At the 25-year milestone of “Crossing Jordan,” Jill Hennessy is imagining a far more relaxed future for her iconic medical examiner.
CROSSING JORDAN — Season 3 — Pictured: Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Speaking with PauseRewind entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno, Hennessy joked about where Jordan Cavanaugh might land today: “I would hope she’d be like in Iceland at a spa in one of those geothermal pools, just hanging out.”
It’s a far cry from the high-stakes Boston morgue where Jordan built her reputation solving complex cases.
CROSSING JORDAN — “Enlightenment” Episode 5 — Pictured: (l-r) Jerry O’Connell as Detective Woody Hoyt, Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, Charles Mesure as J.D. Pollack — Photo By: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Premiering in 2001, “Crossing Jordan” became known for its crime-of-the-week storytelling and personal arcs. Jordan’s journey was shaped not just by the cases she cracked, but by lingering trauma, complicated relationships, and her relentless need for answers, especially surrounding her mother’s murder, a storyline that haunted the series from the beginning.
Cast members (L-R) Jerry O’Connell, Ravi Kapoor, Leslie Bibb, Miguel Ferrer, Jill Hennessy, Kathryn Hahn and Steve Valentine pose for pictures at the 100th episode celebration for NBC’s “Crossing Jordan” February 28, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Getty Images)
By the time the show reached its 2007 finale, it left fans with lingering questions. Jordan and Woody Hoyt (played by Jerry O’Connell) finally confronted their feelings for each other, sharing a long-awaited romantic moment that hinted at a future together. But everything wasn’t neatly tied up.
Hennessy added, “I think we should write that. Don’t you think we should make that happen?” to finish with answers to the show’s cliffhangers.
Jill Hennessy attends When Calls the Heart & Hope Valley: 1874 Celebration at The Sun Rose Hotel in West Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Hallmark)
The nostalgic reflection came alongside buzz for Hallmark’s frontier prequel “Hope Valley: 1874,” set in the beloved “When Calls the Heart” universe. Hennessy stars alongside Roan Curtis and Lachlan Quarmby, all acknowledging the weight and warm welcome they’ve received from joining the Hearties passionate fanbase.
“So that’s when the fear comes in you don’t want to mess with that,” Hennessy admitted. The actress, who portrays Hattie Quinn, emphasized how welcoming fans have been: “I feel like, wow, we’re just walking into this beautiful, warm, inviting family.”
Rebecca and her young daughter, Sarah, travel west to start a new life. They meet rugged rancher, Tom, and discover the boardinghouse Rebecca purchased is not as promised. Photo: Jill Hennessy Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer:{ }Jeff Weddell
Curtis echoed that balance of pressure and confidence, adding, “It’s like an ebb and flow of the pressure.”
Rebecca and her young daughter, Sarah, travel west to start a new life. They meet rugged rancher, Tom, and discover the boardinghouse Rebecca purchased is not as promised. Photo: Benjamin Ayres, Bethany Joy Lenz Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer:{ }Jeff Weddell
Meanwhile, fellow co-stars Bethany Joy Lenz and Benjamin Ayres are leaning into the slower, more grounded romance of the prequel. Lenz shared, “There’s no pressure it feels like we’ve got a wide open space to start exploring.” Ayres added, “It happens to them through a friendship it takes a while to earn the trust.”
That slower pacing surprised Lenz in the best way. “You don’t want fast love. You want something that has a slow on ramp that’s what ultimately will last.”
(L-R) Michelle Vicary, Head of Programming, Hallmark Media, Annie Howell, CCO, Hallmark Media, Lachlan Quarmby, Roan Curtis, Maria March, Jill Hennessy, Mila Morgan, Darren Abbott, Bethany Joy Lenz and Benjamin Ayres attend When Calls the Heart & Hope Valley: 1874 Celebration at The Sun Rose Hotel in West Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Hallmark)
The cast also had fun imagining their frontier characters encountering modern life in the 21st century. “Can you imagine trying to even explain its trending [or a] hashtag?” Lenz jokes. Curtis admits her character Olivia would find dating apps “deeply confusing.”
She said, “Olivia would be pretty perplexed by dating apps, because this is a small settlement, and she’s got two pretty good options. So, I think the idea of just an endless plethora of options that you can swipe yes or no on would be deeply confusing for her.”
Rebecca and her young daughter, Sarah, travel west to start a new life. They meet rugged rancher, Tom, and discover the boardinghouse Rebecca purchased is not as promised. Photo: Jill Hennessy, Benjamin Ayres Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer:{ }Jeff Weddell
While Quarmby, who gets around by horseback travel, says “self-driving cars would be crazy.”
The new show “Hope Valley: 1874” premiered Saturday, March 21, exclusively on Hallmark+, with a new episode available every Thursday beginning March 26.
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