Why Jennifer Love Hewitt Watches Pimple Popping Videos Before Filming Difficult Scenes

Jennifer Love Hewitt will go to great lengths to, uh, extract some real emotion. 

Before filming her more emotional scenes, "I like to watch pimple popping videos," the 9-1-1 star admitted to E! News in an exclusive interview, "because it's really enjoyable A, and B, it doesn't mess with my headspace. It doesn't take me out of the drama headspace and into a happier headspace."

In other words, she doesn't want images of her and husband Brian Hallisay's three kids—Autumn, 10, Atticus, 8, and Aidan, 2—to pop into her mind.

"I find it hard to look at pictures of my kids while I'm doing crying scenes because then I get really happy," the 45-year-old explained. "So, I tend to watch pimple popping videos."

But that's not the only way she prepares. "I listen to a lot of music to kind of get in the mood," Jennifer noted. "And then I just try to keep it light for myself in between." 

For the Heartbreakers actress, being in a darker headspace for a scene never lasts long—and for that she credits her three little ones.

 "Honestly, the drama stuff has gotten easier for me since having kids," she shared, "because I have such a better balance now of going to work and kind of being dramatic and doing all that and then the second that I walk in the door, it's like you just have to be silly. So, it lightens my mood up right away."

But these days, Jennifer has filmed fewer devastating moments on 9-1-1. After all, her character on the hit ABC (formerly Fox) series Maddie Buckley—whose storyline has seen her overcome an abusive relationship and experience postpartum depression—recently tied the knot with longtime love Howard "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi).

And while there was plenty of the drama leading up to nuptials—the groom goes missing and is diagnosed with a dangerous case of brain inflammation leading to a hospital wedding—Jennifer was grateful for the opportunity to finally shed happy tears.

"I think that Maddie and Chimney getting married is where the audience has always wanted it to go," she noted, adding that it's a sentiment she and Kenneth share. "I think they deserve their happy ending and Lord knows they've been through it. So, it was nice to have that, and it was nice to spend a season where, for all intents and purposes, Maddie was pretty happy and not struggling with a major thing."

As for what 9-1-1 has in store for Jennifer's character? Well, that remains to be seen with the final episodes of season seven on the way and season eight set to air in the fall.

Tune in to 9-1-1 Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. And keep reading to see when all your favorite shows are airing in 2024.

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