Mary Hart

Mary Hart (born Mary Johanna Harum on November 8, 1950) is an American television personality best known for her three‑decade tenure as co‑host of Entertainment Tonight (1982‑2011). Born in Madison, South Dakota and raised in Sioux Falls and Denmark, she mastered English, Danish and Swedish, graduating from Augustana Academy in 1968 and Augustana College in 1972. Her early public acclaim came when she was crowned Miss South Dakota in 1970 and became a semi‑finalist in the Miss America 1971 pageant, launching a career that began in local newsrooms in Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma before a move to Los Angeles in 1979. Entertainment Tonight discovered her after a brief stint on a syndicated talk show and a cameo on Days of Our Lives, elevating her to national fame; she soon became the face of the program, known for her poise, her famously shapely legs—so iconic that Hanes signed her for a pantyhose line and Lloyd's of London insured each leg for $1 million—and her unmistakable voice, which even inspired comedic references on Seinfeld and Animaniacs. Beyond ET, Hart appeared as a guest timekeeper at WrestleMania III, performed in Las Vegas with David Brenner, and lent her voice to cartoon projects such as The Fairly OddParents. After departing ET in 2011, she made recurring appearances on the sitcom Baby Daddy and continued to host high‑profile events, including the 2020 Mount Rushmore fireworks celebration. A convert to Judaism, Hart is married to producer Burt Sugarman, with whom she shares a son, Alec “AJ” Sugarman, and she remains active in charitable work, supporting breast‑cancer initiatives and community projects across Montana and California.