Harriet Hayes
| Harriet Hayes | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Pilot |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Portrayed by | Sarah Paulson |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Harry |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Actress/Comedienne |
Hannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Sarah Paulson.
Personal history
Template:Spoiler 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 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" and that she doesn't know.
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.
Harriet is at least partially based http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/2006/11/08/ on former Saturday Night Live comedienne Victoria Jackson, and on actress Kristin Chenoweth.[1]
"'I'm the only blonde, female, singing, born-again Christian comedian in the history of Saturday Night Live. I'm pretty sure there's only one of me,' said Jackson, in the high, child-like voice that is her trademark...."
References
- ^ Carter, Bill (2006-09-11). "'West Wing' to West Coast: TV's Auteur Portrays TV". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-10-25.