Hennessy was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Her father, John Hennessy, was a meat salesman and sales/marketing executive, a job that required considerable travel and resulted in frequent moves for the family. Her mother, Maxine, a secretary, left the family in 1982, leaving her daughter to be partially raised by her paternal grandmother, Eleanor, in Kitchener, Ontario. She has a younger brother, John Paul "J.P." Hennessy Jr., and an identical twin sister, Jacqueline, who is a magazine writer and TV show host in Canada. Hennessy has Irish, French, Swedish and Italian ancestry on her father's side, and mostly Ukrainian, as well as Austrian, ancestry on her mother's. She graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario and used to busk in the Toronto Subway.
Hennessy and her sister played twin call girls in 1988's Dead Ringers. She was short-listed for the role of Dana Scully, on The X-Files. In 1993, she played Dr. Marie Lazarus in RoboCop 3. Hennessy is most well-known for playing assistant district attorney Claire Kincaid on Law & Order (1993 – 1996) and for playing the lead role as medical examiner Jordan Cavanaugh on Crossing Jordan. In 1999 she played Lisa in Chutney Popcorn. In 2000, Hennessy wrote, produced, and co-directed with Elizabeth Holder an independent film called The Acting Class. Inspired by a true story, the mockumentary looks at the trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional acting class. The film co-starred her sister, and included cameos by a number of Hennessy's former Law & Order co-stars.
In 2001 she portrayed Jackie Kennedy in the film Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot. In 2003 she made a cameo appearance in the film Abby Singer. She appeared on Broadway in the musical Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story in 1990. From 2001 to 2007, she appeared in the tv show Crossing Jordan as Jordan Cavanaugh. Most recently, she portrayed Tim Allen's wife in the 2007 film Wild Hogs. On June 9, 2007, she received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Hennessy has recorded an album in Austin, Texas, Ghost in My Head, which was released in June 2009. She performed as a guest of the Indigo Girls on a November 2009 show of Mountain Stage and was the focus of a show for herself later that same month. She performed on the Village Stage of the 2010 edition of Lilith Fair.
Hennessy is multi-lingual, and speaks English, Italian, French, Spanish and German. She married Paolo Mastropietro, a former bartender and sometime actor, on October 1, 2000. Her husband opened a tavern in Northvale, New Jersey, in 1999, and named it Hennessy Tavern, after his wife. Hennessy plays the guitar and sings and enjoys riding motorcycles with her husband. They had a second marriage ceremony in January 2001, which took place at New York City Hall with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani officiating. Their son, Marco, was born on September 17, 2003 and second son Gianni born on November 21, 2007.
The Minneapolis-based band Mollycuddle wrote the song "The Ballad of Jill Hennessy" in honor of the actress. Hennessy was reportedly very pleased, and offered to perform with the band on rhythm guitar.
Erin
Jill Hennessy Lyrics
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then she dances some more, all alone on the floor
erin doesn’t like to be alone so i play her bodyguard ‘til she gets home - her platinum hair in a broken band, her cigarette lit, we walk hand in hand and catch the night train and try to laugh all the truth away - she says how do you do it? i don’t think i’m smart - i got no one behind me, i can’t feel my heart but i try to use whatever god gave me, try to save up my money and someday maybe i won’t hear my father’s footsteps behind my door – i won’t hear them no more
so she dances some more, high heels scraping the floor
and she dances some more, all alone on the floor, her tired ballet for the poor, and i just wait by the door
The lyrics to Jill Hennessy's song Erin tell the story of a woman named Erin who works in a dark, perfumed back room where the girls all comb their hair. The singer in the song is asking Erin where she is going and if she can meet her because she is feeling anxious about the late shift she has to work that night. Erin proceeds to go to a bar with a black light and downs shots to feel right about the business suits, the laughing men, and the hungry eyes in the room. Throughout the song, the singer acts as Erin's bodyguard until she gets home safely. Erin opens up to the singer about how she feels lost in life and doesn't feel smart but is trying to use what God gave her and save up money to one day not have to hear her father's footsteps behind her door. The song concludes with Erin dancing alone on the floor, performing a tired ballet for the poor as the singer waits by the door.
The themes in this song include isolation, loneliness, and the struggle to find oneself in a harsh world. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is lost and seeking solace in the form of alcohol and dance. The singer's desire to protect Erin and be there for her as she navigates life's challenges is a powerful message of compassion and support.
Line by Line Meaning
where are you going? could i meet you?
Jill wants to accompany Erin as she believes that Erin is going to a risky/sketchy place.
got a late shift tonight i’d feel better if i could go with you - to the rail… up the stairs…to the perfumed back room where the girls all comb their hair
Jill wants to go with Erin to the club where she thinks Erin is headed since she feels Erin may need protection in that environment.
to the bar with black light she downs shots to feel right about the business suits, the laughing men, the hungry eyes
Erin consumes alcohol to feel comfortable and fit in with the crowd at the club.
she turns again to make sure that i’m still waiting there by the door then she dances some more, all alone on the floor
Erin wants to keep an eye out for Jill's presence as she is concerned about her safety. Meanwhile, she doesn't want to stop having a good time and so she continues dancing.
erin doesn’t like to be alone so i play her bodyguard ‘til she gets home - her platinum hair in a broken band, her cigarette lit, we walk hand in hand
Jill acts like Erin's protector since Erin seems to prefer not being alone. Together, they leave the club and walk back to Erin's place.
and catch the night train and try to laugh all the truth away - she says how do you do it? i don’t think i’m smart
Jill and Erin get on a train and try to ease their minds through laughter. Erin opens up about how she feels inadequate and not smart enough.
i got no one behind me, i can’t feel my heart but i try to use whatever god gave me, try to save up my money and someday maybe i won’t hear my father’s footsteps behind my door – i won’t hear them no more
Erin talks about her family issues, where she has no one to rely on, and how she is trying to use her abilities to make a better life for herself. She hopes to escape her father's abusive behavior.
so she dances some more, high heels scraping the floor
Erin dances more to take her mind off things, even though she's tired and her heels are hurting.
she never talked about you in those 3 am calls when she’d throw her new plates at her sea foam green walls
Erin never mentions the person who hurt her during her late-night phone calls to Jill. Instead, she takes out her frustration on inanimate objects.
trying to buy some new lies from that smug pusher-whore with his preppy blond hair who i kicked out the door
Erin tries to escape her past and look for alternative solutions, but she often ends up turning to drugs, which makes Jill angry.
her pretty blue eyes ringed in black and red as she crumples again at the foot of her bed but I know…what you did
Erin is distressed, which is evident by the dark circles around her eyes and her collapse on the bed. Jill is aware of what has happened and who has hurt Erin.
and she dances some more, all alone on the floor, her tired ballet for the poor, and i just wait by the door
Erin keeps dancing, but it's evident that she's unhappy and her dancing is more like a tired expression to deal with her pain. Meanwhile, Jill waits outside the door to ensure that Erin is okay.
Contributed by Logan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.