Harriet Hayes

Infobox character
name = "Harriet Hayes"
first = Pilot
nickname = Harry
gender = Female
age = 30s
occupation = Actress/Comedian
title =
portrayer = Sarah Paulson
creator = Aaron Sorkin

Hannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", played by Sarah Paulson.

Personal history

Hayes describes much of her personal history to journalist Martha O'Dell in "The Long Lead Story". Hayes was born in Brighton, Michigan to a father who worked in a paper processing plant and a mother, a secretary in a doctor's surgery. She has six brothers, all older and none of them religious. It was her mother, a devout Baptist who introduced Harriet—who uses her middle name because a Hannah Hayes was already on the rolls of the Screen Actors Guild—to religion, taking her to church every Sunday. By the age of six, Harriet was able to quote entire passages of scripture.

Hayes claims to have become 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."

Hayes got her 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. She started at The Second City in Chicago, where she swept up after shows, and later moved to L.A. where she interned with the Groundlings. It was there that she was discovered by Danny Tripp, who got her the audition for "Studio 60".

Hayes stated that, as a Christian, she has no problem with premarital sex - indeed, she has no problem "having" premarital sex. According to "Nevada Day Part I", she was asked for her opinion on gay marriage; she responded that the Bible stated that homosexuality was a sin, but that it also said "judge not lest ye be judged", concluding that "it's for smarter people than me to decide". The reporters only printed the first part of the statement, which caused a media circus, and led gay rights activists to stage an open boycott of the show.

In the series' pilot, Hayes has recently ended a romantic relationship with Matt Albie after they quarrelled over her appearance on "The 700 Club" to promote her new album of spiritual music. Romantic tension between her and Matt is a principal story arc of the series.

Hayes is attempting to expand her career into film. In "The Christmas Show" she is offered the part of Anita Pallenberg in a film about the early history of The Rolling Stones, with the understanding that the schedule would be compatible with her primary TV job.

Harriet is at least partially based on former "Saturday Night Live" comedienne Victoria Jackson [Mattingly, Terry (CCUU). " [http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/2006/11/08/ Blonde, female, Christian, late-night comedian] ", "On Religion", 2006-11-08. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.] , and on actress Kristin Chenoweth.cite news|title=‘West Wing’ to West Coast: TV’s Auteur Portrays TV |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/arts/television/11sork.html?ex=1315627200&en=84ff5d180460f19d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |last=Carter |first=Bill |accessdate=2006-10-25 |date=2006-09-11 |work=New York Times]

References