# Mel Harris

Mel Harris (born July 12, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 1990.

## Early life and education

Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the daughter to Mary Michael "Mike", a high-school science teacher, and Warren Harris, football coach at Bethlehem High School and Princeton University. Harris grew up in North Brunswick, New Jersey and graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1974.

## Career

In 1985, shortly before her 1986 acting debut, Harris appeared as a regular contestant on the Dick Clark-hosted syndicated game show The $100,000 Pyramid, credited as Mel Kennerly – her third husband's surname. She returned to the game show in 1991, as a celebrity on the John Davidson-hosted show, with a clip of her win in 1985 shown in a flashback.

### Television

Harris made her television debut in 1986, with a small role as a character's girlfriend in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. After appearances in a single episode each of three other series over 1986–1987, Harris had her first starring role, as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991). The series received critical acclaim during its run, with Harris nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1990. She directed one episode during the final season.
In 1989, Harris played real-life victim Madge Oberholtzer in the miniseries Cross of Fire. In the 1990s, Harris had many leading roles in made-for-TV movies and miniseries, include The Burden of Proof (1992), Ultimate Betrayal (1994) and The Women of Spring Break (1995). From 1996 to 1998, she starred with Jere Burns in the NBC sitcom Something So Right. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
Harris has appeared in a number of television series in 2000s, including Touched by an Angel, Stargate SG-1, The West Wing, JAG, House, and Criminal Minds. In 2007, she was a regular cast member in the MyNetworkTV limited-run serial Saints & Sinners. At that time, she began working as a writer. She was executive producer and creator of 2012 ABC drama pilot Scruples based on the 1978 novel by Judith Krantz. After a six-year hiatus, Harris returned to television in 2013, appearing in the two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2016, Harris starred in the first season of Hulu drama series Shut Eye, and from 2017 to 2018 had a recurring role in the Bravo comedy series Imposters.
In January 2020, ABC ordered a sequel for Thirtysomething, with Harris set to return alongside original co-stars Ken Olin, Patricia Wettig, and Timothy Busfield. In June 2020, ABC decided not to move forward with the sequel.

### Film

Harris made her film debut playing a female leading role in the 1987 action film Wanted: Dead or Alive starring Rutger Hauer. During the time that she was appearing on Thirtysomething, she also starred in the horror film Cameron's Closet (1988) and action comedy K-9 (1989). That same year, Harper's Bazaar named her one of "America's 10 Most Beautiful Women".
She co-starred in the 1992 psychological horror-thriller film Raising Cain, and the following year played the leading role in the thriller film Suture. Other film credits include The Pagemaster (1994), Hangman's Curse (2003), and The Lodger (2009).

## Personal life

Harris has been married six times. She was married to David Silbergeld from 1978 to 1979; Brian Kilcommons from 1980 to 1982; photographer David Hume Kennerly from 1983 to 1988 (with whom she had son); actor Cotter Smith from 1988 to 1996 with whom she has a daughter; and Michael Toomey from 2001 to 2006. She has been married to screenwriter and producer Bob Brush since 2009.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Terry | |
| 1988 | Cameron's Closet | Nora Haley | |
| 1989 | K-9 | Tracy | |
| 1992 | Raising Cain | Sarah | |
| 1993 | Distant Cousins | Katherine June Sullivan | |
| 1993 | Suture | Dr. Renee Descartes | |
| 1993 | Wind Dancer | Susan Allen | |
| 1994 | The Pagemaster | Claire Tyler | |
| 2000 | Sonic Impact | Co-Pilot Jennifer Blake | |
| 2001 | Firetrap | Cordelia Calloway | |
| 2003 | Hangman's Curse | Sarah Springfield | |
| 2004 | Dynamite | Faye Baxter | |
| 2005 | The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie | Mel Harris | Cameo appearance |
| 2005 | Purple Heart | Dr. Harrison | |
| 2006 | Arc | Charlie | |
| 2009 | The Lodger | Margaret | |
| 2009 | Imagine That | Maggie Johnson | Uncredited |
| 2020 | King of Knives | Kathy | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Girlfriend | Episode: "A Very Happy Ending" |
| 1986 | Heart of the City | Anne | Episode: "Working Without a Net" |
| 1986 | The Wizard | Jane Whittier | Episode: "Trouble in the Stars" |
| 1987 | Rags to Riches | Jessica | Episode: "First Love" |
| 1989 | Cross of Fire | Madge Oberholtzer' | Television film |
| 1989 | My Brother's Wife | Eleanor Goldberg-Rusher | Television film |
| 1987–1991 | Thirtysomething | Hope Murdoch Steadman | Series regular, 85 episodes Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (1990) Nominated — Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series (1990) |
| 1992 | The Burden of Proof | Sonia Klonsky | Miniseries |
| 1992 | Grass Roots | Kate Rule | Television film |
| 1992 | Child of Rage | Jill Tyler | Television film |
| 1993 | With Hostile Intent | Kathy Arnold | Television film |
| 1993 | Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story | Allison Wilcox | Television film |
| 1994 | Ultimate Betrayal | Susan Rodgers | Television film |
| 1994 | The Spider and the Fly | Dianna Taylor | Television film |
| 1994 | Broken Lullaby | Jordan Kirkland | Television film |
| 1995 | The Women of Spring Break | Claire | Television film |
| 1995 | The Secretary | Ellen Bradford | Television film |
| 1995 | Sharon's Secret | Laurel O'Connor | Television film |
| 1995 | Raising Caines | Julie Caine | Series regular, 6 episodes |
| 1996 | A Case for Life | Liz | Television film |
| 1996 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Christina Markham | Episode: "Paradise" |
| 1996 | What Kind of Mother Are You? | Mrs. Laura Hyler | Television film |
| 1997 | Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest | Sarah McLeish / Judy Taylor | Television film |
| 1996–1998 | Something So Right | Carly Davis | Lead Role, 38 episodes |
| 1999 | Dawson's Creek | Helen Lindley | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" |
| 2000 | Out of Time | Annie Epson | Television film |
| 2000 | Madigan Men | Dr. Ivy Castelli | Episode: "Love and Dermatology" |
| 2001 | Touched by an Angel | Kelly Rockhill | Episode: "The Lord Moves in Mysterious Ways" |
| 2001 | The Retrievers | Karen Lowry | Television film |
| 2002 | Strong Medicine | Biddy Hightower | Episode: "Recovery Time" |
| 2002 | Another Pretty Face | Diana Downs | Television film |
| 2004 | North Shore | Mrs. Jensen | Episode: "Illusions" |
| 2002–2005 | Stargate SG-1 | Oma Desala | Episodes: "Meridian", "Reckoning: Part 1" and "Threads" |
| 2005 | The West Wing | Ricky Rafferty | Episode: "Drought Conditions" |
| 2005 | Jake in Progress | Tally Hughes | Episode: "Ubusy?" |
| 2005 | JAG | Dora Cresswell | Episodes: "Straits of Malacca" and "Death at the Mosque" |
| 2005 | Out of the Woods | Beth Fleming | Television film |
| 2006 | E-Ring | U.S.Ambassador to Spain | Episode: "The General" |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Grace Anderson | Episode: "Superstar" |
| 2006 | House | Barbara Bardach | Episode: "Safe" |
| 2006 | CSI: NY | Julie Rollins | Episode: "And Here's to You, Mrs. Azrael" |
| 2006 | Criminal Minds | Congresswoman Steyer | Episode: "Sex, Birth, Death" |
| 2007 | Close to Home | Beth Murphy | Episode: "Maternal Instinct" |
| 2007 | Cane | Constance Hughes | Episode: "Open and Shut" |
| 2007 | Saints & Sinners | Sylvia Capshaw | Series regular, 61 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Eileen Switzer | Episodes: "Rapist Anonymous" and "Amaro's One-Eighty" |
| 2015 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Shawna | Episode: "My Mom, Greg's Mom and Josh's Sweet Dance Moves!" |
| 2016 | Shut Eye | Nadine Davies | 9 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Imposters | Margaret Jonson | 5 episodes |