Jennifer Love Hewitt is having one of the sweetest comeback years in Hollywood. 🌟
In 2025 she picked up the hook one more time as Julie James, and in 2026 she is still answering TV’s most chaotic emergency calls on 9-1-1. Let’s look back at how she got here.
🌟 Then
Jennifer Love Hewitt was born on February 21, 1979, in Waco, Texas, and raised in Nolanville by her mom, Patricia.
She was singing at a livestock show at age three, and after winning a Texas talent pageant at ten, she moved to Los Angeles to chase the dream.
Her big break came as Sarah Reeves on Party of Five (1995–2000), where she became one of TV’s most loved young stars. 🎬
Then came the slasher era: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its 1998 sequel turned her Julie James into a final-girl icon.
She also launched a music career, peaking with the 2002 album BareNaked — and her 1998 single “How Do I Deal” came from the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack. 🎶
🎬 Middle
From 2005 to 2010 she headlined Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, the kind-hearted medium who helped restless spirits cross over. 👻
She later starred in The Client List (2012–2013) and spent a season on Criminal Minds (2014–2015).
In 2018 she joined 9-1-1 as dispatcher Maddie Buckley, a role that quickly became the show’s emotional anchor.
Off screen she married actor Brian Hallisay in 2013, and the couple share three children. 💛
Her journey runs parallel to fellow small-screen favourites like Michelle Monaghan and Lauren Graham — women who turned early-2000s roles into lasting careers.
✨ Now
More than 25 years after the original, Hewitt returned as Julie James in the legacy sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer, which premiered in Los Angeles on July 14, 2025, and hit cinemas on July 18, 2025. 🎣
This time Julie — with Freddie Prinze Jr. back as Ray Bronson — guides a new generation of survivors, and the film went on to gross around $64 million worldwide.
On TV, she played Maddie through 9-1-1 season 9, and ABC renewed the show for a milestone season 10 on March 5, 2026 — so she is still on the call lines in fall 2026. 📞
Now 47, she has kept the same loyal audience for three decades, much like fellow ’90s icon Molly Ringwald. 💛
❓ FAQ
How old is Jennifer Love Hewitt in 2026?
She turned 47 on February 21, 2026, having been born on February 21, 1979.
Did Jennifer Love Hewitt return for the new I Know What You Did Last Summer?
Yes. She reprised Julie James in the legacy sequel, released in cinemas on July 18, 2025, alongside Freddie Prinze Jr.
Is Jennifer Love Hewitt still on 9-1-1?
Yes. She continues as dispatcher Maddie Buckley, and ABC renewed the series for season 10 on March 5, 2026.
What was Jennifer Love Hewitt’s first big role?
Her breakout was Sarah Reeves on the family drama Party of Five, which she played from 1995 to 2000.
Is Jennifer Love Hewitt married?
Yes, she married actor Brian Hallisay in 2013 and they have three children together.
Did Jennifer Love Hewitt release music?
Yes — she released several albums, including 2002’s BareNaked, and her 1998 single “How Do I Deal” came from a slasher soundtrack.