Homeschooling Hero: Jennifer Love Hewitt

by Christina Yeager

Jennifer Love Hewitt has graced both the small and large screens with her cute smile and infectious laugh - even inviting us into her musical world and sharing her melodic voice with us on occasions. Starting as a child actor from Texas and working her way to Los Angeles proved to be the right decision for homeschooler Jennifer Love Hewitt.

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Homeschooling
Jennifer was born in 1979 in Waco, Texas to Herbert and Patricia Hewitt. Her father was a medical technician while her mother served as a speech and language pathologist. After divorcing, Jennifer and her brother were raised by their mother.

Interests in music sparked the decision for her mother to homeschool. Jennifer enjoyed singing to crowds and even joined the Texas Show Team and toured the Soviet Union! She would soon pursue auditions for commercials and this prompted a move to Los Angeles for her family. After homeschooling through her grade years and being in over 20 commercials for Mattel and various other companies, Jennifer decided to attend public high school.

Achievements
Eventually, Jennifer was chosen for the Disney variety show ‘Kids Incorporated’ before snatching roles in a few short-lived television series and some memorable starring roles in a few movies. She would ultimately land a role in the popular series ‘Party of Five’ and her career soared as she appeared in numerous silver screen flicks and a few blockbuster hits and then would gravitate back to tv series.

Ms. Hewitt also has written, produced and directed! She produced several episodes of ‘Ghost Whisperer’ and ‘The Client List’ and even served as an executive producer!

The list below consists of a few movies and tv series where Jennifer had supporting roles and starring roles:​

Movies
Little Miss Millions
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Can't Hardly Wait
Telling You
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
The Suburbans
The Audrey Hepburn Story
Heartbreakers
The Tuxedo
Garfield
Tropic Thunder ​

TV Series
Kids Incorporated
Shaky Ground
McKenna
Hercules
Party of Five
Time of Your Life
Ghost Whisperer
The Client List
Hot in Cleveland
Criminal Minds
9-1-1

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Awards
Young Artist Award 1994
Blockbuster Entertainment Award 1998
Blockbuster Entertainment Award 1999
Teen Choice Award 1999
People’s Choice Award 2000
Teen Choice Award 2003
DVD Premiere Award 2003
Saturn Award 2007
Saturn Award 2008
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Not to mention, her music career. Jennifer has sung backing vocals on a Top 10 hit, recorded original songs for soundtracks and cover songs as well as releasing her own albums. Her songs have been featured in some of the tv series she was acting in at the time.

Albums released
Love Songs 1992
Let's Go Bang 1995
Jennifer Love Hewitt 1996
BareNaked 2002

Currently
Today, Jennifer loves spending time with her family. She has two children with actor Brian Hallisay that she met on the set of ‘The Client List.’

She has a supporting actress role in the popular TV Drama ‘9-1-1’ where she plays a former abused wife and E911 communicator named Matty Kendall.
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