By Brad Bessey, Co-Executive Producer of Entertainment Tonight

I've discovered Melora Hardin.

Of course you fans of "The Office" know her scene-stealing antics on the show as the neurotic Jan Levinson, Michael Scott's (Steve Carell) superior at corporate headquarters who -- when she thought she was pregnant with his child uttered the words, "I am taking a calculated risk. What's the upside? I overcome my nausea, fall deeply in love, babies, normalcy, no more self-loathing. What's the downside? I date Michael Scott publicly and collapse on myself like a dying star."

Of course, she's a big Hollywood star who was asked by Clint Eastwood to sing at a tribute for him -- after all he did direct her in 'Absolute Power.' And, yes that was her in '27 Dresses,' '17 Again' with Matthew Perry, 'Thank You for Smoking' and about a bazillion other film, television and stage credits.

But, I personally, have just discovered her. Introduced through a mutual friend when I wanted to find out more about her daughter's preschool (yes my son is 18 months old and it's never too early to start thinking about these things). I did a quick imdb search before meeting her for coffee and discovered that not only is she a well respected, award-winning actress, but she recently directed, produced and starred in a feature film called 'You.' She didn't write it. It was written by her husband Gildart Jackson, who produced and starred in the film alongside her. Having put the baby to bed, I downloaded it off iTunes and in minutes, I was watching this breathtaking story of love and loss and hope.

Perhaps it is because I just lost my father, perhaps it is because I'm hopelessly in love with my own infant son or perhaps because the film is just that good, I found myself on more than one occasion, fighting back a few tears. I decided to do a story on Melora and the film for ET.

For the interview, we met on a Wednesday afternoon, in Melora and Gildart's Los Angeles area home. I promised myself that I wouldn't start with the question, "So, tell me about 'You,'" but I did.

Melora told me, "I believe that our film, 'You,' is a really beautiful representation of love. If people could walk away and feel more connected to their own family, to their own loved ones, to their own friends and felt like extending that love to them through a phone call, through an e-mail, or through a visit, then I feel like we've succeeded."

I continued, "Melora, you are a successful actress and mother, let me just ask, why would you then turn executive producer and director in a movie starring opposite your husband -- a movie that he wrote? Are you crazy?"

In a very calm voice that is somewhere between melted butter and honey she answered, "It's always been a dream of mine to work with my whole family. I come from a group of family members. My father's Jerry Hardin, my mother is a very well know acting teacher, Diane Hardin and I literally used to sit around the dinner table at my parents' house when I was a teenager and think to myself, 'one day, I want to do something with my whole family.' I happened to get lucky enough to marry a man who is also extremely talented and wrote a beautiful script and I was just moved to tears and um, came home and said to him, 'Honey, can I direct this film?' And he said, 'Yes.' And, we did it and it was a dream come true for both of us because we've always wanted to work together."

Our conversation went on and at one point, when asked what her husband would think her annoying habits were as a director, it was only fair to have Gildart join. With all sincerity, he looked into her eyes and answers, "You have absolutely no annoying habits."

What is clear to me, and perhaps you'll see it on the story that airs on "Entertainment Tonight," Friday, July 17th, or in the extended version of the interview that you can link to here at ETonline, is that this couple is passionate about life, about this film and their love for each other. They took this project on as a family affair, diving in and filming it in just 18 days, turning their own house into a film set. "Every single person on the set was a friend so there was not tension," explained Melora.

The inspiration for the film was a real-life moment the couple had soon after their first daughter, Rory, was born. Laying on the bed, breastfeeding, in what Melora called "that beautiful, blissful bubble of new parenthood," she fantasized about the toast she would give at their daughter's wedding. They both laughed and cried and, soon after, Gildart was off acting on location. He returned three days later with the most beautiful script Melora had seen, it was 'You' -- a story of loss and laughter, of promise cut short and the promise found in shattered hope, of death and life, of family and friendship, of bonds deep enough to survive the deepest heartache, of spirit and faith and fatherhood and the circle of life. So, like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland the couple decided to put on a show. And, husband and wife, mother and father, co-stars and collaborators called on every resource they had and 'You' was born.

The film is one of the first to open directly on the Web. People can get it at iTunes and Amazon.com, or through Melora and Gildart's own Web site, youthefilm.com. For the couple, one of the surprising byproducts of hosting this site has been the community that has sprung up around the film. "People are finding it to be very healing and rejuvenating and life giving which is wonderful," Melora explained. "One of the ways we're reaching people is through our Web site, youthefilm.com."

Another way these filmmakers are connecting with their audience is literally, taking the show on the road, as Melora described it, "Like a band might go on tour." They will tour the country in an RV, screening the film and meeting with audiences to answer questions. The tour kicks off in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the TV home of "The Office" on Saturday, July 25. Other dates will be posted on youthefilm.com as they become available.

If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of this girl and, having met her husband, Gildart, am now a big fan of them both. I thought the favor she would be doing me was to tell me a little more about a preschool, little did I know the favor was in her filmmaking. Now that you've met Melora, I hope you'll go to youthefilm.com to get to know her better. Or better yet, download the film and who knows, maybe you'll get to know yourself a little better too.