Melissa Joan Hart
Encyclopedia
Melissa Joan Catherine Hart (born April 18, 1976) is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman. Hart is perhaps best known for her title roles in the television series Clarissa Explains It All
(1991–1994) the live action
version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch
(1996–2003), and Melissa & Joey
(2010–present)
Hart's career has mixed movie work with television including appearances in the popular TV shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
and That '70s Show
. Hart is married to musician Mark Wilkerson
since 2003; together, they have two children.
, on Long Island
, the daughter of Paula, a producer and talent manager, and William Hart, a shellfish
purveyor, clam
hatchery worker, and entrepreneur. She grew up in Sayville, New York
. Her stepfather (since 1994) is television executive Leslie Gilliams, and her stepmother is Lisa Hart. Hart was named after the Allman Brothers song "Melissa
", while her middle name, Joan, came from her maternal grandmother. She chose Catherine as her confirmation name when she was in the eighth grade.
Hart is the eldest of eight children with six sisters, and one brother. Sisters Trisha, Elizabeth and Emily Hart, brother Brian, and half-sisters Alexandra Hart-Gilliams and Samantha Hart have all acted. Her half-sister Mackenzie Hart is not in show business..
Kane & Abel in 1985, a guest-starring role in an episode of The Equalizer
in 1986, and a starring role alongside Katherine Helmond
in the Emmy Award
-winning TV movie Christmas Snow, also in 1986. She made a cameo guest appearance on the April 22, 1986 episode of the NBC
daytime soap opera Another World
. She also auditioned for the lead role Jamie Lloyd
in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
, losing the role to American actress Danielle Harris
.
In 1989, she became the understudy for a Broadway
production of The Crucible
starring Martin Sheen
.
series Clarissa Explains It All
, a comedy about a teen girl in everyday situations, which was successful during its four-year run. The show brought her four consecutive Young Artist Award
nominations, winning three. Her role in the series also led to her starring in the FMV video game Nickelodeon's Director's Lab as a tour guide who takes the player around a movie studio. In 1992, she and Clarissa
cast member Jason Zimbler
appeared on the game show Nick Arcade as contestants, she is one the few people who played the beta version of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on the Video Challenge.
Hart also recorded two albums as Clarissa, This is What Na Na Means and a recording of Peter and the Wolf
.
Hart appeared on Nickelodeon's anthology show Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Season 2 episode "The Tale Of The Frozen Ghost" in 1991.
. However, she did not complete her degree, because she was given the title role for the 1996 TV movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch
. This was followed by the television series of the same name which lasted seven seasons on ABC and The WB. She later collaborated on an animated version that featured Hart voicing the two aunts Hilda and Zelda, and Hart's younger sister Emily Hart starring in the title role. In between times, she also guest-starred on the series Touched by an Angel
and starred in several TV movies.
In 1998, Hart landed a small part in the movie Can't Hardly Wait
, and then started filming Next to You
, starring alongside Adrian Grenier
. Hart asked her friend Britney Spears
to do a remix
of her song "(You Drive Me) Crazy
" and add it to the movie's soundtrack. To capitalize on the song's success as a top-ten hit
, the title of the movie was changed to Drive Me Crazy
and Hart joined Spears in the music video for that song. Around the same time, Spears was given a guest role in an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch
where she played herself.
Hart appeared in lingerie in a series of photographs and an accompanying article in the October 1999 issue of the men's magazine Maxim. Hart maintained her acting career in the 2000s including working on the film Rent Control, which aired in 2005 on the ABC Family
cable network
. Hart continued her role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which finished in 2003, and also performed several voice-over roles for animation.
In 1999, Hart made her directorial debut in an episode of Disney Channel
's So Weird
called "Snapshot" which starred her sister, Emily Hart. She later directed an episode of Nickelodeon's Taina
in 2001. In 2001–2002, she directed 6 episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, including the season 6 finale.
Hart guest-starred on an episode of Law & Order: SVU that aired on October 9, 2007 titled "Impulsive" as a teacher accused of statutory rape
. In late 2007, she directed the "Anger Cage" video for her husband Mark Wilkerson
's band Course of Nature
. She also starred in the ABC Family
Original Movie Holiday in Handcuffs
, opposite Mario Lopez
. The movie premiered on December 9, 2007, and was the highest rated program in the history of the network, with 6.7 million viewers. Hart followed this with another ABC movie with a similar premise, My Fake Fiance
, in 2009.
In March 2009, Hart opened a candy shop called SweetHarts in Sherman Oaks, California
. Hart commented that it had been her "childhood dream" to own a candy shop.
It was announced on August 17, 2009 that she would compete in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. Hart was paired up with two-time reigning champion, Mark Ballas
but she was eliminated from the competition in week six out of a possible 10.
Hart starred as Kelley in a 2010 horror thriller film entitled Nine Dead
, before returning to sitcoms, starring with Joey Lawrence
in a new sitcom, Melissa & Joey
. In the series Hart plays a woman who hires Lawrence as a nanny to help care for her incarcerated sister's kids. Hart also joined the cast of an off-Broadway production of 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore' for a four week run that started in March 2010 and ended April 25, 2010.
In March 2010, Hart took part in an ad campaign for Gain detergent with former Sabrina, the Teenage Witch co-star Soleil Moon Frye
.
On November 22, 2010, Hart participated as a presenter in the International Emmy Awards
.
. The preparations for the ceremony, which took place in Florence, Italy, were documented in a TV miniseries titled Tying the Knot, produced by Hart's production company, Hartbreak Films.
Hart and Wilkerson have two sons: Mason Walter Wilkerson, who was born in January 2006 and Braydon "Brady" Hart Wilkerson, born in March 2008. Both boys were born in Los Angeles.
Hart and Wilkerson were featured in People
magazine's April 7, 2008 issue, introducing Braydon to the world. Hart wrote a diary, including video entries, to document potty training
her son, Mason, for Pull-Ups brand diapers.
Hart has been described by The AV Club as a supporter of the Republican
party, and has called herself a fan of Peggy Noonan
and Ronald Reagan
. Hart and her family live in Westport, Connecticut
.
Kids' Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
Young Artist Awards
YoungStar Awards
Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
(1991–1994) the live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
(1996–2003), and Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey is an ABC Family original television series starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It first aired on ABC Family on August 17, 2010...
(2010–present)
Hart's career has mixed movie work with television including appearances in the popular TV shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
and That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
. Hart is married to musician Mark Wilkerson
Mark Wilkerson
Mark Wilkerson is the lead singer and guitarist for rock band Course of Nature.Wilkerson co-wrote the song "It's Not Over" which was released as a single and as the opening track on the eponymous album by Daughtry...
since 2003; together, they have two children.
Early life
Hart was born on April 18, 1976 in Smithtown, New YorkSmithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...
, on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, the daughter of Paula, a producer and talent manager, and William Hart, a shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
purveyor, clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
hatchery worker, and entrepreneur. She grew up in Sayville, New York
Sayville, New York
Sayville is a hamlet and CDP in Suffolk County, New York, . Located on the south shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.-History:...
. Her stepfather (since 1994) is television executive Leslie Gilliams, and her stepmother is Lisa Hart. Hart was named after the Allman Brothers song "Melissa
Melissa (song)
"Melissa" is a song written in 1967 by Gregg Allman and Steve Alaimo. It was first recorded by The 31st of February – an early band comprising the Allman brothers, Gregg and Duane – in September 1968 at TK Studios, Hialeah, United States for the their second album produced by Alaimo, which was...
", while her middle name, Joan, came from her maternal grandmother. She chose Catherine as her confirmation name when she was in the eighth grade.
Hart is the eldest of eight children with six sisters, and one brother. Sisters Trisha, Elizabeth and Emily Hart, brother Brian, and half-sisters Alexandra Hart-Gilliams and Samantha Hart have all acted. Her half-sister Mackenzie Hart is not in show business..
Early beginnings
Hart's career began at age four when she made a television commercial for a bathtub doll called Splashy. From then on, she appeared regularly in commercials, making 25 of them before the age of five. Other early television work included a small role in the miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Kane & Abel in 1985, a guest-starring role in an episode of The Equalizer
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
in 1986, and a starring role alongside Katherine Helmond
Katherine Helmond
Katherine Marie Helmond is an American film, theater and television actress, who played Emily Dickinson on Meeting of Minds, as well as such fictional characters as Jessica Tate on Soap, Mona Robinson on Who's the Boss?, Doris Sherman on Coach, and Lois Whelan on Everybody Loves...
in the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning TV movie Christmas Snow, also in 1986. She made a cameo guest appearance on the April 22, 1986 episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
daytime soap opera Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. She also auditioned for the lead role Jamie Lloyd
Jamie Lloyd
Jamie Lloyd is a fictional character in the Halloween film series, serving as the series protagonist in Halloween 4 and 5. The character also makes a brief appearance in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers....
in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 slasher film and the fourth installment of the Halloween film series, directed by Dwight H. Little and written by Alan B. McElroy. The central plot focuses on Michael Myers returning home to kill his niece Jamie Lloyd , the daughter of Laurie...
, losing the role to American actress Danielle Harris
Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
.
In 1989, she became the understudy for a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
starring Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
.
Clarissa Explains It All (1990–1994)
In 1991 Hart landed the starring role on the NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
series Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
, a comedy about a teen girl in everyday situations, which was successful during its four-year run. The show brought her four consecutive Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
nominations, winning three. Her role in the series also led to her starring in the FMV video game Nickelodeon's Director's Lab as a tour guide who takes the player around a movie studio. In 1992, she and Clarissa
Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
cast member Jason Zimbler
Jason Zimbler
Jason Zimbler is an American actor, theatre director, and software designer.-Personal life:Born in New York City, Zimbler graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1998, and has both an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a graduate degree in Theatre Directing...
appeared on the game show Nick Arcade as contestants, she is one the few people who played the beta version of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on the Video Challenge.
Hart also recorded two albums as Clarissa, This is What Na Na Means and a recording of Peter and the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf , Op. 67, is a composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 in the USSR. It is a children's story , spoken by a narrator accompanied by the orchestra....
.
Hart appeared on Nickelodeon's anthology show Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...
Season 2 episode "The Tale Of The Frozen Ghost" in 1991.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1995–2003)
After the television series ended, Hart attended New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. However, she did not complete her degree, because she was given the title role for the 1996 TV movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a 1996 American television film adaptation based on a character from Archie Comics. It served as a pilot for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch TV series, and premiered on Showtime on April 7, 1996...
. This was followed by the television series of the same name which lasted seven seasons on ABC and The WB. She later collaborated on an animated version that featured Hart voicing the two aunts Hilda and Zelda, and Hart's younger sister Emily Hart starring in the title role. In between times, she also guest-starred on the series Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
and starred in several TV movies.
In 1998, Hart landed a small part in the movie Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
, and then started filming Next to You
Drive Me Crazy
-Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb...
, starring alongside Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier is an American actor, musician and director. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase.-Early life:...
. Hart asked her friend Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
to do a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of her song "(You Drive Me) Crazy
(You Drive Me) Crazy
" Crazy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger for Spears' debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on August 23, 1999 by Jive Records, as the third single from the...
" and add it to the movie's soundtrack. To capitalize on the song's success as a top-ten hit
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the title of the movie was changed to Drive Me Crazy
Drive Me Crazy
-Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb...
and Hart joined Spears in the music video for that song. Around the same time, Spears was given a guest role in an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
where she played herself.
Hart appeared in lingerie in a series of photographs and an accompanying article in the October 1999 issue of the men's magazine Maxim. Hart maintained her acting career in the 2000s including working on the film Rent Control, which aired in 2005 on the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
cable network
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. Hart continued her role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which finished in 2003, and also performed several voice-over roles for animation.
In 1999, Hart made her directorial debut in an episode of Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
's So Weird
So Weird
So Weird is a television series shot in Vancouver, British Columbia that aired on the Disney Channel as a midseason replacement from January 18, 1999 to September 28, 2001. In season one and season two, the series centered around teenage girl Fiona Phillips who toured with her rock star mom ,...
called "Snapshot" which starred her sister, Emily Hart. She later directed an episode of Nickelodeon's Taina
Taina (TV series)
Taina is an American sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon and was one of the last live-action comedy shows taped at Nickelodeon Studios but later moved to the Nickelodeon On Sunset in Hollywood, for its second season. The show aired from January 14, 2001 to May 11, 2002.-Premise:Taina Morales is a...
in 2001. In 2001–2002, she directed 6 episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, including the season 6 finale.
Post-Sabrina (2004–present)
After the end of Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Hart directed her first movie, a 15-minute live-action short film called Mute (2005), starring her sister Emily.Hart guest-starred on an episode of Law & Order: SVU that aired on October 9, 2007 titled "Impulsive" as a teacher accused of statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
. In late 2007, she directed the "Anger Cage" video for her husband Mark Wilkerson
Mark Wilkerson
Mark Wilkerson is the lead singer and guitarist for rock band Course of Nature.Wilkerson co-wrote the song "It's Not Over" which was released as a single and as the opening track on the eponymous album by Daughtry...
's band Course of Nature
Course of Nature
Course of Nature is an alternative rock band formed in Enterprise, Alabama in 2001, and now based in Los Angeles. The band was co-founded by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Wilkerson, and currently includes Sean Kipe , Jackson Eppley and Shane Lenzen O'Connell .-History:Before Course Of...
. She also starred in the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
Original Movie Holiday in Handcuffs
Holiday in Handcuffs
Holiday in Handcuffs is an American television movie that originally aired on ABC Family on December 9, 2007, as a part of the network's 25 Days of Christmas programming block. The film stars Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post and Timothy Bottoms....
, opposite Mario Lopez
Mario López
Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
. The movie premiered on December 9, 2007, and was the highest rated program in the history of the network, with 6.7 million viewers. Hart followed this with another ABC movie with a similar premise, My Fake Fiance
My Fake Fiance
My Fake Fiancé is a 2009 TV film starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It premiered on the ABC Family channel on April 19, 2009.-Plot synopsis:...
, in 2009.
In March 2009, Hart opened a candy shop called SweetHarts in Sherman Oaks, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Hart commented that it had been her "childhood dream" to own a candy shop.
It was announced on August 17, 2009 that she would compete in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. Hart was paired up with two-time reigning champion, Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas
Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. is an American dancer.Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. He began competing on the show in the fall of 2007. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011...
but she was eliminated from the competition in week six out of a possible 10.
Hart starred as Kelley in a 2010 horror thriller film entitled Nine Dead
Nine Dead
Nine Dead is a 2009 horror thriller film, directed by Chris Shadley, produced by Paula Hart and written by Patrick Wehe Mahoney. Filming began on July 6, 2008 and ended on July 27, 2008. The film spent several months without a distributor but has now been picked up by Fabrication Films and it had...
, before returning to sitcoms, starring with Joey Lawrence
Joey Lawrence
Joseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...
in a new sitcom, Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey is an ABC Family original television series starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It first aired on ABC Family on August 17, 2010...
. In the series Hart plays a woman who hires Lawrence as a nanny to help care for her incarcerated sister's kids. Hart also joined the cast of an off-Broadway production of 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore' for a four week run that started in March 2010 and ended April 25, 2010.
In March 2010, Hart took part in an ad campaign for Gain detergent with former Sabrina, the Teenage Witch co-star Soleil Moon Frye
Soleil Moon Frye
Soleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...
.
On November 22, 2010, Hart participated as a presenter in the International Emmy Awards
International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is an organization of global broadcasters, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies...
.
Personal life
On July 19, 2003, Hart married musician Mark WilkersonMark Wilkerson
Mark Wilkerson is the lead singer and guitarist for rock band Course of Nature.Wilkerson co-wrote the song "It's Not Over" which was released as a single and as the opening track on the eponymous album by Daughtry...
. The preparations for the ceremony, which took place in Florence, Italy, were documented in a TV miniseries titled Tying the Knot, produced by Hart's production company, Hartbreak Films.
Hart and Wilkerson have two sons: Mason Walter Wilkerson, who was born in January 2006 and Braydon "Brady" Hart Wilkerson, born in March 2008. Both boys were born in Los Angeles.
Hart and Wilkerson were featured in People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine's April 7, 2008 issue, introducing Braydon to the world. Hart wrote a diary, including video entries, to document potty training
Toilet training
Toilet training, or potty training, is the process of training a young child to use the toilet for urination and defecation, though training may start with a smaller toilet bowl-shaped device...
her son, Mason, for Pull-Ups brand diapers.
Hart has been described by The AV Club as a supporter of the Republican
American Republican Party
The American Republican Party was a minor nativist political organization that was launched in New York in June 1843, largely as a protest against immigrant voters and officeholders. In 1844, it carried municipal elections in New York City and Philadelphia and expanded so rapidly that by July,...
party, and has called herself a fan of Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan
Peggy Noonan is an American author of seven books on politics, religion, and culture and a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. Hart and her family live in Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
.
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films- 1997 - Best Genre TV Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
Kids' Choice Awards
- 2003 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
- 2002 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
- 2001 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
- 2000 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
- 2000 - Favorite Movie Actress for "Drive Me Crazy" (Won)
- 1999 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
- 1998 - Favorite Television Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Won)
Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
- 1999 - TV - Choice Actress for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
Young Artist Awards
- 1998 - Best Performance in a TV Movie or Feature Film - Young Ensemble for "The Right Connections" ('Won')
- 1998 - Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Leading Young Performer for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" ('Won')
- 1997 - Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Leading Young Performer for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" ('Won')
- 1995 - Best Youth Comedienne in a TV Show for "Clarissa Explains It All" ('Won')
- 1994 - Youth Actress Leading Role in a Television Series for "Clarissa Explains It All" (Nominated)
- 1993 - Best Young Actress Starring in a Cable Series for "Clarissa Explains It All" ('Won')
- 1992 - Best Young Actress Starring in an Off-Primetime or Cable Series for "Clarissa Explains It All" ('Won')
YoungStar Awards
- 1997 - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (Nominated)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Christmas Snow | Amy | TV movie |
| 1995 | Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare | Samantha | TV movie |
| 1996 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film) Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a 1996 American television film adaptation based on a character from Archie Comics. It served as a pilot for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch TV series, and premiered on Showtime on April 7, 1996... |
Pilot movie for TV series | |
| 1996 | Twisted Desire Twisted Desire Twisted Desire is a 1996 television film directed by Craig R. Baxley. The film is based on the 1990 murders of the parents of 14-year-old Jessica Wiseman. Jessica had her 17-year-old boyfriend, Douglas Christopher Thomas, shoot and kill her parents. Thomas was executed in 2000.- Plot :Jennifer... |
TV movie | |
| 1997 | TV movie | ||
| 1997 | Two Came Back Two Came Back Two Came Back is a made for television film from the fact-based book by Deborah Scaling-Kiley. Melissa Joan Hart stars alongside Jonathan Brandis... |
TV movie | |
| 1998 | Silencing Mary Silencing Mary Silencing Mary, also released as Campus Justice, is a 1998 television film directed by Craig R. Baxley. The film was made to warn people about rape and the then popular teen actress/country music superstar Melissa Joan Hart was cast in the lead to drawn a young audience.- Plot :Mary Stuartson is a... |
TV movie | |
| 1998 | Can't Hardly Wait Can't Hardly Wait Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various... |
Vicki, Yearbook Girl | Uncredited |
| 1998 | Sabrina Goes to Rome Sabrina Goes to Rome Sabrina Goes to Rome is a 1998 television movie produced for ABC. The movie is part of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch TV series and is the first TV movie made for the series. The movie features only two main characters from the series, the protagonist Sabrina Spellman , and other main character... |
/ Sophia | TV movie |
| 1999 | Drive Me Crazy Drive Me Crazy -Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb... |
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| 1999 | Love, American Style Love, American Style Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974... |
Annabelle | TV movie, segment "Love In The Old South" |
| 1999 | Sabrina, Down Under Sabrina, Down Under Sabrina, Down Under is a 1999 television movie produced for ABC. It is a sequel to Sabrina Goes to Rome and is a companion to the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch TV series. The movie features only two characters from the TV series: teenage witch Sabrina Spellman , and talking cat Salem Saberhagen... |
TV movie | |
| 2000 | Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer | Molly | Voice |
| 2000 | Sunlight Grrrll | ||
| 2000 | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker... |
/ Dee Dee | Voice |
| 2001 | Backflash | C.J. | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
| 2001 | Recess: School's Out Recess: School's Out Recess: School's Out is a 2001 animated film based on the Disney television series Recess. This film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and was released theatrically nationwide on February 16, 2001. It was released on video and DVD on August 7, 2001.-Plot:School's out at Third Street School, but... |
Voice | |
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades... |
Slow Clapper's Instructor | Uncredited |
| 2002 | Rent Control Rent Control (2005 film) Rent Control is a television movie starring Melissa Joan Hart and Carmen Electra. It was filmed in 2002, but premiered on ABC Family in 2005. It was written and directed by David Eric Brenner... |
TV movie | |
| 2002 | Hold On | Herself | Short film |
| 2006 | Dirtbags | Kate | TV movie |
| 2006 | Jesus, Mary and Joey | Jackie | |
| 2007 | Holiday in Handcuffs Holiday in Handcuffs Holiday in Handcuffs is an American television movie that originally aired on ABC Family on December 9, 2007, as a part of the network's 25 Days of Christmas programming block. The film stars Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post and Timothy Bottoms.... |
TV movie | |
| 2008 | Whispers and Lies AKA Secrets of Pine Cove | TV movie | |
| 2009 | Nine Dead Nine Dead Nine Dead is a 2009 horror thriller film, directed by Chris Shadley, produced by Paula Hart and written by Patrick Wehe Mahoney. Filming began on July 6, 2008 and ended on July 27, 2008. The film spent several months without a distributor but has now been picked up by Fabrication Films and it had... |
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| 2009 | My Fake Fiance My Fake Fiance My Fake Fiancé is a 2009 TV film starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It premiered on the ABC Family channel on April 19, 2009.-Plot synopsis:... |
Jennifer | TV movie |
| 2010 | Candyman: The Tribe | TBA | Direct-to-video |
| 2011 | Satin | Lauren Wells | |
| 2012 | Wanderlust | Hannah | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | ABC Weekend Specials | Cindy | Episode: "The Adventures of Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn" |
| 1985 | Kane & Abel | (age 7) | Credited as "Melissa Hart" |
| 1986 | Episode: "Torn"; credited as "Melissa Hart" | ||
| 1986 | Another World Another World (TV series) Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J... |
Roller-Skater | |
| 1991–1994 | Clarissa Explains It All Clarissa Explains It All Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns.... |
Lead Role | |
| 1992 | Nick Arcade | Herself | |
| 1993 | Are You Afraid of the Dark? Are You Afraid of the Dark? Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon... |
Daphne | Episode: "The Tale of the Frozen Ghost" |
| 1995 | Clarissa, Now | Only one episode produced | |
| 1995 | Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della... |
Episode: "Angels on the Air" | |
| 1996 | Weinerville Weinerville Nickelodeon Weinerville is an American television program on Nickelodeon that was produced in 1993 and 1994, aired in re-runs until 1997. The show was based around a giant puppet stage which was designed to look like a city, called Weinerville... |
Herself | Episode: "Weinerville Election Special" |
| 1996–2003 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Lead Role | |
| 1997 | Boy Meets World Boy Meets World Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the... |
Episode: "The Witches of Pennbrook" | |
| 1997 | You Wish | Episode: "Genie Without a Cause" | |
| 1997 | Teen Angel | Episode: "One Dog Night" | |
| 1998 | Promised Land | Episode: "Total Security" | |
| 1998 | Diagnosis Murder Diagnosis Murder Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman... |
Episode: "Promises to Keep" | |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series Superman: The Animated Series Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros... |
Voice | |
| 1999 | That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979... |
Mary | Episode: "Eric gets Suspended" |
| 1999–2000 | Sabrina: The Animated Series Sabrina: The Animated Series Sabrina: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. It was produced by DIC Entertainment, which was owned by Disney at the time... |
/ | Voice |
| 2000 | Just Shoot Me! Just Shoot Me! Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March 4, 1997 to August 16, 2003, with 148 episodes produced. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer.-Description:... |
Krissy | Episode: "Fast Times at Finchmont High" |
| 2005 | Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show... |
Emily the Spy | Episode: "Operation Rich in Spirit"; Voice |
| 2006 | Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the... |
/ Dee Dee | Voice |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Episode: "Impulsive" | |
| 2009 | Dancing With the Stars Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9) Dancing with the Stars returned for a ninth season on September 21, 2009, on a three-night premiere. Executive producer Conrad Green confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the 9th season would start off with 16 celebrities, with 3 double-eliminations halfway through the season... |
Herself | |
| 2010–present | Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey is an ABC Family original television series starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It first aired on ABC Family on August 17, 2010... |
Lead Role Also executive producer |
|
| 2010 | When I Was 17 When I Was 17 When I Was 17 is an MTV television show which features celebrities of today and looks back on "when they were 17". The show features photos as well as interviews with family and friends... |
Herself |
External links
- Mellissa Joan Hart on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Official Sweet Hart Sweets site
- Melissa Joan Hart at Internet Off-Broadway Database