Melissa Joan Hart is an American actress, singer, fashion designer, director, producer and businesswoman best known for her title roles in the TV shows "Clarissa Explains It All," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Melissa & Joey."
Born April 18, 1976 in Smithtown, New York and named after the Allman Brothers song "Melissa," the daughter of carpenter and entrepreneur William Hart and talent coordinator Paula Hart, Hart grew up in Sayville, New York, the oldest of five children, all of whom got into acting. After her parents divorced, she moved to New York City where her mother married television executive Leslie Gilliams in 1984. She also has three half-sisters: Alexandra, Samantha and Mackenzie.
Hart entered show business at four years old in a television commercial for a bathtub doll called Splashy, later appearing regularly in commercials, making twenty-five commercials before the age of five. She also had a small role in the mini-series "Kane & Abel" in 1985, later making appearances in the TV shows "The Equalizer" and "Another World" before landing a role in the 1986 movie "Christmas Snow." She also auditioned for her first lead role in the movie, "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," but she lost the role to actress Danielle Harris. In 1989, she was an understudy in a Broadway production of "The Crucible" with Martin Sheen.
In 1991, Hart landed a starring role on the iconic Nickelodeon series "Clarissa Explains It All," which established her as a television star. She received one nomination for Young Artist Award for her role as the quirky knowledgeable teenager, later winning three of the awards during the run of the series. She also appeared on other TV shows, such as "Are You Afraid of the Dark?," and after the series ended, she took a break from acting to attend New York University. However, she did not complete her degree. After making the movie, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" with Ryan Reynolds, she continued the role in a television version of the movie for seven seasons which she produced with her mother. She also developed the animated version of the series with her sister Emily Hart supplying Sabrina's voice. She continued making appearances on other TV shows, such as "Touched By An Angel," "You Wish," "Teen Spirit" and "Boy Meets World" while avoiding roles in horror movies to keep from getting typecast in her role as Sabrina. She did host a 1995 Travel Channel Halloween Week of paranormal programs featuring TV shows like "Haunted History" and "Most Terrifying Places on Earth."
During "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," Hart made the movie "Can't Hardly Wait" and appeared in Britney Spears's "Crazy" music video. Britney in turn made an appearance on "Sabrina" as herself, but after the series ended, Hart started to turn away from her wholesome image. She married musician Mark Wilkerson on July 19, 2003, later having three sons. She also posed in a series of memorable and risque photos while wearing lingerie for "Maxim" Magazine in 1999 and portrayed a teacher accused of statutory rape in an episode of "Law & Order: SVU." She made her directorial debut in 1999 in episodes of "So Weird" guest starring Emily and "Taina."
Hart eventually starred in the movies "Handcuffs" with Mario Lopez in 2007 and in "My Fake Fiance" with Joey Lawrence in 2009. She also starred in Season Nine of "Dancing with the Stars," getting eliminated in the sixth week. In 2009, she opened her own candy shop "Sweet Harts" in Sherman Oaks, California, which closed down two years later due to an employee grievance, but in 2010, she again went against type by starring in the horror flick "Nine Dead," later returning to television for her third hit show, "Melissa and Joey" with Joey Lawrence. She also joined the cast of an off-Broadway production of "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" for a four-week run that ran for four weeks between March and April in 2010.
In 2012, Hart published her memoirs in the book Melissa Explains It All: Tales from My Abnormally Normal Life, describing growing up in the TV industry, being a child actor and her rise to fame, her friendships with others actors, her rebellious teen years and her efforts to balance a career as an adult with motherhood and family life. After the end of "Melissa and Joey," she starred in the movies "God's Not Dead 2" and "The Watcher In The Woods," a remake of the Bette Davis movie. In 2015, Hart and her husband started their own fashion line called "King of Harts."
In her personal life, Hart and her family adhere to Christian values. Although Conservative, she has supported both Republican and Libertarian candidates while expressing support for Liberal causes such as increased gun control and marching in a Moms Demand Action demonstration in Brooklyn on May 2016.
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Melissa Joan Hart
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