Melissa Joan Hart was born 1976 in a hospital in Smithtown, Long Island. Her mother was named Paula, and her father was Bill. The family lived in a modest house in West Sayville on Long Island. Her father was a hard worker, and did not have much time for the family. Bill Hart’s brother is a boat builder, and money got tight that, according to Newsday, “"At this pace, I think I can continue for only another year," said Hart, who plans to get a job at a boat yard soon to supplement his income. "But unfortunately it looks like it is actually getting worse.”  Mr. and Mrs. Hart were known as a hippie couple in the village of Sayville. Melissa’s parents got her name from an Allman Brothers song, and her confirmation name is Catherine. She did her confirmation at the St. Lawrence Catholic Parish. MacKenzie of Sayville said, “They (Harts) are wonderful people.” Melissa loved her siblings, and would visit the library.

     Melissa is an avid reader. Her favorite children’s book was “James and the Giant Peach,” which was about the saddest and loneliest boy you could find. As an adult her favorite book is “Bastard Out of Carolina” which is about a girl that suffered abuse by the people in her town and had a tormented youth. "People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead." 

     Melissa got her start in acting at a very young age; she made her first commercial before she even started kindergarten, and even picked to act in the movie Crocodile Dundee. She was a child prodigy as well as a genius. 

  Melissa dreamed of a life outside Sayville.

      Unfortunately there was trouble brewing. The next 10 years of her life would be one of torment. In Sayville, what happens is that in each grade a certain small number of students are selected to be hated. Melissa was one of them. "I had a lot of frustration when I was a teenager," said Hart. Matt said, “Sayville wasn’t the easiest town to live in.” One former student. Ben said. "As for the kids in Sayville, they were spoiled , selfish , arrogant and the worst bunch of kids anyone could ask for. I only hope adulthood has changed them. As for me, I'm happy in California and have no plans of seeing anybody from Sayville schools again. Melissa's revenge is her success. I hope she keeps on getting her revenge too."

Melissa enjoyed reading. She is intelligent AND beautiful.

     In an interview, Melissa said that the character Sabrina was like her." Everyone else (in Sayville) was so cool and knew what to wear," she says, remembering life as an outsider in Sayville. "I just had no clue. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I think a lot of that was also true of Sabrina." The reason for my interest is that to a great extent the school and town shown in Sabrina was based on Melissa’s experiences in Sayville. For example, in Sabrina, she is an outsider, and she is friends with the little people, and was an outcast. The bad person in the show was a cheerleader that enjoyed being cruel to people, just like the football players and cheerleaders in Sayville. Her social position as Sabrina was exactly like in real life, as the one outsider of the most hated group that dared to fight back. Melissa said that kids were "cruel" and she was "lonely." The reason why Melissa was able to be so biographical was because she and her mother actually own the production company. Since Melissa is so smart, she even writes and produces her shows! This is why the show is so much like her own experiences in Sayville. 

Here is an example of how her life influenced her work. Below is are some lines from one of the first episodes,  

Jenny - Libby’s not popular, she’s (Head Cheerleader) powerful.

Sabrina- Well how did she get the power?

Jenny- She seized it and as long as there are people backing her up she’ll keep it, it’s all very Stalin. 

      The word “popular” and “unpopular” in the Sayville schools does not have a normal meaning. “Popular” means to be liked, but I found that some of the most “popular” kids were popular for no any other reason than they were good at threatening other kids. 

        Melissa said she was an “outsider” and an “outcast.” According to Richard “she got picked on due to her height, and because she dressed like ‘Blossom.’" Jim exclaimed, “She just wasn't considered one of the ‘cool kids.’” and “People got tired of hearing… how well she was doing.”

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Sayville is filled with old houses like the one Sabrina lived in.

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