Melora Hardin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melora Hardin
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Melora Hardin in 2009
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| Born |
Melora Diane Hardin
June 29, 1967 |
| Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Gildart Jackson
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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Melora Diane Hardin Jackson (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress and singer. She is well-known for playing Jan Levinson in the TV show The Office. She also played Trudy Monk in Monk and Tammy Cashman in Transparent. For Transparent, she was even nominated for a big award called a Primetime Emmy Award. From 2017 to 2021, she starred as Jacqueline Carlyle, a magazine editor, in the TV show The Bold Type.
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Early Life
Melora Hardin was born in Houston, Texas. Her mom, Diane, was an acting coach and actress, and her dad, Jerry Hardin, was also an actor. She has a brother named Shawn. When she was five, her family moved to San Francisco, California. Later, she went to middle and high school in the San Fernando Valley. She then studied at Sarah Lawrence College.
Her Acting Journey
Starting Young
Melora began acting when she was very young. Her first main role was in the TV series Thunder (1977–1978). After that, she appeared in over 70 movies and TV shows. Some of her early roles included an episode of The Love Boat in 1978 and two episodes of Little House on the Prairie in 1981. She also played Michele Pierson in the TV movie Little House: Look Back to Yesterday in 1983.
In 1985, Melora was first chosen to play Jennifer Parker in the famous movie Back to the Future. However, the main actor, Eric Stoltz, was replaced by Michael J. Fox. Melora was then considered too tall to act next to Michael J. Fox, so she was also replaced. She later starred in the 1986 film Soul Man and the 1988 TV series Dirty Dancing.
Famous Roles and Beyond
In the early 2000s, Melora played Trudy Monk, the main character's wife, in the popular TV series Monk from 2004 to 2009. In 2005, she started her well-known role as Jan Levinson in The Office. Jan was a manager and later a love interest for the character Michael Scott. She played this role until 2013.
Melora also appeared in movies like Thank You for Smoking (2006) and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). In Hannah Montana: The Movie, she played the love interest of Billy Ray Cyrus's character. In 2009, she was also in the comedy film 17 Again as Principal Jane Masterson.
She made her first appearance on Broadway in 2008, playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago. She also sang the U.S. national anthem at hockey games for the Anaheim Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes in 2010.
More recently, in September 2021, Melora was a contestant on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. She and her dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev, made it to the semifinals and finished in sixth place. She also appeared in the 2023 TV movie Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie.
Personal Life
Melora Hardin has been married to actor Gildart Jackson since 1997. They have two daughters together.
See also
In Spanish: Melora Hardin para niños
