Melissa in TV Hits magazine.

August issue of TV Hits.

Here's the full text of Melissa's interview with TV Hits magazine. The scans are at the bottom of this page.

We reckon Melissa Joan Hart is about the nicest witch around! Check out part two of our exclusive interview with the gal herself at sea world!

You're here to film Sabrina Down Under. What's going to happen in it?

Sabrina comes down with her firend Gwen for a vacation and meets a merman. He takes her to this mermaid colony and they're all getting sick. She wants to be a marine biologist and she meets a guy called Dr Martin, who's this great marine biologist, and together they try to figure out what's wrong with the colony. He finds out about the mermaids and wants to research them, so she tries to protect the colony. It's kind of an ecology show, with a bit of a lesson in it. It's a lot more than anything else because of the dolphins and mermaids.

Have you swum with the dolphins yet?

Yeah. I was kinda nervous and it was cold in there! I jumped in and did it. They were a little pesky yesterday and didn't really like me. My co-star Lindsay had her fishtail on - 'cause she's a mermaid in the show - and they didn't know what to make of that. After a few takes they got a little tired and started charging at me! They're really territorial and were trying to get me away. They're really fast and it was a little scary. I screamed! (laughs)

What have you done since you've been in Australia so far?

Gone for a lot of runs on the beach! Went sailing, shot some rifles, went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef - actually I got my certification there! I went to Byron Bay, to a bunch of restaurants. I want to go to Sydney and see the ballet.

What's it like doing the show? Do you ever get bored of saying the same lines over and over again?

Yeah. You know, after the third time it gets a little redundant, but it's part of the job! I have a good time on the set.

How do you cope with the long days?

Peter O'Brien! (laughs) He keeps me entertained. My friends Tara and Peter and my mum are on-set, so it's a good support group. If I get bummed out or tired, they help me out.

There's a few witches on TV - like in Charmed. Why is Sabrina the best?

It's different from the others because we keep it light. We don't ever let it get too serious - we laugh at ourselves, and find humour in everything. It's good fun!

Do fans think you really are Sabrina when they see you in the streets?

Yeah, actually some kids recently asked me if I really was a witch! (laughs)

Do people still see you as Clarissa from Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains It All?

Yeah - back in the States they do. More than Sabrina actually!

What kind of image do you want to send out to all your fans?

My basic rule is that at this point in my career I wouldn't want to do anything that my little brother and sisters wouldn't be able to go to see.

What do you want to get out of your acting career?

I never want to play the same character twice. I try to shoose really carefully to extend my range, but not go to far from the formula because I don't want to leave my audience behind. But at the same time, I don't ever want to keep doing the same thing and get stuck, so I like to find different roles that challenge me, make it fun and keep it interesting.

You were great in Can't Hardly Wait. What was it like to work on that?

Oh, that was fun! (laughs) I only worked on it at night. After shooting Sabrina all day, I'd go there all night and go back to work the next morning. It was tough. but I only shot for six days. There was a lot of energy there. It was a big movie.

Did you hang out ater work with any of your costars, like Love-Hewitt?

Yeah, I'm friends with Love and I know Ethan Hembry. I've met Lauren Ambrose through that. I've known Seth Green for years and years and years. Actually a lot of good friends ended up in the movie too - like Breckin Meyer.

What movies have you got coming up?

I've got a movie coming with a bunch of cute boys! It's called Next To You. A girl and a boy live next door to each other. They're best friends when they're young, and as they gt older they grow apart. After they grow apart, they break up with their boyfriend and girlfriend - to get them back they pretend to date each other to make the other partners jelous.

Sounds good! What happens?

While they're going out, she makes him into the perfect dream date. they learn about each other, and that you can break stereotypes. Just because someone listens to a certain type of music, dresses a certain way and hangs around with a certain group of people doesn't make them bad or uncool. It's kind of about peer pressure and being your own person.

If you really did have magical powers what would you do?

Make it so I'd be able to travel anywhere.

You can do that now!

Yeah, but I mean being able to snap my fingers and not have to worry about getting there!

Who are you closest to on the Sabrina set?

Everybody! the girls who do my make-up and my wardrobe - we go everywhere together. Any project I do, they come with me if they can. All the crew! We all go to church together, we all go bowling together, we all shoot pool together. Actually, 25 of us went away for new years eve. We go on ski trips every year. Everybody sticks together!

What's it like working with Salem?

Oh, fun! He's easy to work with - most of the time.

What's the most embarrasing thing you've ever done on the show?

I don't know if they always get it on tape, but I fall a lot. There's been a couple of times when I fall just out of frame. (laughs)