Angie Harmon on the runway for Valentino
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When you’re a jet-setting model, you attend glamorous parties and mingle with the rich and famous. And who knows what opportunity might come your way? Connections are everything, right? Unless of course, you blow it. In her recent interview with Michael Rosenbaum, Angie Harmon shared a rare story about a missed opportunity that changed her life.
Harmon had an acquaintance who was the drummer for Eric Clapton. Apparently, while out one night, everyone was singing and having a good time. This friend, whose name Harmon can no longer recall, told her she should be a singer. Flattered but taken aback, she listened while he talked about setting up an audition with Clapton. When the reality set in, however, she told Rosenbaum she chose not to show up for the audition because she was scared. A month later, she saw the same man and told him she was now ready to go for it. She asked if she could reschedule the audition, but he told her “that ship has sailed.” Harmon said she was “mortified,” then shared the advice the man gave her that changed her whole outlook and likely career.
“He looked at me and he goes, ‘You know that feeling that you’re feeling right now?’ And I went, ‘Yes’ and he goes, ‘Don’t ever feel it again.’ And I never have.” Harmon spoke emphatically about how “transformative” that was and said after that, she never passed up an opportunity again.
She was discovered by David Hasselhoff on a plane
David Hasselhoff and Angie Harmon
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If being discovered sipping a soda at a malt shop — like starlet Lana Turner in 1936 — is the quintessential Hollywood origin story, Angie Harmon’s is a close second. She confirmed to Parade in 2014 that she was indeed discovered by “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff when she was a model. He thought she’d be perfect for the show’s spinoff, “Baywatch Nights,” though — if you can believe it — she turned him down.
As Harmon told Michael Rosenbaum, she was on the Planet Hollywood plane when the actor approached her, and though she was flattered, she didn’t think she was ready for acting, as she’d never had any training or appeared in anything other than her high school drama class. Apparently, two weeks later, one of the people she was with on that plane happened to have an audition for the show. According to Harmon, Hasselhoff exclaimed, “You were with that girl!” and proceeded to convince her to get Harmon in there.
Not only did Harmon get to read with Hasselhoff, but she explained that he instantly gave her the part. The podcaster dubiously wondered how it was possible and what she did to prepare, to which Harmon responded, “I just went in there and it was very Jimmy Stewart. I just knew my lines, and I didn’t bump into the furniture and they liked it, I guess.” Harmon appeared in 44 episodes of “Baywatch Nights” from 1995-1997.
Angie Harmon was cast in Law & Order
Jerry Orbach, Angie Harmon, Sam Waterson, and Jesse L. Martin
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Angie Harmon’s jump from supermodel to “Baywatch” babe wasn’t all that surprising. In fact, it might have been the logical next step on a predictable career path.
However, that path took a turn when Harmon stepped into a role many didn’t expect to see her in, as special agent Amanda Reardon in “C-16: FBI,” starring Eric Roberts. Harmon appeared in all 13 episodes of the show, and — though it was short-lived — it highlighted Harmon as a serious actor who could be successful in roles not focused on her beauty.
In 1998, she was cast as Abbie Carmichael, the no-nonsense assistant district attorney on the Emmy-winning “Law & Order.” Harmon was brought in to fill the spot left when Carey Lowell departed the show. She played the ADA for three seasons — though she left just short of completing her contract — from 1998-2001. She also appeared as Abbie Carmichael in six episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” During her time on “Law & Order,” she voiced the character of Commissioner Barbara Gordon in the animated series “Batman Beyond” as well.
Jason Sehorn proposed to her on Jay Leno
Angie Harmon, Jason Sehorn at Armani gala in 2000
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Angie Harmon might have a very public persona, appearing on both television and the big screen, but in terms of her personal life, she likes to keep things private. In fact, that was exactly what she’d told Jay Leno in March 2000, when he asked if she was dating anyone. Which she was.
During her stint on “Law & Order,” she met NFL football player Jason Sehorn at Giants Stadium. When Leno asked Harmon if Sehorn would come out, she laughed and said he wouldn’t. But Leno persisted and said Sehorn’s name. A moment later, when he emerged from behind the curtain, Harmon’s surprise and delight were genuine and pure gold in terms of entertainment value. But what happened next surprised everyone, including the audience. Sehorn got down on one knee and proposed. Harmon, in complete shock, said, “Jason, oh my God, baby.” Then Leno piped up with “Look at that ring. Even Elton is jealous,” referring to Elton John, who was also on the show.
Of course, Harmon said yes, but to make the special occasion complete, Leno brought out the actor’s father, Larry Harmon. The man gave his blessing, and father and daughter shared an emotional embrace before Larry shook his future son-in-law’s hand.
She left Law & Order to pursue a film career
Angie Harmon at the Rainbow Room in 2002
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In April 2001, Variety reported that “Law & Order” would lose yet another cast member. This time the show with the revolving door would release Angie Harmon, who was just shy of finishing her contract. Executive producer Dick Wolf agreed to release her from her contract as long as they could find a replacement, which they did. Elisabeth Röhm would join the show as ADA Serena Southerlyn.
While Harmon reported she left to pursue a career in film, she was also planning her wedding to Jason Sehorn at the time. In any case, both came to fruition: Harmon and Sehorn married in 2001, and the actor appeared in “Good Advice” opposite Charlie Sheen. In 2003, she landed the role of Ronica Miles, the sexy CIA agent in charge of 15-year-old Cody Banks in “Agent Cody Banks.” The spy film was also a comedy, so Harmon got to show her silly side and get more physical in this role. When asked if she had a stunt double, she told SouthCoast Today, “It was me but they were more like posed moves. The stunt guys would fall on command.”
Harmon also appeared in “The Deal” and “Fun with Dick and Jane,” before being cast in another recurring series role, 2005’s “Inconceivable,” which lasted for one season. After a couple more smaller parts in films, Harmon would ultimately settle back into place as an actor on the small screen.
She has three daughters
Angie Harmon with her daughters
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Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn were still somewhat newly wed when they welcomed their first child, Finley Faith Sehorn, in 2003. Two years later came Avery Grace in 2005. During this time, Harmon continued to work, appearing in both movies and TV shows. By the time their third daughter, Emery Hope, arrived in 2008, Harmon had two more series on her resume: “Inconceivable” and “Women’s Murder Club.” And she wasn’t stopping there. In 2010, she landed the role of Jane Rizzoli in “Rizzoli & Isles.”
So, how did this power couple make it all work? While it wasn’t nannies and personal assistants, it wasn’t easy, either. Harmon told Good Housekeeping in 2011, “It breaks my heart that I don’t see my daughters every day, don’t get to hug them and brush their hair.” But her girls were in good hands. In a 2016 interview with Fox News, Harmon said, “I’m so blessed. Jason works in my off season and I work in his. He’s an anchor on ESPNU and now that college football is over we both have time off.”
However, at some point, Harmon realized her girls needed more time with her and she with them. When “Rizzoli & Isles” wrapped in 2016, the actor took a six-year break before taking on another series. She shared with Michael Rosenbaum, “I told the girls that I would never leave them again the way that I had to do with that and I’ve kept my promise.”
She posed sans clothing for Allure in 2008
May 2008 Allure magazine cover featuring Hilary Duff
Allure
As visible as Angie Harmon has been throughout her career, appearing on dozens of magazine covers, getting photographed by the paparazzi, and acting on both the small and large screen, one might think she was anything but shy. Maybe “shy” isn’t the right word, but Harmon has made a point of telling people she’s a very private person.
In 2015, she told Fox News, “I’m very, very modest.” So it must have come as a shock to many of her fans when she posed sand clothing for Allure in 2008. Every year, the magazine features a handful of celebrities who pose in an “alluring” but tasteful unclad photo. Gabrielle Union, Jill Scott, Zoe McLellan, and Ana Ortiz also unrobed alongside Harmon. Harmon’s image features her lying on her side, looking serene among a “foresty” setting, surrounded by moss and reeds. Harmon told People that the shoot wasn’t about selling raunch, rather, “It’s about showing the female body in a positive, beautiful way.”
This was a first for Harmon, who said the closest thing to posing without a stich of clothing for her was skinny dipping with her husband in Bora Bora. And apparently, the experience with Allure was one she not only didn’t regret but would like to do again. In 2013, she tweeted and posted on Instagram the “throwback” image from the spread, tagging Allure and writing, “Can we do it again?”
The actor hung out with real-life homicide detectives in Boston
Angie Harmon in 2010 at the JW Marriott opening
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In “Rizzoli & Isles,” Angie Harmon returned to crime drama and played Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. Show creator Janet Tamaro shared with the New York Post in 2010 that it was more than just Harmon’s well-developed acting that got her the part: “She’s very feisty. She’s a badass, and she’s complicated, like my female friends and the women that I know.”
Since the role of detective was more “hands on” than her “Law & Order” character of assistant district attorney, Harmon sought some real-life experience to research her part. She told Michael Rosenbaum that she went to Boston and actually hung out with homicide detectives, describing a case she witnessed during a ride along. “When we got to him, he was still in his car with his foot on the brake, and he had a gunshot wound to the neck, and he just bled out all over the place.” Harmon went on to share how in awe she was of the whole process that detectives go through and surprised at how it wasn’t all so serious. “I will tell you, those guys are funny,” she said. “And they have to be in order to cope with what they’re seeing and what they’re doing.” That humor was something she wanted to see in her new series.
Surprisingly, Harmon told Rosenbaum she loved the whole experience. In fact, she admitted if she wasn’t an actor, she would be a homicide detective.
Rizzoli & Isles propelled Angie Harmon to the next level
Angie Harmon at the 2012 Gracie Awards
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Maybe it was the inspiration of playing a detective, or possibly it was the years of experience she was racking up, but something boosted Angie Harmon to “next-level” status in her role as Jane Rizzoli in “Rizzoli & Isles.” Of course, it could have been the New York Post calling her “TV’s hottest blue-collar cop.” Of her character, Harmon told the publication, “She knows the difference between right and wrong. She’s not a very gray person and it’s kind of fun for her to go up against people who live in the gray.”
Harmon played opposite Sasha Alexander, who was Rizzoli’s medical examiner friend, Maura Isles. Many early reviewers compared the show to “Cagney and Lacey” and, in 2010, Harmon spoke to MovieWeb about her new show — and the comparison. Harmon had been a fan of “Cagney and Lacey” growing up and gushed, “To have it ironically come full circle like this and now be on a show that people are comparing to ‘Cagney & Lacey’ is very flattering. It’s pretty neat.”
As much as Harmon was thrilled to play a homicide detective, there was much more that attracted her to the role. She told TNT in 2014 that she loved that it wasn’t just a procedural show. She enjoyed all the side characters, especially the Rizzoli family, and the backstories of those characters, as well as their growth.
Her marriage to Jason Sehorn ended
Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn at Nascar Sprint Cup series 2011
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In 2014, a rep for Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn told People exclusively that the couple was officially separating. They had been married for 13 years at that point. Once married and then becoming a family of five, they lived what many thought was the ideal life in which they both took on the responsibility of caring for their three children. Harmon was still shooting “Rizzoli & Isles” at the time, so she was away in Los Angles part of the year and had openly discussed that. After the announcement, an insider told Us Weekly, “A large part of it is when you spend five or six months a year away from your spouse, it gets really tough.”
While this was Harmon’s first marriage — and divorce — Sehorn had been married once before. Of course, divorce is tough on all parties, but Harmon told Michael Rosenbaum, “My divorce was, it was devastating. I mean I walked around with my bible.”
In 2016, Harmon’s divorced was finalized and she was not only moving on from Sehorn but also from “Rizzoli & Isles,” as the show wrapped up its final season. Harmon then took a break from acting and focused on life as a single mother.
She won a People’s Choice Award
Angie Harmon at the Women in Film party in 2015
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When “Rizzoli & Isles” premiered in July 2010, the show became a quick hit, both in the ratings and with fans. Per TV Insider, TNT reported in a press release that the show was “cable TV’s #1 commercial-supported series launch of all time,” with 7.6 million viewers. For five straight years, it remained in the Top 5 of cable shows.
While Harmon’s previous show, “Law & Order,” saw success in both the ratings and award recognition, Harmon, herself, hadn’t received an individual reward for her work. Until “Rizzoli & Isles” that is. She was nominated twice for a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Actress, once in 2014 and once in 2015, and she ended up winning her second year.
However, she wasn’t at the ceremony when she won because she was going through her divorce. She told Michael Rosenbaum that she was bombarded with texts and messages, and it wasn’t until a friend yelled at her to look at the People’s Choice Awards website that she finally realized her victory. Though she wasn’t able to attend the awards, she was given a moment on set to say a few words to her castmates and crew. Humbly, she told them, “This is something we worked for our entire careers. … I would have loved to have been there, I can’t lie, but I’m very, very happy that I get to be here with you guys because you are, you’re my family.”
Angie Harmon’s deal with Lifetime
Angie Harmon at the Power of Women Press Event 2022
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When Angie Harmon’s time as Jane Rizzoli came to an end, it was an opportunity to spend time with her daughters, something she only got to do about half the time while she was shooting the series. She’d also made a promise to her girls that she’d be home more. That’s why, when Lifetime offered her a multi-picture development deal in 2021 that would allow her to stay at home, she was not just thrilled and flattered; she jumped at the chance. Especially since she would have the opportunity to act, direct, and produce.
At the time of the deal, Harmon was already narrating a crime docuseries called “Cellmate Secrets” for the network. Tanya Lopez, executive vice president of movies, limited series and original movie acquisitions for Lifetime and LMN, told Deadline, “Angie is beloved by our viewers and a proven talent in the crime procedural space.”
Lifetime’s “Buried in Barstow” premiered June 4, 2022. Harmon plays Hazel King, a single mother and former hitwoman who’s determined to live a normal life while also protecting her daughter. “The thing that drew me to ‘Buried in Barstow’ the most was the whole mother caring for her child [and] that sort of primal instinct,” she explained to ET. She went on to say protecting your child is a natural instinct, so she thinks parents will get Hazel’s motivations.
