Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt began her career as a child actress in the 1970s. In 1976, she appeared as Robin Trask in an episode of the television series Family. In 1977, she appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode “Murray Ghosts for Ted” as Murray Slaughter’s daughter and played the daughter of George Segal’s character in the film Rollercoaster. She also appeared in an episode of The Bionic Woman alongside Lindsay Wagner, appeared in the television series Ark II in the episode “Omega,” and held a regular role in The Swiss Family Robinson. She later appeared in an episode of The Facts of Life.

In 1982, Hunt starred in the television film Desperate Lives and appeared in the ABC sitcom It Takes Two, which ran for one season. In 1983, she starred in the television films Bill: On His Own, alongside Mickey Rooney, and Quarterback Princess, playing Tami Maida. She also had a recurring role as Clancy Williams on the medical drama St. Elsewhere and appeared in a two-part episode of Highway to Heaven.

Hunt made her first major film appearance in the science fiction film Trancers (1984). She subsequently appeared in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Shannen Doherty, and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Kathleen Turner. In 1987, she starred opposite Matthew Broderick in Project X. She played Hope Wyatt in Stealing Home (1988), alongside Mark Harmon, Jodie Foster and Harold Ramis, and appeared opposite Patrick Swayze and Liam Neeson in Next of Kin (1989).

In 1990, Hunt appeared with Tracey Ullman and Morgan Freeman in a production of The Taming of the Shrew at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. In 1991, she reprised her role as Lena in Trancers II and starred in the television drama My Life and Times, which aired for six episodes. In 1992, she appeared in The Waterdance, Only You, Bob Roberts, in which she played field reporter Rose Pondell, and Mr. Saturday Night, playing agent Annie Well. She also reprised her role as Lena in Trancers III (1992).

From 1992 to 1999, Hunt starred opposite Paul Reiser in the NBC sitcom Mad About You as public relations specialist Jamie Buchman. Her performance earned her four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards from 1996 to 1999. Hunt also directed several episodes of the series, including its finale.

Hunt appeared in the crime drama Kiss of Death (1995), alongside Nicolas Cage. In 1996, she starred opposite Bill Paxton in the disaster film Twister. In 1997, she starred opposite Jack Nicholson in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets, playing a waitress and single mother. Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 1998, Hunt guest-starred as the love interest of Moe Szyslak in the episode “Dumbbell Indemnity” of The Simpsons. That year, she also played Viola in a production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center in New York.

In 2000, Hunt appeared in four films: Dr. T & the Women, Pay It Forward, What Women Want and Cast Away. She starred opposite Richard Gere in Dr. T & the Women, Kevin Spacey in Pay It Forward, Mel Gibson in What Women Want and Tom Hanks in Cast Away. In 2001, she starred in Woody Allen’s comedy The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

Hunt returned to Broadway in 2003 in Yasmina Reza’s play Life x 3. In 2004, she starred in the drama A Good Woman. She subsequently appeared in the ensemble drama Bobby (2006), directed by Emilio Estevez. The film’s cast received nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast, winning the latter.

In 2007, Hunt made her feature film directorial debut with Then She Found Me, in which she also starred. She adapted the screenplay from Elinor Lipman’s novel and played a Brooklyn elementary school teacher who reconnects with her biological mother.

Hunt starred in the comedy-drama Every Day (2010), followed by the biographical drama Soul Surfer (2011), in which she played the mother of surfer Bethany Hamilton. In 2012, she starred opposite John Hawkes and William H. Macy in The Sessions, playing sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, along with several other award nominations.

In 2013, Hunt played research geneticist Mary-Claire King in the independent drama Decoding Annie Parker. In 2014, she wrote, directed and starred in Ride, playing a mother who travels to California to be with her son after he leaves school to pursue surfing.

In December 2018, Hunt served as a guest narrator for Disney’s Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. In 2018, she appeared in The Miracle Season as volleyball coach Kathy Bresnahan. In 2019, she played journalist Nancy Campbell in the BBC series World on Fire and reprised her role as Jamie Buchman in the Mad About You revival, a limited series released by Spectrum Originals.

In 2020, Hunt appeared in the crime drama The Night Clerk, alongside Tye Sheridan. From 2021 to 2023, she starred in the Starz series Blindspotting, created by Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal and based on their 2018 film of the same name. In September 2022, she starred in the European premiere of Jonathan Spector’s play Eureka Day at The Old Vic in London.

In 2024, Hunt guest-starred as a network executive in the third and fourth seasons of the HBO comedy-drama series Hacks.