Melora Hardin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melora Hardin
Hardin in 2009
Born	Melora Diane Hardin (1967-06-29) June 29, 1967 (age 58) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	Sarah Lawrence College (BFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Gildart Jackson ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Jerry Hardin (father)

Melora Diane Hardin (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for playing Jan Levinson on the NBC show The Office and Trudy Monk on the USA Network series Monk.

Hardin also played the editor-in-chief Jacqueline Carlyle in the comedy-drama The Bold Type. For her role as Tammy Cashman in Transparent, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Early Life and Education

Melora Hardin was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Diane Hill, was an acting manager and retired actress, and her father, Jerry Hardin, is also an actor. When she was five, her family moved to San Francisco, California.

She went to middle school and high school in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. After high school, she attended Sarah Lawrence College, where she earned her degree.

Acting Career

Hardin began acting when she was a child. Her first major role was in the TV series Thunder from 1977 to 1978. Since then, she has appeared in more than 70 movies and TV shows.

Early Roles

In the 1980s, Hardin appeared in several popular shows. She was in two episodes of Little House on the Prairie and the TV movie Little House: Look Back to Yesterday. She also had a role in the 1986 movie Soul Man.

In 1988, she starred as Baby in the TV series Dirty Dancing, which was based on the famous movie. In the 1990s, she appeared in shows like Quantum Leap and Friends.

An interesting fact is that Hardin was first chosen to play Jennifer Parker in the classic 1985 movie Back to the Future. However, when actor Michael J. Fox was cast as Marty McFly, the filmmakers thought Hardin was too tall to be his co-star, and the part was given to another actress.

Major Success

From 2005 to 2013, Hardin played Jan Levinson in the hit comedy series The Office. Her character was a corporate manager and the love interest of Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell. This role made her very well-known.

During the same time, she had a recurring role as Trudy Monk, the late wife of the main character, in the series Monk.

Hardin has also appeared in many movies. She was in Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009 as the love interest for Billy Ray Cyrus's character. That same year, she played the school principal in the comedy 17 Again, starring Zac Efron.

Recent Work

From 2017 to 2021, Hardin starred as Jacqueline Carlyle in the series The Bold Type. Her character was the strong and supportive editor-in-chief of a women's magazine.

In 2021, she competed on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. She and her dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev, reached the semifinals.

In 2024, she performed on Broadway in the play McNeal, acting alongside Robert Downey Jr..

Personal Life

Hardin married actor Gildart Jackson in 1997. The couple has two daughters.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Melora Hardin's most well-known roles in movies and television.

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Melora Hardin has won awards for her acting. She and the cast of The Office won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for their performance as a group. In 2016, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the series Transparent.

See also

In Spanish: Melora Hardin para niños