Hewitt Evil? The Devil You Say!

October 6 -- Jennifer Love Hewitt is breaking out of her wholesome TV teeny-bopper image with a new role. Could it be … Satan? Well, yes.

In perhaps the most unlikely casting in years, Hewitt will play the landlord of hell in The Devil and Daniel Webster.

The winsome star of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Fox's now-defunct series Party of Five and Time of Your Life joins Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins in the classic tale.

In the film, Baldwin will play a writer who sells his soul to the devil but then employs a silver-tongued lawyer (Hopkins) to win it back from eternal damnation.

That sounds like a tall order for Hewitt, not just because she has to go over to the dark side, but because she's going head to head with Oscar-winning thespian Hopkins.

"It's definitely a different role than I normally take, but the character is amazing and incredibly well-written," Hewitt tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It is a more grown-up role for me. And I want to show that I am growing as a woman and a human being and am ready to take on more adult roles. This project has all the things that an actor looks for. And obviously working with Alec [Baldwin] and Anthony [Hopkins] is never a bad thing. I have such respect for them."

While our casting thoughts went more naturally to known temptresses such as Rose McGowan or Elizabeth Hurley (who plays a sexy Satan in the comedy Bedazzled), Hewitt assures us that her character will be "sexy, smart, and evil — all the things that you expect the devil to be, just with a sweeter face."

Says the 21-year-old starlet, "I have a lot to prepare for in taking this role. I'm going to look into a new part of myself for this role and prepare by stealing some souls and hearts." Right. Lock up your sons, mothers of America.

Hewitt recently wrapped a starring role in the mother-daughter con-artist comedy Breakers, with Sigourney Weaver.