Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy (born November 25 in 1968) is a Canadian actress and singer. Most well-known for her roles in American television shows Law & Order (where she played Claire Kincaid, a prosecutor) and Crossing Jordan (where she played Jordan Cavanaugh for six seasons). She also appeared in films like RoboCop 3 (most wanted) and Crossing Jordan (which she also wrote and directed). Hennessy was brought up in Edmonton, Alberta. John Hennessy, John's father, was a meat and marketing sales/marketing executive. The job required significant travel and meant that the family was required to relocate frequently. Maxine, her mother, was a secretary. Her daughter was taken away 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 TV host in Canada. Hennessy is of Irish and French, Swedish, Italian and Swedish heritage from her father, and mostly Ukrainian Roma and Austrian heritage from her mother. She was a student at Stanley Park Senior Public School. Grand River Collegiate Institute was her graduation. She would busk in Toronto's subway. She and her sister made their acting debuts as twin callgirls in 1988’s Dead Ringers. Gillian Anderson, Gillian Anderson's actress, says she was shortlisted for Dana Scully, The X-Files role. She also appeared on the 1988 film Dead Ringers as twin call girls. Dick Wolf signed Hennessy in 1993 for the role of Claire Kincaid, an assistant district attorney, on the NBC crime drama Law & Order. The role ran for three seasons. She left the show after 1996.