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Mary Hart (born Mary Johanna Harum; November 8, 1950) is an American television personality and actress. She was the long-running host (1982–2011) of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up television program '' Entertainment Tonight'', the longest running entertainment magazine show of all time. She was
Miss South Dakota Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as " Doctor" or " Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, ...
1970.


Early life

Mary Harum was born in
Madison, South Dakota Madison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,191 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lake County and is home to Dakota State University. Geography Madison is located at (44.007734, -97.114738). ...
. She was raised in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Count ...
, and Denmark. She speaks English,
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
and Swedish fluently. She graduated from
Augustana Academy Augustana Academy was an educational institution in Canton, South Dakota. The Norwegian Augustana Synod was established in 1870. In that year, the Synod began an academy called the ''Marshall Academy'' in Marshall, Wisconsin. In 1881, the acade ...
in 1968 and from
Augustana College Augustana College may refer to: *Augustana College (Illinois) *Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota *Augustana University College, Alberta See also *Augustana Divinity School (Neuendettelsau) The Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau is ...
in Sioux Falls in 1972.


Career

She was crowned
Miss South Dakota Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as " Doctor" or " Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, ...
1970 and subsequently was a semi-finalist in the
Miss America 1971 Miss America 1971, the 44th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 12, 1970. The Women's Liberation Front demonstrated at the event and Miss Iowa 1970, Cheryl Browne, was the first Afri ...
pageant. While teaching English at Washington High School for two years, she also produced and anchored her own talk show on then-
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
affiliate
KSFY-TV KSFY-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Television alongside dual NBC/Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox affiliat ...
in Sioux Falls. Hart began her full-time television career in 1975 at WMT-TV (currently
KGAN KGAN (channel 2) is a television station licensed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, serving Eastern Iowa as an affiliate of CBS and Fox. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to Dabl affiliate KFXA (chann ...
) in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. I ...
, then moving to
KMTV KMTV-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station has studios on Mockingbird Drive in southwest Omaha, and its transmitter is located on a "antenn ...
in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1976, she went to KTVY (now
KFOR-TV KFOR-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Independent station (North America), independent station KAUT-TV (channel ...
) in Oklahoma City, where, with Danny Williams, she co-hosted the show ''Dannysday''. She also was a sales representative for a school yearbook company. Determined to leave journalism behind, she moved to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood in 1979 with $10,000 in the bank. Hart landed a small role on the soap opera ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...
'' as well as some
TV commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
. Nearly without money, she became a co-host on the Los Angeles version of the syndicated ''
PM Magazine ''PM/Evening Magazine'' is a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States. In most areas, ''Evening/PM Magazine'' was broadcast from the late 1970s into the late 1980s. Origi ...
''. That led to a job in 1981 as co-host of
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
's first national talk show on NBC. When that show was canceled four months later, '' Entertainment Tonight'' interviewed her about what it felt like to be canceled. The day after the interview, she was hired as one of its correspondents. Thirteen weeks later, she was named the show's co-host, along with Ron Hendren. In 1984, Hendren was replaced by
Robb Weller Robb Weller (born September 27, 1949) is an American game show host and television personality and producer (Weller/Grossman Productions). He hosted ''Entertainment Tonight'' from 1984 to 1986, and ''Entertainment This Week'' from 1984 to 1989, ...
, who was replaced by
John Tesh John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. He hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 2014, he has hosted ''Intelligen ...
in 1986, who was replaced by
Bob Goen Robert Kuehl Goen (born December 1, 1954) is an American game show emcee and television personality, best known for his work on ''Entertainment Tonight'' between 1993 and 2004 and as the fourth and final host of the daytime '' Wheel of Fortune'' f ...
in 1996. Hart began co-hosting ''ET'' with Mark Steines in 2004. Soon after her hiring by ''ET'', Hart chose
Jay Bernstein Jay Bernstein (June 7, 1937 – April 30, 2006) was an American producer and manager to actors, such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Michael Landon, and to actresses, such as Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. Career Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ber ...
as her manager. Hart is known for her shapely legs, leading to an endorsement contract with
Hanes Hanes (founded in 1900) and Hanes Her Way (founded in 1985) is a brand of clothing. History Hanes was founded in 1900 by John Wesley Hanes (one of Winston-Salem's wealthiest and most influential business men) at Winston, North Carolina under th ...
for that company's line of pantyhose in 1987.
Jay Bernstein Jay Bernstein (June 7, 1937 – April 30, 2006) was an American producer and manager to actors, such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Michael Landon, and to actresses, such as Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. Career Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ber ...
had her legs insured with Lloyd's of London for $1 million each. Executive Producer Linda Bell Blue described Hart as "the face of ''ET''". On March 29, 1987 she participated in the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania III, serving as the guest timekeeper in the main event between
Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1 ...
and
André the Giant André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...
. During the summer of 1988, Hart appeared in Las Vegas with comedian
David Brenner David Norris Brenner (February 4, 1936 – March 15, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author. The most frequent guest on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' in the 1970s and 1980s, Brenner "was a pioneer of observ ...
at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, which realized another of her childhood dreams, singing and dancing on stage. She continued her work on ''Entertainment Tonight'' while performing in Las Vegas, flying between the cities after two shows in Vegas, the last at 11:00PM, to film ''ET'' the following morning at 8:00AM. In 1991, the '' New England Journal of Medicine'' reported that Hart's voice had triggered
seizures An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or neural oscillation, synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much o ...
in an
epileptic Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
woman. This was later referenced in an episode of ''
Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation a ...
'' and the NBC sitcom '' Seinfeld'', where Kramer ( Michael Richards) suffers from convulsions whenever he hears Hart's voice. Hart has been parodied in ''
Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American animated comedy musical television series created by Tom Ruegger for Fox Broadcasting Company's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, until ...
'' in the character Mary Heartless. She voiced the cartoon character Fairy Hart in an episode of ''
The Fairly OddParents ''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two Fairy godmother, fairy godparents named List of The Fai ...
'' and in ''The Fairly Oddparents''
TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
''Fairly OddBaby''. In May 2009, Hart suffered a broken left wrist due to an accident at home (not due to any exotic activity, despite her jokes about it). While her wrist was healing, she wore various brightly colored slings designed to match or complement her wardrobe for each show. On August 5, 2010, Hart announced that she was leaving the show at the end of the upcoming 30th season, citing that she was ready for a change. Hart's final episode aired on May 20, 2011—ending her 29-year history with the program. Between 2014 and 2016, Hart was a recurring character on the
ABC Family The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its h ...
sitcom ''
Baby Daddy ''Baby Daddy'' is an American sitcom created by Dan Berendsen that premiered on June 20, 2012, on ABC Family ( Freeform). The series follows Ben, a man in his twenties, who gets the surprise of his life when a one-night stand leaves his baby at ...
'', as a fictional version of herself who hosts a morning show ''The Mary Hart Show'' and is the boss of Tahj Mowry's character Tucker Dobbs. On October 29, 2015, Hart made a guest appearance on ''ET'', being interviewed by then-current host
Nancy O'Dell Nancy O'Dell (born Nancy Evelyn Humphries; 1966) is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show ''Entertainment Tonight'' from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019. E ...
; her appearance was meant to kick off a month-long celebration of the program's 35th season. Hart was Master of Ceremonies at the July 4th celebration at
Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore ( Lakota: ''Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe'', or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dako ...
on July 3, 2020. In her remarks, she said, "I remember well the tumultuousness, the tumult, the tragedy, but ultimately the triumph of the sixties. I was growing up then, and those were not easy times – for those of you who happen to be old enough like I am, to remember – but you know what, that was a terrible decade, but we turned out to be a better nation."


Personal life

Hart resided in the
Trousdale Estates Trousdale Estates is a neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California, located in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains. It was developed in the 1950s and 1960s and is named after Paul Trousdale, a real estate developer. , the average sale price ...
neighborhood of
Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Be ...
, with her film producer husband,
Burt Sugarman Burton Roy Sugarman (born January 4, 1939) is an American film and television producer best known for creating and producing the iconic 1970s/early '80s variety series '' The Midnight Special'', which served as a showcase for popular musical group ...
. before moving to a condo in the Ritz-Carlton Residences at
L.A. Live L.A. Live is an entertainment complex in the South Park District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center. L.A. Live was developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Wach ...
in
downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is a ...
and later, to
Sierra Towers Sierra Towers is a residential 31-story high-rise condominium building in West Hollywood, California, United States. located at 9255 Doheny Road, adjacent to Beverly Hills. It was designed by the renowned Beverly Hills mid-century modern architec ...
in 2015. They married in a private ceremony aboard a yacht in 1989 and have one son, Alec "AJ" Sugarman (born 1991), who was a special assistant to
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Donald Trump for legislative affairs. Hart has
converted to Judaism Conversion to Judaism ( he, גיור, ''giyur'') is the process by which non-Jews adopt the Jewish religion and become members of the Jewish ethnoreligious community. It thus resembles both conversion to other religions and naturalization. ...
, her husband's faith. Hart is a Republican and supported Marco Rubio in the
2016 Republican Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place within all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories between February 1 and June 7, 2016. These elections selected the 2,472 delegates that were s ...
. She and Sugarman hosted a fundraiser for Rubio in October 2015. She hosted President Trump's Fourth of July celebration in 2020, at which she was accused of making a white power sign. She denied the accusation. Hart owns two mansions in Montana.Large Yellowstone Club Montana Ranch Goes on the Market for $26.5 Million—WSJ Private Properties - WSJ.com
/ref> One is a 7,000-square-foot home on 160 acres. Both homes are located within the
Yellowstone Club The Yellowstone Club is a private residential club, ski resort, and golf resort located in Madison County, just west of Big Sky, Montana. It is rated among the top 10 lifestyle estates in the world. History Real estate developer Tim Blixseth ...
residential community. Since 2000, Hart has also had a home in Palm Desert, California where she has supported local charities. She is a fan of the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookl ...
and has performed the national anthem prior to games on several occasions. She can often be seen, from the centerfield camera, behind home plate at Dodger Stadium. On August 17, 2011, Hart was announced as the official spokeswoman for the Edith Sanford
Breast Cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...
Initiative.KDLT.com South Dakota News - Sanford Unveils New Breast Cancer Initiative
/ref>


References


External links

* *
Mary Hart's bio courtesy of ''ET'' Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Mary 1950 births Living people American expatriates in Denmark American infotainers 20th-century American Jews Television personalities from Los Angeles American women television personalities American women journalists Augustana University alumni Baseball spectators Journalists from South Dakota Miss America 1971 delegates People from Sioux Falls, South Dakota People from Palm Desert, California Journalists from California Converts to Judaism People from Madison, South Dakota People from Westwood, Los Angeles 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women