
Mel Harris
Known for Acting · 65 credits
- Born
- 1956-07-12 (age 70)
- Place of birth
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Biography
Mel Harris is an American actress, writer and director, best known for her portrayal of Hope Steadman on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning series Thirtysomething (1987), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination as best Actress in a Drama Series. She starred in the NBC comedy Something So Right (1996) and the My Network drama series Saints and Sinners (2014). Her most recent role has been as Nadine Davies on Hulu's new series Shut Eye (2016)
Mary Ellen Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and raised in New Jersey. Her mother was a high school science teacher and her father a football coach at Princeton University. She spent 12 years in the modeling world living in New York and Europe before stumbling into the acting business. She starred in numerous miniseries and telefilms including Cross Fire (1989), The Burden of Proof (1992) and Grass Roots (1992), as well as appearances on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), and as Senator Rafferty on The West Wing (1999). Among her feature film credits are Brian De Palma's Raising Cain (1992) , K-9 (1989) (opposite Jim Belushi), Suture (1993), The Pagemaster (1994), and Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986).
She made her New York stage debut at the Circle Repertory Company in the world premiere of John Bishop's Empty Hearts, for which she received a 1992 Theater World Award. In addition to her acting, in the last few years, she has focused on writing with her partner and husband, Emmy Award winning writer/producer, Bob Brush, under their shingle Topanga Moon Productions.
- IMDb mini biography by: mel harris
Known For
TV Shows (26)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Eileen Switzer

Criminal Minds
2005
as Congressman Steyer

House
2004
as Barbara Bardach

Stargate SG-1
1997
as Oma Desala

The West Wing
1999
as Ricky Rafferty

Cold Case
2003
as Grace Anderson

CSI: NY
2004
as Julie Rollins

M*A*S*H
1972

Strong Medicine
2000
as Biddy Hightower

Dawson's Creek
1998
as Helen Lindley

Touched by an Angel
1994
as Kelly Rockhill

The Outer Limits
1995
as Dr. Christina Markham

Close to Home
2005
as Beth Murphy

thirtysomething
1987
as Hope Steadman

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
2015
as Shawna

Imposters
2017
as Margaret Jonson

E-Ring
2005

Saints & Sinners
2007

Shut Eye
2016
as Nadine Davies

Cane
2007
as Constance Hughes

Heart of the City
1986
as Anne

Something So Right
1996
as Carly Davis

Madigan Men
2000
If...
2004

The Burden of Proof
1992
as Sonia Klonsky

Cross of Fire
1989
as Madge Oberholtzer
Movies (39)

The Pagemaster
1994
as Claire Tyler

Raising Cain
1992
as Sarah

Imagine That
2009
as Maggie Johnson (uncredited)

The Lodger
2009
as Margaret

K-9
1989
as Tracy

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1987
as Terry

Harry's Hong Kong
1987
as Fay Salerno

My Brother's Wife
1989
as Eleanor Goldberg-Rusher

Out of the Woods
2005
as Beth Fleming

The Secretary
1995
as Ellen Bradford

The Retrievers
2001
as Karen Lowry

Suture
1993
as Dr. Renee Descartes

Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest
1997
as Sarah McLeish

Arthur's Whisky
2024
as Dr. Deborah Wingard

Firetrap
2001
as Cordella Calloway

Child of Rage
1992
as Jill Tyler

The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie
2005
as Mel Harris

Cameron's Closet
1988
as Dr. Nora Haley

Hangman's Curse
2003
as Sarah Springfield
The Spider and the Fly
1994
as Dianna Taylor

Another pretty face
2002

Dynamite
2004
as Faye Baxter

Distant Cousins
1993
as Katherine June Sullivan

Grass Roots
1992
as Kate Rule

Sonic Impact
2000
as Co-Pilot Jennifer Blake

Welcome to Paradise
1995
as Claire

Wind Dancer
1993
as Susan Allen

King of Knives
2020
as Kathy

Purple Heart
2005
as Dr. Harrison

The Mumbo Jumbo
2000
as Dolly Bird
A Case for Life
1996
as LIz Hemmitt

Out of Time
2000
as Annie Epson

What Kind of Mother Are You?
1996
as Laura Hyler
With Hostile Intent
1993
as Kathy Arnold

Sharon's Secret
1995
as Laurel O'Connor

Broken Lullaby
1994
as Jordan Kirkland

Ultimate Betrayal
1994
as Susan Rodgers

Queen of Knives
2023
as Kathy

Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story
1993
as Allison Wilcox
About Mel Harris
Mel Harris is an American actress, writer and director, best known for her portrayal of Hope Steadman on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning series Thirtysomething (1987), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination as best Actress in a Drama Series. She starred in the NBC comedy Something So Right (1996) and the My Network drama series Saints and Sinners (2014). Her most recent role has been as Nadine Davies on Hulu's new series Shut Eye (2016) Mary Ellen Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and raised in New Jersey. Her… With 65 credits spanning from 1972 to 2024, Mel Harris has appeared in 39 films and 26 TV shows.
Fans searching for Mel Harris movies, Mel Harris filmography, or the latest projects starring Mel Harris can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Mel Harris Movies
- The Pagemaster (1994) — as Claire Tyler
- Raising Cain (1992) — as Sarah
- Imagine That (2009) — as Maggie Johnson (uncredited)
- The Lodger (2009) — as Margaret
- K-9 (1989) — as Tracy
Where to Watch Mel Harris Films
Most Mel Harris movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Mel Harris, check our movies catalogue and browse page.