Melora Hardin Biography

Melora Diane Hardin (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levenson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.

Early life

Hardin was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of acting manager/coach and retired actress Diane (née Hill) and actor Jerry Hardin. She is the sister of Flock CEO Shawn Hardin. She was raised in San Francisco, California, after her family moved there when she was 4 years old. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College.

Career

1977-1999

Hardin started her acting career as the young star of the television series Thunder (1977"1978), and has appeared in over 70 movies and television programs since, including two 1981 Little House on the Prairie episodes (as Belinda Stevens in "The Reincarnation of Nellie", Parts 1 and 2) as well as playing Michele Pierson in the 1983 television movie Little House: Look Back to Yesterday. She starred as Baby in the short-lived 1988 television series Dirty Dancing (based on the 1987 film of the same name) and two 1992 episodes of Quantum Leap (as Abigail in "Trilogy," Parts 2 and 3). She co-starred in the 1990 dancing movie Lambada as Sandy. She appeared in Absolute Power (1997) as Christy Sullivan and played Ross's dirty talking love interest in season 1 episode 15 of Friends. She was also originally cast in Back to the Future as Jennifer Parker, but was re-cast after Eric Stoltz (the original Marty McFly) was let go. Hardin was deemed too tall to star alongside Michael J. Fox.

2000-present

Hardin starred in the 2000-2001 series Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family, and 2004-2009 she played the recurring role of Trudy Monk, the title character's deceased wife, on the USA Network series Monk. She appeared on the series NCIS as former Petty Officer Erin Toner in the episode "The Curse". In 2005, Hardin portrayed Linda Evans in Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, a fictionalized television movie based on the creation and behind the scenes production of the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty. Hardin played former corporate manager Jan Levenson in The Office from 2005 to 2011.

Hardin later appeared in the 2006 film Thank You for Smoking, and appears in Hannah Montana: The Movie as Robby Ray's (Billy Ray Cyrus') love interest. The film premiered on April 10, 2009.

She played the role of Fantine in the Hollywood Bowl's concert of Les Misérables in Summer 2008.

Hardin also appeared in several episodes of the popular web show, Elevator, on YouTube.

Hardin made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago: The Musical on December 29, 2008. She stayed with the show until February 12, 2009.

Hardin was cast as a major character in the NBC drama Outlaw, playing a powerful senior partner of an elite law firm, and the main love interest to the series' protagonist, played by Jimmy Smits.

Singing career

Hardin played a nightclub singer in Disney's The Rocketeer (1991), where she can be heard singing "Begin the Beguine". She also played a major role in the TV movie Tower of Terror, where she sings "Boy of My Dreams."

Hardin sang the National Anthem at the season opening hockey games of the Anaheim Ducks on October 13, 2010, and the Phoenix Coyotes on October 16, 2010. She also sang the Star Spangled Banner at the Dover International Speedway for the AAA 400 on October 2, 2011.

Hardin sang the song "Tiers of Joy" (composed by Austin Wintory) for the Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded soundtrack.

Filmography

Film and television
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1978	The Love Boat	Courtney Chenault-Teenage Daughter	Episode: Double Wedding/Ventriloquists, The/Julie Falls Hard
1979	The North Avenue Irregulars	Carmel
1979, 1982	Quincy, M.E.	Amanda/Abigail 'Abby' Garvin	2 Episodes - "Next Stop Nowhere," the infamous "punk" episode in 1982
1980	Diff'rent Strokes	Emily Morehouse	Episode: Skin Deep or True Blue
	ABC Afterschool Specials	Amy Warner	Episode: What Are Friends For?
1980 - 1981	Secrets of Midland Heights	Micki Carroll	10 Episodes
1981	Little House on the Prairie	Belinda Stevens	2 Episodes
1983	Magnum, P.I.	Nancy Perkins Gillis	Episode: Luther Gillis: File #521
	The Family Tree	Tess Benjamin
	Little House: Look Back to Yesterday	Michele Pierson	TV movie
1986	Soul Man	Whitney
	Iron Eagle	Katie
	Hotel	Beth	Episode: Heroes
1988 - 1989	Dirty Dancing	Frances 'Baby' Kellerman	11 Episodes
1989	Big Man on Campus	Cathy
	Tour of Duty	Christine Pierson	2 Episodes
1990	Lambada	Sandy Thomas
1991	The Rocketeer	South Seas Singer
1992	Mann & Machine	Louise Trotsky	Episode: Torch Song
	Quantum Leap	Abigail Fuller	2 Episodes
1993	Reckless Kelly	Robin Banks
	Moon Over Miami	Emily Booker	Episode: My Old Flame
1994	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman	Molly Flynn	Episode: Operation Blackout
	Murder, She Wrote	Cindy Warrick	Episode: Roadkill
	Matlock	Lisa Swift	Episode: The Scandal
1994, 1996	Renegade	Laura McMillan/Kelly Anderson	2 Episodes
1995	Friends	Celia	Episode: The One with the Stoned Guy
	Touched by an Angel	Lizbeth	Episode: The Big Bang
1995, 1999	Diagnosis: Murder	Savannah Bellows/POX Publicist Melanie Cooper	2 Episodes
1996	Caroline in the City	Beth	Episode: Caroline and the Bridesmaids
1997	Absolute Power	Christy Sullivan
	Tower of Terror	Claire Poulet	TV movie
	Orleans	Gina Vitellil	2 Episodes
1998	The Pretender	Wendy Dawson	Episode: Homefront
	Timecop	Edith Thomas	Episode: Lost Voyage
1999	Seven Girlfriends	Laura
	Payne	Danielle Harris	Episode: Gossip Checks in and a Cat Checks Out
2000 - 2001	Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family	Barbara Arno	25 Episodes
2001	Once and Again	Samantha Aldrich	1 episode: Moving On
2002	The Hot Chick	Carol
	Judging Amy	Rosalie Leavitt	1 episode: Roses and Truth
2003	NCIS	Erin Toner	1 episode: The Curse
	The Division	Cheryl Lynn Brinkmeyer	1 episode: Rush to Judgment
2004	Boston Legal	Sharon Brant	1 episode: Head Cases
2004 - 2009	Monk	Trudy Monk	10 episodes
2005	Thank You for Smoking	Interviewer
	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Sports Book Manager	1 episode: Big Middle
	Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure	Linda Evans	TV movie
2005 - 2012	The Office	Jan Levenson	37 episodes
2006	Gilmore Girls	Carolyn Bates	1 episode: Partings
	Without a Trace	Pamela Seaver	1 episode: Rage
2007	The Comebacks	Barb Fields
	Boxboarders!	Ruth Keene
	The Dukes	Diane
	Drive Thru	Marcia Carpenter
2008	Mom, Dad and Her	Emma
	27 Dresses	Maureen
2009	Hannah Montana: The Movie	Lorelai
	17 Again	Principal Jane Masterson
	You	Miranda
2010	Knucklehead	Mary O'Connor
2011	Beauty and the Least	Mary Andrews	Post-production
2012	Wedding Band	Roxie Rutherford	10 episodes

Produced and directed

Film and television
Year	Film
2009	You