Smithtown Native Melissa Joan Hart Shares Chaotic Behind-Scenes Look At 'Perfect Family' Photo

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

Long Island native Melissa Joan Hart showed there’s no spell strong enough to tame family-photo chaos.

The actress, 49, posted a hilarious video for her 1.9 million Instagram followers on Friday, Nov. 28, pairing a polished fall-foliage portrait with the caption: “What you see ….. vs what you don’t see. Behind the scenes with 3 boys! #PerfectFamilyPhoto.”

The front-half of the video shows Hart smiling alongside her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, and their three sons — Mason, 19; Braydon, 17; and Tucker, 13 — against a glowing autumn backdrop on Thanksgiving. Everyone looks perfectly coordinated, perfectly calm… and perfectly staged.

Then the camera cuts.

In the next moment, Mason and Tucker are seen rough-housing as Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" plays. Mason wraps his arm around Tucker’s neck, Tucker grabs him back, and Mason responds by pulling his younger brother closer and grabbing his face as Hart repeatedly tells them to knock it off.

Wilkerson can be heard shouting “Hey!” over the scuffle, while Braydon — the textbook middle child — stands off to the side with his hands in his pockets, smiling like he’s seen this movie a thousand times.

The comments section lit up with people who clearly related to the holiday-photo mayhem.

• “I love that they were separated for the picture — that’s me and my brother too.”
• “If you never post another thing, this is good for infinity!”
• “This is the most realistic Thanksgiving I have seen posted!”
• “You are so real for sharing this.”
• “The way she’s shorter than them but broke up the fight is so great.”

Hart was born in Smithtown and has been a household name since childhood. She’s best known for starring in “Clarissa Explains It All,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and the sitcom “Melissa & Joey.”

She continues to act, direct, and share glimpses of family life with her fans — including photo-day chaos that parents everywhere understand all too well.

Check out the clip below.