'Dancing With the Stars': Melora Hardin Lands Major New Acting Gig

The Office star Melora Hardin is joining the Hallmark Channel family in a new romantic comedy. Hot off her performance on Dancing With the Stars, Hardin was cast as a romance novelist in Love, Classified. The movie is expected to air later this spring.

The project is already in production in Vancouver, Deadline reported on Feb. 15. Hardin plays Emilia, a romance novelist who suddenly re-enters the lives of her adult children Taylor (Katherine McNamara) and Zach (Max Lloyd-Jones). Emilia goes back to her hometown for a book signing and tries to reconnect with Taylor and Zach while she is there. Meanwhile, Zach and Taylor try to find new love with an app. Zach's match gives him the chance to heal old wounds while Taylor matches with a woman who gives her a new understanding of love. Arienne Mandi also stars.

"This is such a fun story from writer Lynn Sternberger, that is ultimately a story of love, family, and commitment in all its forms," Lisa Hamilton Daly, EVP Programming Crown Media Family Networks, said in a statement. "With a cast that includes Melora Hardin, Arienne Mandi, Katherine McNamara, and Max Lloyd-Jones to help bring this movie to life will no doubt put a smile on the faces of our viewers this spring."

Neal Dodson is producing the film. Stacey Harding, who also directed Christmas Sail, A Lot Like Christmas, and Cut, Color, Murder, is directing. Lynn Sternberger (Bluff City Law) wrote the script.

Hardin is best known for starring as Jen Levinson on The Office. She recently starred in Falling Skies, The Blacklist, When We Rise, The Bold Type, A Million Little Things, Scandal, and Killer Women. In 2016, she earned an Emmy nomination for her role in Amazon's Transparent. Last fall, she competed on Dancing With the Stars Season 30 with Artem Chigvintsev. She also starred in the movie Caged with Edi Gathegi last year. 

Katherine McNamara starred on Arrow as Mia Smoak and in Shadowhunters as Clary Fray. She also played Julie Lawry in the Paramount+ series The Stand. Max Lloyd-Jones was recently spotted in the fifth episode of The Book of Boba Fett. He should be familiar to Hallmark Channel fans as Tom Thornton on When Calls the Heart. Mandi recently starred as Dani Nunez on The L World: Generation Q, and has appeared in episodes of Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, and NCIS: Los Angeles.

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