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Helen Hunt Profile |
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Birth Date: June 15, 1963
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Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
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Birth Name: Helen Elizabeth Hunt
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Height: 5'8"
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Helen Hunt Wallpapers |
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Biography |
Helen Elizabeth Hunt was born June 15, 1963, in Culver City,
California. The daughter of Gordon, a director and acting
coach, and Jane, a photographer, Helen knew from the age of
6 that she wanted to pursue an acting career.
The Hunt family moved to New York when Helen was three years
old, and by the time they returned to Los Angeles, Helen had
already had an agent and studied acting; her perseverance
and hard work ethic were evident at a very early age. She
made her acting debut at the age of 8 years old, on the
television series Ark II, and appeared in a recurring role
on the The Mary Tyler Moore Show the following year.
Before making her film debut in 1977's Rollercoaster, Helen
went through the requisite television roles, with
appearances in Made-for-TV movies such as All Together Now,
Death Scream, Having Babies, and The Spell.
The Providence High School graduate appeared in shows such
as The Bionic Woman, Knots Landing, Family Ties, The Facts
of Life, and Gimme A Break!, but it was her role in the
series It Takes Two and the Made-for-TV movie The
Quarterback Princess that led to her recurring role on the
highly popular television show, St. Elsewhere.
By the time she was cast in Peggy Sue Got Married, as the
daughter of Nicolas Cage and Kathleen Turner, Helen had
already starred in theatre productions of The Taming of the
Shrew and Our Town, danced with Sarah Jessica Parker in the
teenybopper flick, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and appeared
as Tracy in the film Waiting to Act.
Helen was not really waiting to act -- television movie
roles were flowing her way -- but she was waiting for her
big, breakthrough role. After her role in 1987's Project X,
where she co-starred with Matthew Broderick (whom she dated
off-screen for a couple of years), she was cast in the film
Next of Kin, Only You, and the Made-for-TV movies Murder in
New Hampshire and Into the Badlands.
Finally in 1992, Helen was given the chance to show her
remarkable acting skills in the 1992 film, The Waterdance.
Considered her best film work to date, Helen had made the
leap from low-budget Made-for-TV movies to the big leagues.
1992 was also the year Helen starred in Mr. Saturday Night
and Bob Roberts, but most importantly, it was the year she
was cast as Jamie Buchman, wife of Paul Reiser in the NBC
sitcom, Mad About You. Although she was plagued with the
title of a "television actress" for years, it was in Mad
About You that Helen's charm and comedic talent were
showcased. The role garnered the actress 6 Emmy nominations,
3 Emmy wins and 3 Golden Globe Awards.
In 1996, Helen entered the realm of box-office bonanza, with
the summer film Twister while the following year she
co-starred with Jack Nicholson for her Oscar-winning
performance in As Good As it Gets. Her Best Actress Oscar
win made Helen the first actress to win an Emmy and an
Academy Award the same year.
After 25 million people watched the birth of her and Paul
Reiser's baby in the 1997 season of Mad About You, the
series drew to a close in 1999.
But that didn't mean that Helen would no longer be busy. She
and long-time companion Hank Azaria exchanged wedding vows
in the summer of 1999, and separated a year later.
As for her movie career, Helen can be considered one of the
most in-demand actresses today, with a string of movies in
2000. She appeared in Dr. T. and the Women, along with a
bevy of actresses, and starred alongside Kevin Spacey in Pay
it Forward. She will next be co-starring with Mel Gibson in
the romantic comedy, What Women Want and co-starring with
Tom Hanks in the much anticipated Cast Away.
Next up for Helen: the film From Alice to Ocean; the
hush-hush Woody Allen film, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,
co-starring Charlize Theron; and the comedy Timepiece.
Named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in
the World", the actress/director/producer has successfully
made her way from the boob tube to the silver screen, and is
probably one of Hollywood's busiest ladies. |
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Other
Information |
Graduated from Providence High School in Burbank,
California.
She and her "Mad About You" (1992) co-star, Paul Reiser,
were both given $1,000,000 per episode salaries for the 1999
TV season.
Attended UCLA for 1 month.
Celebrates Thanksgiving every year with Anthony Edwards.
Did a guest voice on "The Simpsons" (1989) in episode: #9.16
"Dumbbell Indemnity", as Moe's girlfriend, Renee. The voice
of Moe is Hank Azaria, Helen's real life love at that time.
Got role in Twister (1996) based on her performance in The
Waterdance (1992).
Daughter of Gordon Hunt.
One of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. [1998]
Got the lead in _As Good As It Gets (1997)_ after Holly
Hunter turned it down.
After divorcing Hank Azaria, moved to New York, intending to
do theater work (esp. Shakespeare). [2000]
Dated Eric Stoltz, her The Waterdance (1992) co-star.
Has won Four Emmys, four Golden Globes, a Blockbuster Award,
two Screen Actors Guild awards, four American Comedy Awards,
three Viewers for Quality Television Awards, and an Oscar,
along with other awards. [2001]
Dated Matthew Broderick.
In the early 1990s, dated her agent at Creative Artists
Agency, Doc O'Conner.
Her best friend is Helen Slater.
Witnessed the World Trade Center attacks from the roof of
her brand new New York apartment, and decided to leave the
city right away, but could not get a flight out. She booked
a private jet at considerable expense, and flew herself and
her staff out of Connecticut three days later, the first day
they allowed private jets to fly. [September 2001]
Dating producer Matthew Carnahan [2001]
Appearing in four movies released in the year 2000, she was
in two movies that were in theaters at the same time during
the end of the year holiday season that grossed over $150
million each, Cast Away (2000) and What Women Want (2000).
Only the second actress to win a Golden Globe, an Oscar and
an Emmy in the same calendar year. The first being Liza
Minnelli in 1973.
Daughter, Makena' Lei Gordon Carnahan, born 13 May 2004 with
boyfriend Matthew Carnahan
Beat Teri Hatcher for the role of Jamie Buchman in "Mad
About You" (1992) at the final auditions.
She and her ex-husband Hank Azaria, have both guest-starred
on the TV show "Friends" (1994), though not in the same
episode.
Her daughter, Makena Lei, was named after a friend's dream
which means "many flowers of heaven". The baby's middle name
'Gordon' is in honor of Helen's father .
Has a stepson with her boyfriend Matthew Carnahan.
Frequents Hawaii having first visited when she was 14. Says,
"it's where I feel right. I can write here, think, chill,
get a clear head." |
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