Jill Hennessey: Small Town Murder Songs
Television audiences first came to know Jill Hennessy from the years (1993-96) she spent playing Claire Kincaid on Law & Order. In her first Season of Crossing Jordan, Hennessy received a People’s Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series. In 2007, Hennessy won a Gracie Award (Lead Actor in a Drama Series) and received a star on the Canada Walk of Fame.
Hennessey recently completed Small Town Murder Songs, directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly and starring Martha Plimpton and Peter Stormare. The film was an Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Miami International Film Festival and others. Monterey Media just acquired all rights all media in the U.S. for Small Town Murder Songs. The film’s U.S. release is slated for 2011.
Independent Film Quarterly’s Stuart Alson recently caught up with Jill Hennessey as she discussed Small Town Murder Songs; all things Canadian; busking before acting; and her musical career and debut album Ghost In My Head.
IFQ: How did you land the role in Small Town Murder Songs?
Jill Hennessey: A friend of a friend knew that Ed (Gass-Donnelly) was looking for an actor. My friend Ryan knew I was looking for cool, edgy material and suggested me for this part. It happened that this film was shooting about fifteen minutes from where my dad lived. Ed sent me the script. It was one of the better scripts I’ve read in the last few years. Then I saw Ed’s first film This Beautiful City and was really blown away.
IFQ: I saw you’re Canadian so I didn’t know if that had anything to do with it.
JH: Ed had no idea I was Canadian. I think [being] Canadian helps when you’re shooting up there. I had just been up there promoting a film called Lymelife that I did with Alec Baldwin.
IFQ: I saw Lymelife. That was a very funny movie.
JH: I think so too. I thought it was kind of hilarious.
IFQ: Then you did a film called Roadie?
JH: Yes. It’s coming out at the Tribeca Film Festival.
IFQ: Are you trying to move away from television? Or are you just going to do both at the same time?
JH: I’m actually doing everything sort of simultaneously. I’m working on an HBO show called Luck right now that is shooting in Los Angeles. We’ve been shooting on and off for the last year. It’s an awesome show with Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Joan Allen and Dennis Farina. Then Roadie is coming out. I’m doing music at the same time. I’m playing different gigs and recording songs for a new album now.
IFQ: How did you get into music?
JH: It’s what I started doing before I was an actor. I would play guitar and sing in the streets in Toronto—Yonge Street to Queen Street West. I would just play for money. It was one of my first jobs after I left home.
IFQ: You always have something to fall back on.
JH: Yes, exactly. That got me my first Broadway gig and brought me to the United States. They were looking for musicians who were also actors. That’s the only reason I got the part. Actually, I ended up accompanying a friend on guitar, and then I was asked by the director if I was an actor. I said, “Well, I could be.” I showed up at the audition the next day and ended up getting the part.
IFQ: Did you have any formal training as an actor?
JH: I studied it in high school. I knew that I loved acting. At that point, I was looking for acting classes in Toronto. Ones I could afford basically. I was also waiting tables. I worked as a casting assistant and was playing guitar. Basically, whatever I could do to pay rent. Music has always been my most grounding creative force.
IFQ: You recorded in Austin, TX. Did that have anything to do with Willie Nelson?
JH: It’s funny you should say that because we chose Austin because a very good friend, from Lovett, TX, has been pushing me to write for years. I’ve always covered other peoples stuff. When you’re playing on the streets in the subway you have to play stuff that’ll get people to throw money in your guitar case. Original material doesn’t really do that. I finally started writing. I called him and he said, “Jill, what kind of instrumentation are you looking for?” I said that I needed an accordion, cello, and someone who is great on lead guitar. He said, “I know three guys in Austin who opened their own studio and they’re brilliant and they play all of those instruments—anything you want.” To make a long story short, these guys have become my family. We recorded an entire album at Bismeaux Studios in Austin. It’s owned by Ray Benson, who is head of the big Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Ray is best friends with Willie Nelson. Willie records all of his albums out of Bismeaux. I wish he would have been there while we were there.
IFQ: What kind of music do you do?
JH: It’s really story driven. Some people say its Americana folk with country and Irish edges. Some of the stuff I’ve been writing lately is a little more rock and subtle gospel.
IFQ: You’re distributing your own music?
JH: Yes. We’re a real Mom and Pop operation. We work from our kitchen table on two computers. My friend assists with all the music and acting stuff while I’m running around with the two kids. We’re in a tiny New York apartment.
IFQ: Is there a distribution plan for the music?
JH: In Canada, we have an extremely modified distribution deal. Basically, it’s literally solely distribution. We are thinking about possible distribution deals in the States.
IFQ: Is it on the internet where people can buy it?
JH: It is available on iTunes. It’s called Ghost In My Head. It’s in all the stores around Canada. Here it’s iTunes.
IFQ: How do you feel about Small Town Murder Songs?
JH: I love it. I love how the music is its own character in the film. In fact, I’m dying for the soundtrack. It has music by Bruce Peninsula. I thought it was raging, spiritual, infectious, incredibly hard-hitting and moving. Another thing I like about the film is the silence. It’s really edgy, very disturbing and believable to me. I looked into a lot of towns being very close to Amish communities, midnight communities, and I’ve even gone to midnight choirs. It was all very familiar to me. It was also very nice to put on a Canadian accent for a film. I haven’t had to do that ever! When I came to this country, it was kind of beaten out of me. If you want to work as an actor, you can’t speak with a Canadian accent. It was really tough getting it back. I had to talk with my family a lot on the phone and try to work on all my vowel sounds, etc.
IFQ: As far as with your years on Law & Order, would you think that the character you played in Law & Order would feel that there was enough evidence in this case to arrest him?
JH: [Laughs.] No. I did not think there was enough evidence to really implicate Rita. I think that Rita is unfairly scapegoated to be honest. I don’t think Ed really knew how he wanted the ending to be. Whether Rita’s boyfriend was the killer or wasn’t. When I first saw the film it was not how we shot it. Even I was surprised.
IFQ: It seems like it was more of a character study.
JH: That’s a very good point. Actually, I think that is definitely what it ended up becoming, which I kind of love. You look at Martha Plimpton’s character and she was just utterly beautiful, deliciously appealing and just so vulnerable and open. I just loved her work in this and all the actors. Peter [Stormare] is incredible. He doesn’t even have to say a word. There’s so much going on in his face.
IFQ: Did you see the movie Fargo?
JH: Yes, I did. I think I’ve seen it maybe 25 times at this point. I’m a huge Coen brothers fan. That’s one of my favorite films of all time.
IFQ: Any similarities?
JH: I think you can tell in the editing and cinematography of Small Town Murder Songs that Ed is also a very big Coen brothers fan. I saw a lot of that in his work style.
IFQ: In your earlier career, you did a lot of comedy, sketch comedy and improv. Do you ever land any comedic roles?
JH: I wish I did. I think the whole Law & Order thing really cast an image in peoples’ minds of me as this very serious and dignified person. At 17, I started off with Second City in Toronto. I got jobs working with these comedy troupes. We’d go off and do improv comedy shows and dinner theatre.
IFQ: As far as Small Town Murder Songs, what do you think is going to happen with the release of the film?
JH: The reviews that it received in the States were tremendous. I was so happy to see people bought it. They got what he was doing stylistically. They got what he was doing writing wise. I hope that people will come out and see something that’s not your typical action summer fare. I like to think that people are drawn to honesty and quality. You have to let that relationship form on its own.