Hannah
I was born in Brighton, Michigan to a father who worked in a paper processing plant and my mother, a secretary for a surgeon. We had a small house with seven kids, a devout mother and a far-from-devout father who'd started to drink when he was laid off from the paper plant. I was good at diffusing tension in our house.
My parents are both dead...When I was fifteen, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and died soon after. After my mother's death, the Women United Through Faith looked out for me. I remain involved with the group to this day.
I was named after Hannah, the biblical figure who prayed to God that if she conceived a child, she would give that child back to God. However, I go by Harriet (my middle name) because there was already a Hannah Hayes in the Screen Actors Guild.
I have six brothers, all older and none of them religious. It was my mother, a devout Baptist who introduced me to religion, taking me to church every Sunday. By the age of six, I was able to quote entire passages of scripture.
I became a comedian and a Christian at more or less the same time, at the age of eleven. My mother put me in church plays and one time I just went up on a line and to cover I went into a Judy Holliday impression. There was stunned silence until the minister burst out laughing, and I looked and I saw the pride on my mother's face, and I told her I was ready to accept Christ and I was baptised.
Act II
Harriet
I got my Bachelor's in music at Rutgers University on an academic scholarship and was offered a scholarship for a Master's degree in music at Kansas State University, but turned it down in order to pursue a career in comedy. I started at the Second City in Chicago, where I swept up after shows, and later moved to L.A. where I interned with the Groundlings.
During my time with the Groundlings, I was discovered by Danny Tripp when he was a segment producer for Studio 60. He urged me to audition for Wes Mendel, then Executive Producer of Studio 60. Wes added me to the cast, but it wasn't until Matt started writing specifically for me that became a success. It was also then that Matthew and I began our first (of many) romantic relationship together.
Act III
Mommy
Even though I am an actress foremost, I also sing and dance. Actually, my rise in comedy probably has a lot to do with the fact that no one would hire me as a ballerina *chuckle*...I've continued my interest in music by recording a Christian album. An appearance on The 700 Club to promote my album caused tension between Matt and me, eventually leading to our most recent break up...well, that and the Dodger's game incident...
I've just finished filming my first movie. I'm playing the part of Anita Pallenberg in a film about the early history of The Rolling Stones, directed by former Studio 60 writer, and another former flame, Luke Scott. Luke and I dated briefly during the filming, but I soon realized what a huge mistake that was. Luke dumped me, but I was on my way out of it anyway because he's not the one I was really in love with...
Last year Matt and I decided to give our relationship another chance. I recently gave birth to our first child, a son, Nicholas Albie. And in June Matthew dropped to one knee on the beach in Hawaii and asked me to be his wife!
And...
...you should know...
...I just love him!