▁mother ▁reading ▁Daw son ' s ▁lines . ▁William son ▁thought ▁she ▁had ▁exactly ▁the ▁right ▁look ▁for ▁Jo ey , ▁cit ing ▁that ▁" she ▁had ▁those ▁eyes , ▁those ▁eyes ▁just ▁st ained ▁with ▁l onel iness ." ▁He ▁asked ▁her ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁California , ▁but ▁a ▁conflict ▁with ▁her ▁school ▁play ▁schedule ▁prevent ed ▁her ▁from ▁doing ▁so . ▁Upon ▁her ▁arrival ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁two ▁weeks ▁later , ▁she ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁role . ▁Williams , ▁a ▁regular ▁in ▁low - bud get ▁films ▁and ▁commer ci als , ▁im pressed ▁William son ▁when ▁she ▁aud ition ed ▁with ▁a ▁heart f elt ▁scene ▁in ▁which ▁her ▁character ▁Jen ▁Lind ely ▁goes ▁in ▁and ▁sees ▁her ▁grand father ▁lay ing ▁in ▁the ▁bed , ▁transform ing ▁herself ▁" into ▁this ▁broken ▁child ▁who ▁just ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁fixed ." ▁K atherine ▁He ig l ▁also ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁actress es ▁who ▁aud ition ed ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Jen ▁after ▁Steve ▁Min er , ▁who ▁directed ▁the ▁show ' s ▁pilot ▁and ▁He ig l ' s ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁film ▁My ▁Father ▁the ▁Hero , ▁brought ▁in ▁the ▁young ▁star . ▁ ▁Production ▁team ▁The ▁entire ▁first ▁season , ▁th ir teen ▁episodes , ▁was ▁fil med ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁episode ▁even ▁a ired . ▁After ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁season , ▁William son ▁left ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁W ast eland , ▁a ▁new ▁show ▁for ▁ABC , ▁but ▁returned ▁to