satisfaction about her long-standing career in the business, which spans over three decades, sharing this journey with many of her peers from the ’90s, often known as the ‘three-namers’. She notes that while some people become extremely famous, there are also those persistent individuals from the ’90s who continue to persevere. She admits to secretly cheering for all these determined individuals. She describes them as consistent, unyielding horses in a race, and suggests they’re a unique group that can’t be easily replaced.
Upon our return to the parking garage, Hewitt shares with me how she, her stylist, and Robinson collaborated to create a suitable look for Julie – one that was appealing yet not objectifying, utilizing vintage T-shirts, blazers, and jeans. “It was very empowering,” says Hewitt. “No longer will conversations revolve around my appearance. ‘Look at my cleavage.’ It’s there if you want to see it.” She does choose one slightly revealing shirt for a hint of cleavage, she explains. “We thought, ‘We’re back. Let’s have some fun!'” Later on the phone, Robinson expresses her feelings about the matter. “We mustn’t allow men to diminish Jennifer Love Hewitt’s attractiveness because they wanted to make it their focus,” she says. “It’s time for us to reclaim Jennifer Love Hewitt’s allure!
In the television series “Ava,” Ava, played by Sui Wonders, is reminiscent of Julie James’ character in many ways. She is a brainy brunette with a haunted expression and an unexplained, unwavering desire for her high-school boyfriend. While working together, Sarah Hewitt, who starred alongside James in the movie “Heartbreakers,” found herself taking on a protective role towards Sui Wonders, offering advice on how to handle being pursued by men like fishhooks. The experience reminded Hewitt of her time filming “Heartbreakers.”
Recalling their conversation, Hewitt mentioned that there was a point when they discussed being the ingénue and then realizing one is no longer the young girl on set, but rather the older version of that character. Sigourney Weaver, who played a pivotal role in the series, said, “You’re going to look back and remember this moment, right now you’re the ingénue and then you’ll pass the baton to someone else.”
On her second day on the set of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” Hewitt shared with Sui Wonders that she was experiencing a significant moment, which she had to share with her. In her mind, Hewitt still felt like an ingénue, but realized she no longer was. She encouraged Sui Wonders to contact her when she reaches that stage in her own career.
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2025-07-18 14:56