Melora Hardin

0:00Alright, we're live in Los Angeles with the beautiful and talented Laura Harten. Thanks so much for doing this. Thank you. So you're singing, you're acting, you're dancing, you got a little bit of what came first for you? Well, I mean, I started dancing when I was five. I started acting professionally when I was six. I started singing, I mean, since I can remember, my mom said I wrote my first song when I was two. I don't know if that's true. It was about meatballs, let's forget it or something. It was actually a song called Cough and Jeannie about a little girl who was sick. Oh. Her name was Jeannie and she was sick. Okay. So, I remember I did play on my brother's guitar so long that I got a blood blister. I think they're just sitting there strumming it. Cough and Jeannie sitting by the way, you know, it's just like a little teaser for maybe the next record. Yeah, Cough and I'll have to revisit Cough and Jeannie.

0:46Possibly. Maybe not actually. We're talking about the record all the way tomorrow. Yeah. Is this your first one? No, it's my third record, but it's my first one that's released nationally. Okay. So, I'm going to go back to independently the Mallora drama and purr and that dog is just having a nice time with our family. That's all right. But that's fine. He's cute. He's a singer. Yeah. Well, that's the thing with Vaxxis. We're live on location. So, anything can happen. We had birds chirping before. Exactly. So, yeah. So, all the way to Mars is my first nationally released record. It's, I'm really proud of it. We made it. We recorded it live. We recorded 17 songs in three days. And it's got a wonderful through line of just, you know, there we all were in the studio together and, you know, I sang and they played.

1:32And so, it's got a really nice, because it's a real eclectic mix of types of songs. You know, there's some pop, there's some Broadway, there's some of my original songs. And so, it's kind of nice to have that live feel. And so, what are you writing about it? Well, see, I have, there's a few songs on there that I think I kind of found this style of writing on my last record, which was per, it's sort of funny and kind of new but old, you know, and Little Doris Day, Little Julie Lemon. It was a classic Hollywood feel to it. Yeah, a romantic, sexy, you know, funny. And then I also have sort of like the real, I guess, kind of pop. I have like one, kind of pop power ballad and then I have one that's kind of like a, I guess you would call it kind of a melancholy love song that I guess is slightly, what would

2:24that be called? I don't know, like I guess it's a pop kind of traditional female vocal kind of thing. What do you want to do with me? Do you want to go on tour? Do you want to do the whole musician thing for a little while or is it just putting out a record because you love music? Well, I mean, you know, I've been writing songs all my life and I always have been singing and it's just, it's part of who I am. It always has been part of who I am. I've been singing, I have some gigs, you know, set for Florida next year. I'm going to be singing at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center next year. I probably will sing in the fall here at the Vermont restaurant. I have, you know, I just sang in Indianapolis. Really, really rave reviews and standing ovation. I mean, it's so great to get out of Hollywood sometimes. You know what I mean? I mean, I get out of L.A. where people are just hungry for the kind of experience and,

3:15you know, sort of, I guess just, you know, what you bring. And they just sort of like, oh my gosh, they just want it. They eat it up and they just sit there enraptured and there's such incredible audiences and they really just seem so appreciative, I guess. And for a performer, there's nothing more wonderful than an audience that really wants you, you know, to be there and really wants to hear what you have just said. And I'm just saying about and wants to hear your stories that you tell. And, you know, so it was really quite a lovely, you know, lovely time. And so I want to do more of that. I definitely do. I love getting out and singing. I mean, I was on Broadway last year in Chicago as Roxy Hart and that was just sort of a dream come true because I got to sing, dance and act, three of my passions. And I definitely can't wait to get back on Broadway.

4:03I can't wait to get to Florida to do my gigs and I want to start singing with symphonies. I know I'm trying to get my charts together to do that because that's really, that's a whole other. It's LA for you. Everyone honks here. I've never seen anything like that in my life. I know. It's either impatience or I don't know what it is. Yeah, we're on a little side street but everyone has a honk. Are you a honk? We'll switch tops. Are you, do you honk? I'll honk if I mean I'll honk if someone's about to hit me. That's the purpose of the horn. And that happens, you know, pretty much every other day. I don't know if that driver's here. I mean I was raised in LA so I became an LA driver so I'm pretty good at working the traffic patterns, you know, weaving in and out and going around the curves in the canyons.

4:50But yeah, I'll honk if I need to. I try not to honk if somebody's just doing a dumb thing because I think I do dumb things. We all do. We all do dumb things. So if you're not going to hit me then just go ahead and do your dumb thing and I'm not going to honk at you. Unless they're just sitting there and you're trying to go. On their phone. Completely unaware of, you know, I try. It happens. Try to be a respectful driver. Much as I can. Back to the stage thing, it must be nice to perform or to play for an audience as opposed to just a TV camera and the crew standing behind you. It is. Yeah, I mean, you know, for an actor, you know, singer, performer, there's just nothing more gratifying than that instant, just instant response. You know exactly when you're funny because they laugh. You know exactly when they're moved because you can feel the energy in the room.

5:37You can feel everyone getting emotional. You know exactly. Even when you're, you know, when you're doing live gig singing, you can feel that too. My live show is definitely kind of an emotional ride. So you really get to feel when people are just crying and when they're laughing and when they're moved. So it's really gratifying. From the acting side, do you prefer being able to do five takes or do you prefer the stage environment? They're very different and so they require different skill sets. You know, there's, there is something wonderful about being able to take a character from start to finish and really follow the arc of that dramatic, you know, rise and fall. So you really get the beginning, the middle and the end, every night when you're on stage. And that's very fulfilling because you go on a journey and you get to complete that journey.

6:25And when you're doing film and television, you're kind of, it's all broken up, you know. So you're doing the end first and the middle last and, you know. But there's a whole different skill set that you need when you're doing film and television, which is just being able to kind of instantaneously get yourself to the right place, the right place in the story, the right place emotionally for the character. And I find that also exciting in a different way. And also I think fun to go and either with the TV show or with film to go and see kind of what became of it. What's the process like as an actor? How's it different for you? Well, I mean, it's, you know, part of when you're doing stage, you kind of get on a wave and you kind of know where you're starting and you get on that wave and you kind of ride

7:14the wave and it just takes you somewhere. And that can be really different every time. But when you're doing film and television, it's more like, it's more about the moment. It's really about where you've just come from, where you're going, which is similar stuff you do on stage, of course, but because you're just doing one scene and then you're doing another scene out of context, it's really about sort of compartmentalizing and breaking it down and then again letting it go. So it's a little different. It's quite a bit different actually. Yeah, I would think so. Yeah. You played quite a few characters people who recognized over the years, but I think most famously recently, at least it's Jan from the Office.

8:00Yeah. What's your favorite scene from that show? What was the most fun for you? Oh, the dinner party episode. That was hard to watch on TV because you just feel for everyone. That's my favorite episode just because I remember sitting there watching that show and being like, this is awkward. Yeah, yeah. So like that really tested you as an actor, I would think. Well, I mean, it was one of those wonderful things where, you know, Jean and Lee Eisenberg and Jean Spunitsky. Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Jean. I always say it wrong. But they're a wonderful writing team and they really get Jan and they wrote the dinner party and boy, that was just talk about a wave. I mean, I just, she is, I mean that character, when you play the character as long as I did, you know, for six seasons I did, she just, you kind of get her, you know her. You don't really have to think, you just kind of know what she's going to do, where she's going to go.

8:45You kind of hook into who she is. And they gave me such a wonderful, meaty material on that show that I really just kind of, I just kind of got on that wave and just, you know, took a ride and Steven and I had so much fun, you know, playing off of each other. You know, he gave, you know, I think a lot of acting is giving gifts and receiving gifts, you know, and I certainly gave him a lot of gifts and he gave me a lot of gifts. We had a lot of fun. And what was the plan? Are you still on the show or how's that going? I haven't been a regular for the last two seasons. Yeah. I've officially called and, you know, inquired about my availability for that season. So I know for sure I'm definitely doing one episode and maybe more. Oh, that'll be fun. Yeah, so it's Steve's last season so I guess they need to wrap up the jam. Yeah. My goal is to start that fair enough.

9:30And your directorial debut recently? Yes. You have a film. Yes, exactly. Tell us about that for those who don't know. Well, I directed a movie that my husband wrote. It's called You and we have a website which is youthefilm.com. People can go, they can see the trailer, they can buy it on Amazon, iTunes, and I think iTunes, Netflix, I think it's now there and also our website. And it's a film that my husband wrote inspired by a moment in our lives when we had our first daughter and sort of that wonderful blissful time for new parents when the world is kind of perfection. And then he had to go off on location and he kind of, I guess, imagined what would it be like if, you know, if my wife, my soulmate was not there to raise this daughter on our own. And so he basically went into that place and kind of channeled that experience, I guess.

10:20And wonderfully wrote this beautiful love story about love and loss and, you know, the main character played by my husband keeps his wife very much alive in his imagination. There are two dance sequences in the film and I play the wife and I also directed the film. We co-produced the film, we made it with our own money, we shot it in 18 days. Our daughters are in the film, lots of great film friends like Brenda Strong and Joly Fisher and Alison Mack and... People recognize all these people, and Paul Cole wrote the title song for the movie who is one of my best friends. So lots of really amazing talent came together. How different is that from work? Colin Hay also sings a song on the soundtrack. How different is that for you, you know, doing it all yourself, low budget and having all

11:07the equipment being in charge of everything is supposed to, you know, movie like Handemontana where you don't get bigger budget than that. I mean personally, I'm just one of those people that really loves when all cylinders are firing. I really like it when everything that I've spent my life, you know, building, I mean, I started acting professionally when I was six, I come from a family of actors. I've been on zillions and zillions of sets, so I've worked with the directors, the bad directors, the great directors, and there was just something about being, you know, producer, director, star, wife, mom, craft service, you know, hair and makeup. I mean, we did it all. We used our own home for protection office in one of our main locations. There was something about that, though it was stressful and exhausting and tiring and hard. I really love that kind of like get my hands dirty, nitty gritty, get it done.

11:58I mean, it was, I would say it was definitely a highlight in my life. In my career, it was like a family adventure that we went on together. It was sort of similar to being on Broadway, you know, eight shows a week dancing, singing and acting. You just all cylinders have to be cliring. There's no like moment that you can just go, oh, I'm just rest. You know, I think it's the athlete in me, it's the dancer in me. You know, I just want to, I want to give it 110% and I want a reason to give it 110%. That's the other thing. Like, I'm not a great rehearsal actress. I always tell directors, not a great rehearsal actress. Like, don't expect me to bring it all in rehearsal because it ain't going to happen. It's just not who I am. I need the cameras to be rolling. I need there to be, I need something to be on the line.

12:43And then I'm like, there. The more that, the more there can be on the line for me, the more I arrive. There's things on the line working with the monkey in France. That's funny. That's a good sign right here. Yeah, I think that monkey bit me actually. No, that wasn't, no, it wasn't that. I did another show years ago where the monkey bit me. I have worked with so many animals. I worked with so many animals in my life. I did a series when I was nine called Thunder about a black stallion that came to me when I called. It was a Saturday morning show for kids. And I worked with, I mean, I worked with Mountain Lions, Bears, you know, horses, lions, tigers, pigs. I worked with everything. And wrestlers now too. That's right. Not that they're that far off from it. I was like, kind of wrestlers on the show. They're great guys. But that must have been pretty cool for me as well.

13:29Yeah, with Big Show. Yeah. I have a movie coming out October 10th. Is it October 10th? 24th. 24th. Thank you. October 24th. It's called Knucklehead with Big Show. It's one of the big WWE wrestling stars. He is such a great guy. I mean, he's seven feet tall, 450 pounds. He's never acted before. And he was so humble. And he just wanted to learn. And he was working with so many great actors. I mean, it's me and Mark Fuerstein and Will Patton and Wendy Malick and Dennis Farina. I mean, it's a wonderful cast. And so he really just wanted to drink it all up, you know, and learn from people who've been doing it for a long time. And he was just charming as anything. I love him, you know. And we've stayed in touch and he's just such a nice man. He really is a very grounded. I mean, talk about a worker.

14:14I mean, there's a guy. The wrestling world is not a pretty glamorous, easy world. They work hard, those guys. I mean, they really work hard. So he's got a great work ethic. And I guess I really respect people with a good work ethic. Not everybody in this business has that. No, really? And I always admire people that know how to work. I think it's a really special combination when you find thoroughbreds that know how to work. What's the movie about before I let you go? Just if people know what's going forward to it? Yeah, it's a family comedy kind of about, let's see, a fish out of water who goes on a road trip with me and Mark Fuerstein. And there's lots of kind of character idiosyncrasies. But ultimately, he's kind of a misfit who finds his way.

15:05We help him find his way. Cool. Well, I'm excited to see it. Thanks. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Appreciate it.