I NEEDED A BREAK FROM HOLLYWOOD

The actress says she’s ready to get back to work after a refreshing hiatus

She’s been working steadily in movies and on TV since age 10, so when it came time to step away from the spotlight and focus on being a mom to her kids, Autumn, 4, and Atticus, 3, with her actor husband, Brian Hallisay, Jennifer Love Hewitt was more than ready for a little breather. “It was my first long break in 29 years,” says the actress. “I really needed it!” The 39-year- old star — who joins Season 2 of FOX’S hit series 9-1-1 — talked to In Touch’s Amanda Champagne-meadows about mom guilt, turning 40 next year and the role she would play in that rumored I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot.

You did the “stay-at-home mom” thing for a while. How was that? JLH: Great. It was really important to me to have children and be there for them. And I just needed to be a person for a while. I needed to have new things to bring back to my craft, and I feel like I’ve done that now.

And motherhood? How has that experience been? JLH: It’s been beautiful.

Have you had any mommy guilt about coming back to work? JLH: Oh, for sure. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment — much harder on me than my kids. My kids are like, “Great! We’ll come get craft services!” So it’s been harder on me, but I’m very grateful. How has becoming a mom changed you as a person? JLH: Being a mom [and] being married, having lost my mom six years ago… emotionally, everything about me is different. I’m a more open, honest person, and it’s easier to access those things with acting.

You turn 40 next year. How do you feel about that? JLH: I feel like I’ve figured myself out. You just get there. You go, “Oh! That’s who I am!” You don’t need to run around trying to figure that out anymore, which is nice.

Tell us about coming back to TV with 9-1-1. JLH: Well, they contacted me and I was like scrubbing poop off the floor from my kid and was like, “I’m going back to work? OK, great!” [ Laughs] I’ve just been sort of thrust back into it.

How do you feel about being known for ’90s movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Can’t Hardly Wait? JLH: As an actor you’re always wondering how long you’re going to be able to get to do this. I’m going into my 30th year, and every time I finish shooting I’m like, “Am I staying on the show? Did I do OK?” So to be recognized and appreciated is really nice. There’s talk of an I Know What You Did Last Summer remake. Would you be in it? JLH: If they asked me, sure. I loved those movies. But I’d have to come back as a creepy old lady or something! Or my character will still be spinning around in the street saying, “What are you waiting for?!” and someone would have to be like, “Old lady, move out of the road!” ◼