She graduated from Augustana Academy and later taught English at Washington High School for two years. Hart also worked as a producer and anchor for a local talk show at KSFY-TV, an ABC affiliate in South Dakota.

Transition into Television

In 1976, Mary Hart began her career as a full-time television personality at KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska. She later joined KTVY (now KFOR-TV) in Oklahoma City, where she co-hosted a program alongside Danny Williams called Danny's Day. Additionally, she worked briefly as a representative for a school yearbook company. Determined to pursue broader opportunities in media, she moved to Westwood in Los Angeles in 1979 with $10,000 in savings.

Early Roles and Breakthrough at Entertainment Tonight

After moving to Los Angeles, Hart took on small acting roles, including a part in the soap opera Days of Our Lives, and appeared in television commercials. Facing financial strain, she secured a co-hosting role on the Los Angeles edition of the syndicated show PM Magazine. This opportunity led to a position co-hosting Regis Philbin's NBC talk show First National, which was canceled after four months.

Following an interview on Entertainment Tonight (ET) about the cancellation, Hart was offered a job as a correspondent. Thirteen weeks later, she was promoted to co-host alongside Ron Hendren. She went on to serve as the face of the program from 1982 until her departure in 2011, making her one of the longest-running hosts of a syndicated entertainment news show.