Ask American Profile
Reba McEntire, Jill Hennessy, Soledad O'Brien
—Joanie M., California
McEntire, who will host the ACMs in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET May 26 on CBS, also stars in the WB sitcom Reba and released her new CD, Room To Breathe, in 2003. “I am a mom first,” says McEntire, who has one son, Shelby. “I drive carpool and then head to the studio where the Reba show is shot. I recorded Room to Breathe last summer during my hiatus from the TV show. The show stops taping between mid-March through July. This year I’ll be touring about 35 cities during my hiatus, which I think will be great fun to get back out in front of live audiences and do my music again.” McEntire says she loves hosting the ACMs because the three-hour show is live. “You have a script and know who all is performing and presenting, but things are constantly changing. Someone’s acceptance speech goes longer or shorter than expected and all of a sudden the show is behind or ahead, so we’re constantly backstage making adjustments. And at the ACMs, there is always someone who steps on that stage and delivers a performance that takes their career to another level. That’s always great to see.”
What can you tell me about Jill Hennessy in Crossing Jordan?
—Elle H., Connecticut
Once again you can see Jill Hennessy, who plays controversial Boston medical examiner Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, because NBC’s Crossing Jordan returned to the air in March. The show took a hiatus when Hennessy had a child last year. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Hennessy began her acting career in Toronto, where she appeared in the feature film Dead Ringers. She studied comedic improvisation with the famed Second City before landing a role in the Broadway-bound production of The Buddy Holly Story. Once in New York City, Hennessy landed starring roles in The Paper, Autumn in New York, Exit Wounds, and others. From 1993 to 1996, she portrayed assistant district attorney Claire Kincaid on the Emmy-winning NBC series Law & Order, and later returned to star as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the miniseries Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot. In 2000, the International Press Academy presented Hennessy with a Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. Hennessy and her husband, Paolo Mastropietro, and their 7-month-old son divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Manhattan.
Where is Soledad O’Brien? I enjoyed watching her on The Today Show.
—Joan K., Wisconsin
Soledad O’Brien, 37, moved from NBC News to CNN’s American Morning in July 2003 to share the anchor desk with Bill Hemmer. It was a tough decision for the Harvard University graduate; since 1999, she’d been anchoring NBC’s Weekend Today, contributing reports to the Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Says a CNN spokesperson, “The reason Soledad left NBC for CNN was that she was ready for a challenge and ready to tackle harder stories. Soledad loved working at NBC for 15 years but she eventually felt like it was time to move on, to try something new that challenged her in different ways. She also thought it was an added bonus to have the weekends off finally to spend time with her family.” O’Brien resides in New York City with her husband and two daughters. Before her current pregnancy, she was an avid runner, finishing a 10K race in 67 minutes. “Soledad would love one day to run a marathon, but with twins due this August and a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old at home, she thinks running the marathon will probably have to be put on hold,” the CNN spokesperson says.
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