Last week, M6 viewers were able to discover the face of Vanessa Lachey, who plays Jane Tennant in “NCIS: Hawaii”. A well-known actress in the United States whose face is perhaps not unknown to you.
Since last Saturday, M6 has been broadcasting the first season of NCIS: Hawaii, the new spin-off of NCIS: Special Investigations. This detective series follows Jane Tennant, played by Vanessa Lachey, the first woman to lead NCIS Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
With her team, she tries to find a balance between her role as a mother and her duties to her country, while investigating crimes involving military personnel, all in the paradisiacal setting of the Hawaiian archipelago.
On the occasion of the broadcast this Saturday evening on M6 of two new episodes of NCIS: Hawaii, discover five anecdotes to know about the main actress, whose face may not be unknown to you.
TV host
Before embarking on comedy, Vanessa Lachey cut her teeth as a presenter in numerous television shows. She was the face of Total Wipeout between 2011 and 2012, but also of Total Request Live from 2003 to 2007.
In 2017, she participated in the 25th season of the American version of Dancing with the Stars, but she was unfortunately eliminated on the sixth night of the competition. The French public knows her especially for the reality show Love is Blind, which she presents with her husband Nick Lachey.
The two spouses, who married in 2011, thus have the opportunity to work together for the first time since their meeting, which took place during the filming of the clip for What’s Left of Me.
She was elected Miss
If today Vanessa Lachey is known to the general public for her talents as a presenter and actress, it is as a beauty queen that she began her career. In 1998, when she was only 18 years old, she indeed won the title of Miss Teen USA, becoming the first winner of the pageant to be from South Carolina.
In addition to this title, she also won the Miss Congeniality contest, a prize awarded by the other contestants which rewards the kindness of a contestant. A few years later, she presented Miss Teen USA in 2004 and Miss Universe in 2007.
His debut in Love, Glory and Beauty
Like any good self-respecting American actress, Vanessa Lachey took her first steps in the soap Love, Glory and Beauty. For 8 episodes broadcast in February 2001, she played Amanda Wexler, a young woman who had a short love affair with Rick Forrester.
A brief appearance which was a springboard for the actress since she then chained small roles in many series such as 30 Rock, How I met Your Mother or even CSI: Manhattan.
NCIS Hawaii is her first major role
If Vanessa Lachey’s career as an actress began in 2001, it took her more than 20 years to obtain a first role in a television series. Before landing to become Jane Tenant in NCIS: Hawaii, the actress has indeed accumulated appearances in the series.
It was not until 2013 that she joined the cast of the series Dads, a sitcom in which she played the wife of one of the main characters, played by Giovanni Ribisi (Friends). After the series was canceled, she participated in the sitcom Truth Be Told, which unfortunately did not get a second season.
In 2019, she starred in 4 episodes of BH90210 the revival as a sequel to the cult series Beverly Hills. She played the wife of Jason Priestley, an ambitious publicist who dreams of starting a family.
Two years later, Vanessa Lachey landed the lead role in NCIS: Hawaii, a newcomer to the famous NCIS franchise. She thus becomes the first woman to wear a spin-off of the detective series. And with 2 seasons on the clock, and a third ordered by CBS, Vanessa Lachey is not ready to say goodbye to the small screen.
A nomadic childhood
Vanessa Lachey, née Vanessa Joy Minnillo, was born in Angeles City, Philippines. Her father being an American citizen, and her mother, Filipina, the actress has dual nationality. Her father being in the air force, the young woman moved around a lot in her childhood.
In nine years, she went to more than eight different schools and lived in Washington, California, Nevada, Germany and Japan. She also lived for several years in Turkey after her parents’ divorce. It was not until 1991 that she settled permanently with her father in South Carolina.
Find two new episodes of NCIS: Hawaii this Saturday February 25 from 9:10 p.m. on M6.