Jillian Noel Hennessy

Jillian Noel Hennessy was born on November 25, 1968. She is a Canadian actor, singer and musician. Her most notable roles include those on American TV's Law & Order where she was the prosecutor Claire Kincaid for three seasons and Crossing Jordan for six. She has also acted in films such as RoboCop 3 and Most Wanted as well as the indie film Chutney Popcorn and The Acting Class The Acting Class, which she also co-wrote and directed. Hennessy was a native of Edmonton, Alberta. John Hennessy, John's father, was a marketing and meat sales/marketing executive. The position required significant travel and meant that the family was required to relocate frequently. Maxine, her mother, was secretary. Her daughter was taken away by Eleanor, her paternal grandmother in Kitchener, Ontario. John Paul Hennessy Jr. is her younger brother. Jacqueline Hennessy is her identical twin sister. Jacqueline is a journalist in Canada. Hennessy is of Irish, French, Swedish and Italian heritage on her father's side and mainly Ukrainian Roma, as well as Austrian as well as Austrian ancestry on her mother's side. She was educated at Stanley Park Senior Public School, graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario and busked in the Toronto subway. Hennessy's sister and she made their acting debuts as twin callgirls in 1988's Dead Ringers. Gillian Anderson, Gillian Anderson's sister, stated that she was chosen for The X-Files for Dana Scully's role. Hennessy also played the role 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. The role lasted for three seasons, and then being removed from the show as an actor in 1996.