Melora Hardin is well known for her portrayal of Jan Levinson, Steve Carell’s rigid, former corporate boss and love interest, on the critically acclaimed NBC series “The Office.” Additionally, Hardin was Emmy nominated in 2016 for her recurring role of Tammy Cashman on Amazon’s Golden Globe-winning comedy “Transparent.” She recently wrapped the fifth and final season of the Freeform series “The Bold Type.” Hardin starred as Jacqueline Carlyle, a strong but nurturing editor-in-chief at a high-end women’s magazine, inspired by the life of Joanna Coles of Cosmopolitan. She also recurs on the ABC series “A Million Little Things.”
Hardin starred in back-to-back No. 1 weekend theatrical box office features as the adult female lead and love interest to Billy Ray Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie, as well as the film 17 Again opposite Zac Efron. Her other feature film box office successes include Thank You for Smoking, Absolute Power opposite Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman and 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl.
In addition to acting, Hardin has been singing and dancing since childhood. She has sung in films including Disney’s The Rocketeer and Tower of Terror, and has released two CDs of original songs. Hardin most recently recorded the live album “All The Way To Mars,” her third outing, but the first with a studio-release. The album features songs from Broadway, standards, pop and a few originals. Hardin starred on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2009. She played the lead role of Fantine in the sold-out Hollywood Bowl production of Les Miserables in 2008.
Hardin made her directorial debut with the independent feature YOU, which was released in May 2009. She directed Paula Cole’s music video for the 20th anniversary of “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone” and in 2019, she directed an episode of “The Bold Type” that was nominated for a 2020 Women’s Image Award. She most recently competed in the 30th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” finishing as a semi-finalist. Next up, Hardin directed the four-part docu-series “Thunder, Hunter & Me” which has been acquired by Revelations Entertainment.