Jennifer Love Hewitt is returning to network TV. The actress is joining the season two cast of FOX’s 9-1-1 as a series regular.
Hewitt will play the new character of Maddie, the sister of firefighter Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark), who is starting her life over as a 911 operator. The announcement was made today during FOX’s upfront presentation.)
9-1-1 explores the high-pressure experiences of police officers, paramedics, and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. Hewitt will join series stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause. Oliver Stark”, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi and Rockmond Dunbar.
The introduction of Maddie would help fill the void left by the departure of Connie Britton who played 911 operator Abby Clark in Season 1. Britton had a one-year contract for the show but the producers still hope that she would come back for a few episodes next season to make the transition more seamless. (Britton earlier today was at the NBCUniversal upfront presentation promoting her new Bravo limited series Dear John).
9-1-1 ranks among the season’s top 3 new entertainment series overall among Adults 18-49, and the No. 2 new drama in the same demo. 9-1-1 drew FOX’s largest total multi-platform audience this season, averaging 14.9 million total viewers for the 2017/18 broadcast season, up 137% from its L+SD delivery.
Hewitt starred for all six seasons on FOX’s hit Party of Five and its spinoff Time Of Your Life. Her other credits include producing, directing and starring in The Client List and Ghost Whisperer for CBS. She was most recently a series regular on Criminal Minds.
