Melissa Joan Hart Wants Friends at Her 50th Birthday, Not Her Funeral

Hart said her husband had suggested letting the occasion pass quietly. She disagreed, arguing that turning 50 is an accomplishment after years of trying to live well and stay healthy. She compared the birthday to a wedding because it can bring people together, then recalled asking guests whether they would attend her funeral. When they said yes, she told them, “I don’t want you at my funeral. I want you at my birthday party while I’m still alive.”

The interview also touched on aging and perimenopause. Hart said women do not talk about menopause enough and urged her generation to share information and help find solutions while going through it. She has discussed perimenopause on social media and hopes those conversations will help women who follow.

Two of Hart’s best-known shows also have anniversaries this year: “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” turns 30, and “Clarissa Explains It All” marks its 35th anniversary. Hart said fans have told her that “Sabrina” helped them learn English, get through a hospital stay, cope with bereavement or bullying, and endure other difficult periods. She has also heard from viewers who are now sharing the series with a new generation.

At home, Hart said she is trying to lecture her three sons less and listen more. The family shares a taste for ’90s rock and goes to concerts by Green Day, Bush and Smashing Pumpkins. A day of roller coasters at Universal proved more taxing: “My brain started to rattle,” she said.