Melora Hardin: A look at 'The Office' star's rise to fame ahead of 'DWTS' entry
Actress Melora Hardin is popularly known for the role she played as Jan Levinson on NBC's 'The Office'. She also played the character Trudy Monk on USA Network's 'Monk'. Hardin plays Jacqueline Carlyle on the show, 'Bold Type', which premiered in 2017. She is one of the celebrities announced to compete in Season 30 of the entertainment show 'Dancing with the Stars'.
As of yet, nobody has hit the dance floor on 'Dancing with the Stars'. The 30th season doesn’t start until Monday, September 20, 2021. Even still, our users are making their early forecasts to see who is out upfront to win the competition entirely.
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The 30th season will premiere on Monday, September 20, at 8/7c, and will be maintaining the series’ usual two-hour Monday night slot. It will likely wrap up once again at the end of November, right before Thanksgiving.
Early life and education
Hardin is the daughter of acting manager/coach and retired actress Diane and actor Jerry Hardin and, was born in Texas. Shawn Hardin is her brother. At five, she moved to San Francisco and later attended both middle and high school in the San Fernando Valley at Patrick Henry Junior High School and Ulysses S Grant High School, respectively. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College.
Career
Hardin started out her acting career as the young star of the famous TV series called 'Thunder' (during 1977–78) and has appeared in over 70 movies and television programs since. She starred as Baby in the short-lived 1988 television series 'Dirty Dancing' (based on the 1987 film of the same name) and among several others, also played Ross's dirty-talking love interest in Season 1 'Friends' episode, "The One with the Stoned Guy".
Aside from acting, Hardin has a strong passion for singing as well. She played a nightclub singer in Disney's 'The Rocketeer' in 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 also sang the US national anthem at the Anaheim Ducks’ season-opening hockey game on October 13, 2010, doing the same for the Phoenix Coyotes, three days later and at the Dover International Speedway for the AAA 400 on October 2, 2011.
In September 2021, Hardin was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in Season 30 of 'Dancing with the Stars'.