[2] Hart began his career as a boy player with the King's Men; he was an apprentice of Richard Robinson, longtime member of that company.
"[2] He served as a soldier in the English Civil War, and was an officer in Prince Rupert's regiment of cavalry, along with fellow actors Nicholas Burt and Robert Shatterell.
[5] In 1648, Hart, Walter Clun and eight other actors, were involved in an attempt to restart the King's Men company during the Puritan Commonwealth, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not succeed.
[6] Just before the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, acting resumed on a larger scale, and Hart seems to have been then a member of a company performing at the Cockpit playhouse, led by Michael Mohun.
As soon as the King's Company was formed in 1660, Hart became one of its leading men; he specialised in playing the male half of witty, bantering couples.