Acclaimed actress Melora Hardin of ‘The Office’ chatted about starring in the science fiction horror film “Clock” on Hulu.
‘Clock’ on Hulu
Directed and written by Alexis Jacknow, “Clock” is the story of a woman who enrolls in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken biological clock after friends, family, and society pressures her to have children.
On starring in “Clock,” Hardin said, “It was great. It was really fun, and something really different for me. I had never done a horror, psychological thriller before. I enjoyed it so much.”
“I think ‘Clock’ is really a fresh conversation around the idea that women who don’t feel the urge to have children, or are getting pressured to do that, are needing fixing. I like that it starts a conversation about those things,” she said.
“I want it to feel empowering for women to trust their own instincts about what is right for them. These women need to follow their own hearts and their own instincts,” she added.
Portraying Dr. Elizabeth Simmons in ‘Clock’
On playing Dr. Elizabeth Simmons, she said, “I like how my character is so sure that she is right. She is very passionate, but I think it is great to have a little perspective, and she has lost a sense of that like so many people in our modern day world. I feel like it’s great that she represents that intensity that maybe wouldn’t do bad with a little checking.”
‘The Office’ and ‘Monk’
“’The Office’ was great, and an amazing thing to have been a part of. It has lived on and on, and it has opened so many doors. It has changed me and turned me into a household name.”
“’Monk’ was also a joyful thing to be a part of, Tony Shaloub is such a wonderful actor and person. It was fun to be on both of those shows, especially since the shows were so different, and my characters were so different,” she said.
‘Transparent’
On scoring a Primetime Emmy nomination for playing Tammy in the Amazon Prime Video series “Transparent,” she said, “That was wonderful, and that was an incredible show to have been a part of. It did so many good things in the world for the trans community, and it was incredibly creative environment, and I just loved it.”
“I just loved working with all of those actors, and being open to whatever was going to come our way. I had a real love affair with my character, Tammy, she was really fun to play, and she was just so certain. She was probably the clearest about what she wanted out of life out of any of those characters, and that was really fun to play,” she elaborated.
‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’
On being a part of “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” she said, “That was so much fun. Miley is such a hard worker, and I really enjoyed that. Taylor Swift was in the movie, and she came in her bus, and she was just getting started then.”
“It was pretty neat to be up close to those two young women, who are amazing musical artists that are making such a big contribution in that arena,” she said.
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, Hardin said, “I think it’s cool because there are so many opportunities in so many different ways. Then, you have a show like ‘The Office,’ which has such incredible longevity. I have fans that are 10 years old, and I have fans that are 65 years old.”
“I have an impressive breadth of age groups because people keep getting re-introduced to the show. ‘The Office’ was probably my 13th pilot, I’ve been acting professionally since I was six years old, so for me, to be on a show that keeps living has been a wonderful change, and I am very grateful for that,” she said.
Advice for hopefuls
For young and aspiring actors, Hardin said, “There are so many options to be creative, and take advantage of those options. As an artist, you must take risks and you have to trip and fall, and you need to mess up, and that’s what part of what grows our character(s).”
“You have to practice,” she underscored. “I have failed more than I have succeeded to be where I am now. The world of social media makes it seem like people snap their fingers and their life is like that, and that is just not the case.”
“To be any kind of an artist, you have to go through the time, where you are failing, and anytime you fail, you need to get back up. You need to keep working and you need to be resilient in this business. That has been true since the beginning of time,” she acknowledged.
Wallpaper line — ‘Storyboards by Melora Hardin’
“Storyboards by Melora Hardin” is the culmination of Hardin’s life-long love of collage, interior design, and storytelling.
“I am really excited that the world is getting to see it now,” she said. “This has been a passion project of mine for quite some time, but it happened organically. Now, we are ready to launch it into the world.”
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Hardin revealed, “Giving and Receiving.”
Superpower
If Hardin were to have any superpower, it would be the following: “My superpower would be to infuse the world with more faith.” “We need more joy and faith in humanity, and we need to go forward in our lives with that perspective,” she said.
Success
On her definition of the word success, Hardin said, “Success, to me, means raising happy, healthy, vibrant, thriving children, and that I have a successful marriage, and lots of beautiful and amazing friends.”
“Also, making people happy, and to be known as somebody who brings them great entertainment,” she added.
To learn more about actress Melora Hardin, follow her on Instagram, and visit her official website.
