Mel Harris

Actor

About

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Also Known As
Mary Ellen Harris
Birth Place
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Born
July 12, 1956

Biography

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A dark, striking leading lady of TV, Mel Harris is a former model who, after a few false starts in feature films ("Wanted: Dead or Alive" 1986, "Cameron's Closet" 1988) and TV ("Harry's Hong Kong" 1987), lent an understated sincerity and authority to the role of Hope, a woman attempting to juggle marriage, children and a career, in ABC's acclaimed, not-for-yuppies-only serial "thirtysome...

Filmography

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Purple Heart (2008)
Arc (2006)
The Veritas Project: Hangman's Curse (2003)
Sarah Springfield
Family Under Siege (2002)
Another Pretty Face (2002)
Firetrap (2001)

Family & Companions

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David Hume Kennerly
Husband
Photographer. Second husband; married in October 1983, divorced c. 1988; worked for <i>Time</i> magazine; won Pulitzer Prize; former White House photographer during the Ford administration.
Cotter Smith
Husband
Actor. Third husband; born c. 1950; star of ABC TV series, "Equal Justice"; met in 1987 on set of feature film, "Cameron's Closet" (1988) in which they co-starred; announced separation in April 1996; divorced.
Mike Toomey
Husband
Investment banker. Born c. 1960; married in 2001.

Biography

A dark, striking leading lady of TV, Mel Harris is a former model who, after a few false starts in feature films ("Wanted: Dead or Alive" 1986, "Cameron's Closet" 1988) and TV ("Harry's Hong Kong" 1987), lent an understated sincerity and authority to the role of Hope, a woman attempting to juggle marriage, children and a career, in ABC's acclaimed, not-for-yuppies-only serial "thirtysomething." Harris tried a change of pace with her next series, the sitcom "Something So Right" (NBC, 1996-97; ABC, 1997-1998), in which she played a thrice-married woman coping with her new husband and their respective children.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Purple Heart (2008)
Arc (2006)
The Veritas Project: Hangman's Curse (2003)
Sarah Springfield
Family Under Siege (2002)
Another Pretty Face (2002)
Firetrap (2001)
Out of Time (2000)
Sonic Impact (2000)
Murder, She Wrote: South By Southwest (1997)
A Case For Life (1996)
What Kind of Mother Are You? (1996)
Laura Hyler
The Women of Spring Break (1995)
The Secretary (1995)
Sharon's Secret (1995)
The Spider and the Fly (1994)
Broken Lullaby (1994)
Jordan Kirkland
The Pagemaster (1994)
Ultimate Betrayal (1994)
Desperate Motive (1993)
Kate Sullivan
With Hostile Intent (1993)
Kathy Arnold
Suture (1993)
Renee Descartes
Wind Dancer (1993)
Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story (1993)
Raising Cain (1992)
Sarah
Child of Rage (1992)
Jill Tyler
K-9 (1989)
My Brother's Wife (1989)
Cameron's Closet (1988)
Nora Haley
Harry's Hong Kong (1987)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987)
The Spider and the Fly (1900)

Cast (Special)

Inside "thirtysomething" (2001)
The Walt Disney Company Presents the American Teacher Awards (1994)
Presenter
The Walt Disney Company Presents the American Teacher Awards (1993)
Presenter
2nd Annual Valvoline National Driving Test (1990)
Hush Little Baby: The Challenge of Child Care (1989)
Host
The 15th Annual People's Choice Awards (1989)
Performer

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Out of the Woods (2004)
The Retrievers (2001)
The Burden of Proof (1992)
Grass Roots (1992)
Kate Rule
Cross of Fire (1989)

Life Events

1984

Gave up modeling to pursue acting studies and career

1986

Played bit parts in TV series, "Rags to Riches" and "The Wizard"

1986

Made film debut in "Wanted: Dead or Alive" opposite Rutger Hauer

1987

Appeared in first TV-movie, "Harry's Hong Kong", opposite David Soul

1989

Played Madge Oberholtzer in NBC miniseries about the Ku Klux Klan, "Cross of Fire"

1992

Made NYC stage debut at the Circle Repertory Company in "Empty Hearts"; played opposite then-husband Cotter Smith

Family

Warren Harris
Father
Football coach. Coached defensive line of team at Princeton University.
Mary Michael Harris
Mother
High school science teacher.
Byron Kennerly
Son
Born in 1984; father, David Hume Kennerly.
Madeline Michael Smith
Daughter
Born on April 3, 1990; father, Cotter Smith.

Companions

David Hume Kennerly
Husband
Photographer. Second husband; married in October 1983, divorced c. 1988; worked for <i>Time</i> magazine; won Pulitzer Prize; former White House photographer during the Ford administration.
Cotter Smith
Husband
Actor. Third husband; born c. 1950; star of ABC TV series, "Equal Justice"; met in 1987 on set of feature film, "Cameron's Closet" (1988) in which they co-starred; announced separation in April 1996; divorced.
Mike Toomey
Husband
Investment banker. Born c. 1960; married in 2001.

Bibliography

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