Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
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$14 Million
"I'm not a happy-ending person. I want to know what happens once Cinderella rides off with Prince Charming." Melissa Joan Hart is an American born actress who has starred in several major television programs. Hart originally came to fame in Clarissa Explains it All before cementing herself as a part of pop-culture history in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
In the years since the height of her fame, Hart has continued to work as an active member of the industry. Hart has more than 70 credits to her name as well as a number of producer and directing credits. As a multi-talented Hollywood entertainer, Hart has accomplished far more than her more casual fans might realize.
Crowded Household
Melissa Joan Hart was born on April 18, 1976, in Smithtown, New York. Hart was the first child of William Hart and Paula Voje. Paula, Hart's mother, worked as a talent manager and producer while William was a carpenter, oyster hatchery worker, shellfish purveyor, and all-around entrepreneur. Hart was one of five total children in her family which included Trisha, Brian, Emily, and Elizabeth. All of her siblings have pursued careers in the arts.
Hart's parents would get divorced in the early 90s, and she would choose to follow her mother to New York City. Hart's mother would remarry in 1994, this time with Leslie Gilliams, thus bringing three half-sisters into the family. Hart's name originally came from the Allman Brothers song, Melissa, while her middle name was chosen in honor of her maternal grandmother.
A Young Entertainer
Melissa Joan Hart broke into the entertainment industry at the tender age of four when she appeared in a commercial for a doll named Splashy. Hart would become a prolific commercial actress as a child by appearing in 25 commercials in a single year. Hart would branch out from her commercial work in 1985 when she appeared on Kane & Abel in the second episode of the mini-series.
Hart would fully immerse herself in her acting career in the mid-80s with appearances in The Equalizer (1986), Another World (1986), and Christmas Snow (1986). Hart would land her first starring role in Clarissa Explains it All, a comedy developed and broadcast by Nickelodeon. The series followed Hart's character as an everyday teen girl dealing with all of the situations that life could throw at her. The series would get a four-year run in which Hart would score several Young Artist Award wins. Hart would record a pair of albums as the character Clarissa, This is What 'Na Na' Means and Peter and the Wolf.
After Hart found success on Nickelodeon, she would find her way to the largest role in her career, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996). Originally, Hart had begun attending New York University following the completion of Clarissa Explains it All. However, she would drop out when she landed the title role of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The show would run from 1996 to 2003 and it would spawn off numerous spin-off projects. Hart would appear in the made-for-TV movie, Sabrina Goes to Rome (1998) as well as the animated series, Sabrina, the Animated Series (1999). All-told, Hart reprised the role of Sabrina in twelve different projects.
In her post-Sabrina career, Hart would struggle to maintain the same level of fame that she had been enjoying. Hart would go on to appear in Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Justice League Unlimited (2005), and Robot Chicken (2005). Hart would land her next major project in 2010 when she scored the starring role in Melissa & Joey (2010). The series also starred Joey Lawrence. The conceit of the show was that Hart played a woman who hired Lawrence to work as a nanny for her imprisoned sister's children. The series would run for five years while Hart appeared in 104 total episodes.
After Melissa & Joey, Hart would land a leading role in God's Not Dead 2 (2016). The film was a commercial success though critics lambasted it on various review aggregators. Most recently, Hart has appeared in Broadcasting Christmas (2016), A Very Nutty Christmas (2018), and Christmas Reservations (2019). Hart has also starred in two television series including The Casagrandes (2019) and No Good Nick (2019).
Out of the entertainment world, Hart established her own business in 2009. The business was a candy shop located in Sherman Oaks back in 2009. Hart has also started her own fashion line with her husband, known as King of Harts.
As far as her romantic life goes, Hart has been with Mark Wilkerson since the two met in 2002. Their marriage would be documented in the reality mini-series, Tying the Knot. Hart and Wilkerson have three children together.
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