Jennifer Love Hewitt Reveals Her Kids’ Love Has Been a ‘Beautiful Gift as an Actor’

She’s had quite the career as an actor, but now Jennifer Love Hewitt is revealing that the love from her kids has had a major impact on her performances.

“I think before becoming a parent, love was something that sounded beautiful and was out there and portrayed in movies and felt at certain times when I met my husband,” the 40-year-old told Us Weekly. “Then we very quickly started having kids, and the love that I feel for the person that allowed me to have that dream in having those children and the love that you have for your children, it opens you up in a way that makes you more vulnerable than you could ever possibly imagine.”

The actress tied the knot with her husband, fellow actor Brian Hallisay, in 2013. The pair went on to have two kids — daughter Autumn, 5, and son, Atticus. Having a family has shifted the way The Ghost Whisperer alum approaches her craft.

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“In acting now, it’s been a really interesting gift because your job as an actor is to crack yourself open as much as possible and give that to people,” she told the outlet. “I think before whereas I had to imagine what that was like, now I actually feel that on a daily basis in good ways and in bad ways, depending on the day and the moment with [my] kids and [my] husband. It’s been a beautiful gift as an actor. It’s a much more accessible thing for me now in a way that I didn’t know was possible.”

The 9-1-1 star also spoke about how key it was for her to return to her career after taking a short hiatus. “I think that’s important to show your children that you are something other than just their parent and it’s been really nice for me to have that experience,” she explained.

We’re so glad Jennifer is back doing what she loves, especially since now maybe she will team up with Betty White again and share quite the story. “She loves pizza and vodka so one night we were filming, and we went out and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going on a date with Betty White.’ It’s the most nervous date I’ve ever been on in my life,” Jennifer joked of her The Lost Valentine costar joked during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden. So funny!