Jennifer Love Hewitt has been a Hollywood fixture long reality television even became a thing. In fact, she started out way back in the late '80s, joining the cast of Disney’s Kids Incorporated.
Soon after, Hewitt also famously starred in the hit tv show Party of Five. And before she knew it, the actress was also booking lead roles in various TV shows and films. In fact, fans still remember her for her role as Julie James in the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies.
At some point, however, Hewitt also decided to step away from it all. For quite some time, fans may have thought she gave up acting entirely.
Fortunately, Hewitt recently returned to acting again. In fact, she’s been starring as 911 operator Maddie Kendall in Fox's 9-1-1. And since her return, fans have also been wondering how much her most recent work has contributed to her net worth.
Jennifer Love Hewitt Decided To Take Some Time Away From Acting Several Years Ago
Achieving Hollywood success may have been good but for Hewitt, there has always been nothing more important than family. This is precisely why she decided to take a break from acting for three years.
“I needed to become a new mom; I needed to learn how to be a wife,” the actress told Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Hewitt married her husband Brian Hallisay back in 2013. They welcomed their first child, Autumn James, soon after.
Hewitt became pregnant with their second child while she was working on Criminal Minds. That was the point when she reminded herself that she had to take a step back.
“I was looking in the mirror, talking with myself, going, ‘Hey, we started something, remember?’” the actress recalled during an interview with Elle. “'We were gonna take a step back. So let’s do that.’”
At the same time, Hewitt also admitted that she felt like taking a break following the passing of her mother, Patricia Hewitt, in 2012. The actress has always regarded her mother as her biggest supporter. “I needed to take some time for myself and to grieve my mother,” she explained.
For Hewitt, the break was not only good for the soul. Since she started out in the business so early, the hiatus allowed her to grow into someone that could bring more depth into future roles.
“I also feel like I have new things to pull from as an actress,” Hewitt explained. “I think it's so odd as actors that we, especially kid actors, which I was, we're expected to pull from all these life experiences that so many of us haven't had. ... I feel like I acted for a lot of years from my heart but not really, truly understanding some of the things that I understand now.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt Was The Natural Choice To Join 9-1-1 Following Connie Britton’s Exit
By the time Hewitt had signed on to star in 9-1-1, the show had just lost one of its most talented stars, Emmy-nominated actress Connie Britton. Since then, casting a new female actor for the series had been tricky until Hewitt agreed.
“You can’t replace Connie Britton,” 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear pointed out. “What you need is someone who is irreplaceable themselves.” For Minear, there are also other important reasons why Hewitt is perfect to complete the 9-1-1 ensemble.
“She’s sort of America’s TV sweetheart,” he explained. “Audiences love seeing her on their screens. They feel like she’s already part of their family.”
Here’s Where Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Net Worth Stands Today
It seems Hewitt’s return to acting had been really good for her wealth. According to reports, the veteran actress’ net worth is now estimated to be an impressive $20 million. When Hewitt joined the show, she became the third-billed actor in the cast, right after Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett and male lead Peter Krause.
And while Hewitt’s salary from the show has never been disclosed, it’s safe to say that the actress scored quite a payday when she negotiated her fees. Even better, it seems she also got herself a raise during contract negotiations ahead of the show’s fifth season.
According to a report from Deadline, Bassett's deal went somewhere “north of $450,000 an episode” while Krause got a 25% bump, putting him “in the low $300k per episode range.”
Hence, it stands to reason that Hewitt should be getting anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 per episode. On the other hand, other show regulars such as (Hewitt’s love interest) Kenneth Choi, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Rockmond Dunbar, and Ryan Guzman are said to be getting $100,000 each for their work in Season 6.
But Hewitt also continues to earn a lot from product endorsements. For instance, the actress has a partnership with Clear Blue. In fact, Hewitt readily promoted the brand when she announced her third pregnancy (the actress gave birth to her son, Aidan James, last September).