Harriet
Hannah Harriet Hayes (stage name "Harriet Hayes", and often called by the nickname "Harry") is an actor on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBS). She has been with the show for the past seven years as of 2006.
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. The reporters only printed the first part of the statement, which caused a media circus.
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.
Sources: Wikipedia, Studio 60 Wiki
Other Trivia
Harriet (along with Tom Jeter and Simon Stiles) is one of the "Big Three"- who are pretty much the leaders of the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip cast.
She can't tell a joke. In B-12, Harriet got into the Falstaff Society, and they wanted her to tell a joke at her induction. Matt tried to give her a joke to tell, but she couldn't get it right. She couldn't even tell a knock-knock joke.
Harriet, being ever so multi-talented, recently released an album of spiritual music.
Harriet is romantically linked to Matt Albie. They were in a relationship, which ended prior to the series pilot episode. He says they broke up over a Dodgers game, and she says it was because of her appearance on the 700 Club to promote her album.
Sarah Paulson is a 2007 Golden Globe nominee in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of Harriet.