Helen Hunt Biography

(Actress and Director Known for Role as ‘Carol Connelly’ in the Film ‘As Good as It Gets’)

Birthday: June 15, 1963 (Gemini)

Born In: Culver City, California, United States

Helen Hunt is an American actress made famous by her role in the television sitcom ‘Mad About You’ in which she played a newly married public relations specialist. Acting comes naturally to the talented lady whose father was a film director and acting coach. Her acting career started when she was a child; one of her earliest roles was a minor part in the sitcom ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ She also appeared regularly in the television series ‘The Swiss Family Robinson.’ After making several appearances as a child artist, she got her first leading role in ‘My Life and Times,’ a short-lived drama series that aired on ABC. Her portrayal of ‘Jamie Buchman’ in ‘Mad About You’ not only won her an ‘Emmy Award,’ but also earned her several other prestigious awards and nominations. Even though the skilled actress was already appearing in films, her role in the series helped her land more substantial movie roles. Alongside Bill Paxton, she starred in the disaster drama movie ‘Twister,’ which went on to become one of the topmost grossers of the year and established her as a bankable film actress. Her ‘Academy Award’ win for ‘As Good as it Gets’ catapulted her to Hollywood’s A-List. She went on to try her hand at direction, making her directorial debut with ‘Then She Found Me’ in 2007.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Helen Elizabeth Hunt

Age: 60 Years, 60 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Hank Azaria (m. 1999–2000)

father: Gordon Hunt

mother: Jane Elizabeth

siblings: Colleen Hunt

children: Makena Lei Gordon Carnahan

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Females

Ancestry: German American, British American

U.S. State: California

More Facts

education: University Of California, Los Angeles, California State University, Los Angeles

Childhood & Early Life

Helen Hunt was born on June 15, 1963, in Culver City, California, USA, to Gordon Hunt and his photographer wife Jane. Her father was an acting coach and theater director. She is of mixed descent.

She became familiar with theater at a young age because of her father’s profession. As a child, she attended plays regularly.

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Career

She made her film debut as a child artist in the television movie ‘Pioneer Woman’ in 1973.

Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, she appeared in various television series, television films, and feature films in minor roles. As a teenager, she appeared in several television series like ‘The Swiss Family Robinson’ (1975-76) and ‘It Takes Two’ (1982-83).

As a young woman, she was cast in a recurring role in the medical drama ‘St. Elsewhere’ where she played ‘Clancy Williams’ during the 1984-86 seasons.

Her big television break happened when she was offered the role of ‘Jamie Buchman,’ a newly wed woman, in the NBC sitcom ‘Mad About You’ in 1992. The highly popular show ran till 1999.

The success of ‘Mad About You’ ensured that the actress got noticed for her acting skills. Hunt, who was playing minor roles in films so far, was now being offered substantial roles. She played ‘Dr. Jo Harding’ in the disaster drama film ‘Twister’ in 1996 which became a huge commercial hit.

Her role as ‘Carol Connelly’ in the 1997 rom-com ‘As Good as it Gets,’ in which she played a single mother who falls in love with a complicated man, earned her several awards and nominations.

She played the female lead ‘Darcy McGuire’ opposite Mel Gibson in the 2000 rom-com ‘What Women Want.’

In 2001, she acted in Woody Allen’s crime comedy ‘The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,’ which also featured Elizabeth Berkley, Charlize Theron, and Wallace Shawn. The film received mixed reviews but garnered a cult following.

In the 2006 American drama film ‘Bobby,’ she played ‘Samantha,’ a campaign donor. The film was a fictionalized account of the shooting of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

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She became a screenwriter, director, and producer in 2007 with the comedy drama film ‘Then She Found Me.’ She also acted in the film, portraying the character of ‘April Epner’ who finds herself entangled in several domestic problems.

One of her most poignant roles came in ‘The Sessions,’ a 2012 film about a disabled poet named ‘Mark O’Brien’ and his experience with a sex surrogate. She was critically appreciated for her role.

From 2013 to 2019, she appeared in many films like ‘Decoding Annie Parker,’ ‘Ride,’ ‘I Love You, Daddy,’ ‘The Miracle Season,’ and ‘I See You.’

Meanwhile, Hunt played the main role of ‘Governor Patricia Eamons’ in the 2017 television miniseries ‘Shots Fired.’ In 2019, she started playing American journalist ‘Nancy Campbell’ in the British war drama series ‘World on Fire.’

In 2020, she was seen playing ‘Ethel Bromley’ in the American crime drama film ‘The Night Clerk.’ Directed by Michael Cristofer, the film released on February 21, 2020.

Major Works

She came into prominence by appearing in the television series ‘Mad About You’ in which she played ‘Jamie Buchman.’ She won numerous awards for this show and it also paved the way for a highly successful Hollywood career.

She gave one of her finest performance in the rom-com ‘As Good as it Gets’ for which she earned several awards, including a ‘Golden Globe.’

Awards & Achievements

She won the ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’ for the portrayal of ‘Carol Connelly’ in ‘As Good as it Gets.’

She won the ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ for ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series’ four times in a row from 1996 to 1999 for her portrayal of ‘Jamie Buchman’ in NBC’s ‘Mad About You.’

She was presented with ‘The Golden Globe Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy’ thrice (1994, 1995, and 1997) for playing ‘Jamie Buchman’ in ‘Mad About You.’

Personal Life & Legacy

She had a brief marriage with actor Hank Azaria that lasted 17 months.

She was in a relationship with director/producer Matthew Carnahan with whom she has a daughter. Hunt and Carnahan went their separate ways in August 2017.

Trivia

She is the only actress to have won a ‘Golden Globe Award,’ ‘Academy Award,’ and ‘Emmy Award’ in the same year (1998).

She enrolled at ‘The University of California, Los Angeles’ but quit after a month.

She was listed as one of ‘People’ magazine’s ‘50 Most Beautiful People’ in 1998.

Helen Hunt Movies

1. Cast Away (2000)

  (Adventure, Romance, Drama)

2. As Good as It Gets (1997)

  (Romance, Drama, Comedy)

3. Pay It Forward (2000)

  (Drama)

4. Soul Surfer (2011)

  (Biography, Family, Drama, Sport)

5. The Sessions (2012)

  (Biography, Romance, Drama, Comedy)

6. Bobby (2006)

  (History, Drama, Biography)

7. The Waterdance (1992)

  (Romance, Drama)

8. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

  (Comedy, Mystery, Crime, Romance)

9. The Swiss Family Robinson (1975)

  (Adventure)

10. Bob Roberts (1992)

  (Drama, Comedy)

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)
1998 Best Actress in a Leading Role As Good as It Gets (1997)
Golden Globe Awards
1998 Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical As Good as It Gets (1997)
1997 Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Mad About You (1992)
1995 Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Mad About You (1992)
1994 Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Mad About You (1992)
Primetime Emmy Awards
1999 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Mad About You (1992)
1998 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Mad About You (1992)
1997 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Mad About You (1992)
1996 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Mad About You (1992)
People's Choice Awards
1999 Favorite Female Television Performer Winner

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- Helen Hunt Biography
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