For millions across the globe, Melissa Joan Hart will forever be etched in memory as the sassy, independent teenager from Clarissa Explains It All and the enchanting Sabrina the Teenage Witch. But where is the teen star today?
Now aged 48, Melissa is an actress, producer, director, and mother of three. She wrapped up her role as Sabrina Spellman in 2003, then ventured to make her mark in Hollywood - well aware that many former child stars had struggled to make the transition.
Conveying her experience to Remind Magazine in 2025, she said: "At that time, I'd heard a lot of stories about child stars, [...] that a lot of them didn't make the transition to becoming adult actors. So I just thought that doesn't really happen for child stars. I became convinced that I had to find something else [as I grew up]."
Melissa remained dedicated to her career aspirations, and returned to mainstream television with Melissa and Joey in 2010, alongside Joey Lawrence. The series centred on Melissa's character, a city councillor raising her niece and nephew with aid from a male nanny. It chalked up a four-season run until 2015.
Beyond acting, Melissa honed her skills behind the camera, directing several episodes of Melissa and Joey. This established a firm foundation for her to launch Hartbreak Films, her own production company, with her mother Paula.
Comedy might have been Melissa's stepping stone, but she's taken quite the turn into drama recently. In 2022, she took a leap and starred in Dirty Little Secret, a serious film on the raw issue of compulsive hoarding, inspired by actual events.
Chatting with Remind Magazine, she said: "I was always terrified of doing drama. I can't cry like Demi Moore or Lacey Chabert. I'm an ugly crier, and I kind of bought into that."
Earlier this year, the courageous actress also took on a grittier role as a deadly mum in her newest film, Killing the Competition. Over the years Melissa hasn't shied away from varied projects, lending her voice in shows like Robot Chicken, starring in a fair share of Hallmark and Lifetime Yuletide movies, and even showing her competitive side on reality shows like Dancing with the Stars in 2009 and nabbing a win on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune in 2021.
Away from the camera glitz, Melissa married Course of Nature musician Mark Wilkerson back in July 2003. The wedding was broadcast on ABC Family's televised special Tying the Knot. Today they are proud parents to three boys: Mason, born in 2006, Braydon, arriving in 2008, and Tucker completing the trio in 2012.
Motherhood has been a game-changer for Melissa, shaping her life choices and sparking her now-famous health and fitness odyssey. Piling on 60 pounds in her third pregnancy led her to become the face of Nutrisystem's weight-loss campaign, shedding over 40 pounds in the process. Her strategy? Portion-controlled eating, pumping iron with her hubby, and turning workouts into group fun.
Lately, she's teamed up with diet brand SlimFast to stay on track with her wellness objectives. Chatting with Us Weekly, she said: "If my kids are eating something I don't want, like pizza or burgers, I can have a shake, and it's satisfying."
Melissa hasn't shied away from talking about her Christian beliefs either, frequently highlighting how faith steers her parenting and public persona. She's graced various podcasts and TV shows to chat about her spiritual journey and moral compass.
Back in the 2016 US election frenzy, she caught attention for throwing her weight behind the Libertarian Party, telling People magazine she was on the hunt for leaders who echoed her small-government, liberty-centric views. Facing some heat, she later stated that she prefers to keep her political views close to her chest, opting to pour her energy into philanthropy and local initiatives instead.
Reflecting on her time in the limelight, Melissa recalled her days as a child star with affection. "I was in people's homes every Friday night for seven years," she said.
"That's a big deal. I didn't appreciate it as much at the time, but I certainly do now with all the stories I've heard and the people I've met."
