Editing Helen Hunt (section)

== Career ==
===1970s–1980s===
[[File:Helen Hunt "It Takes Two" (1982 ABC press photo).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Hunt as Lisa in [[It Takes Two (American TV series)|''It Takes Two'', 1982]]]]
Hunt began working as a child actress in the 1970s.<ref name=tca/> Her early roles included an appearance on season 2, episode 3 of TV series "Family" (first aired Oct 26, 1976), playing Robin Trask, a classmate of Kristy McNichol.  She also had an appearance as [[Murray Slaughter]]'s daughter on ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' in the 1977 episode “Murray Ghosts for Ted”, as the daughter of [[George Segal]]'s main character in ''[[Rollercoaster (1977 film)|Rollercoaster]]'' (1977), alongside [[Lindsay Wagner]] in an episode of ''[[The Bionic Woman]]'', an appearance in an episode of ''[[Ark II]]'' called "Omega", and a regular role in the television series ''[[The Swiss Family Robinson (1975 TV series)|The Swiss Family Robinson]]''.<ref name=tca/> She appeared as a [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]]-smoking classmate on an episode of ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]''. In 1982, Hunt  played a young woman who, while on [[Phencyclidine|PCP]], jumps out of a second-story window, in a made-for-television film called ''[[Desperate Lives]]'' (a scene which she mocked during a ''Saturday Night Live'' monologue in 1994),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93pmono.phtml|title=Helen Hunt's Monologue|date=October 8, 2018|access-date=January 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807111504/http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93pmono.phtml|archive-date=August 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and she was cast on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[It Takes Two (1982 TV series)|It Takes Two]]'', which lasted only one season. In 1983, she starred in ''[[Bill: On His Own]]'', with [[Mickey Rooney]] and played [[Tami Maida]] in the fact-based production ''[[Quarterback Princess]]''; both were made-for-television films. She also had a recurring role on ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' as Clancy Williams, the girlfriend of Jack "Boomer" Morrison ([[David Morse]]), and had a notable guest appearance as a cancer-stricken mother-to-be in a two-part episode of ''[[Highway to Heaven]]''.

By the mid and late 1980s, Hunt had begun appearing in studio films aimed at a teenage audience. Her first major film role was that of a punk rock girl in the sci-fi film ''[[Trancers]]'' (1984). She played the friend of an army brat in the comedy ''[[Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)|Girls Just Want to Have Fun]]'' (1985), with [[Sarah Jessica Parker]] and [[Shannen Doherty]], and appeared as the daughter of a woman on the verge of divorce in [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[Peggy Sue Got Married]]'' (1986), alongside [[Kathleen Turner]]. In 1987, Hunt starred with [[Matthew Broderick]] in ''[[Project X (1987 film)|Project X]]'', as a graduate student assigned to care for chimpanzees used in a secret Air Force project. In 1988, she appeared in ''[[Stealing Home]]'', as Hope Wyatt, the sister of Billy Wyatt, played by [[Mark Harmon]] and a cast featuring [[Jodie Foster]] and [[Harold Ramis]]. ''[[Next of Kin (1989 film)|Next of Kin]]'' (1989) featured her as the pregnant wife of a respectable lawman, opposite [[Patrick Swayze]] and [[Liam Neeson]].

===1990s===
In 1990, Hunt appeared with [[Tracey Ullman]] and [[Morgan Freeman]] in a Wild West version of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'', at the [[Delacorte Theater]] in [[Central Park]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Mervyn |title=Helen Hunt Fulfills a Dream Doing Midsummer Twelfth Night on B'way |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/helen-hunt-fulfills-a-dream-doing-midsummer-twelfth-night-on-bway-com-101200 |website=Playbill |access-date=March 8, 2019 |date=June 18, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224173558/http://www.playbill.com/article/helen-hunt-fulfills-a-dream-doing-midsummer-twelfth-night-on-bway-com-101200 |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1991, Hunt starred in ''[[Trancers II]]'', the direct-to-video sequel to ''Trancers'' (1984), and played the lead female role in the sitcom ''[[My Life and Times]]'', which only aired for 6 episodes. In 1992, she would appear in the drama ''[[The Waterdance]]'' as a married woman having an affair with a writer; in the romantic comedy ''[[Only You (1992 film)|Only You]]'', as a travel agent and the love interest of a doll's house designer; in the mockumentary ''[[Bob Roberts]]'', as Rose Pondell, a field reporter at WLNO; and in ''[[Mr. Saturday Night]]'', as a young agent named Annie Well. In 1992, Hunt returned for her fourth and final outing as Lena in ''[[Trancers III]]'', the second sequel of the ''Trancers'' series including [[Trancers: City of Lost Angels|Trancers 1.5]], which was among her five film releases that year.
[[File:Helen Hunt.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Hunt signs autographs for fans outside the 1994 Emmy Awards rehearsal]]
Hunt came to prominence in North America with the sitcom ''[[Mad About You]]'' (1992–99), in which she starred opposite [[Paul Reiser]], as a public relations specialist and one half of a couple in NYC. She went on to win Emmy Awards for her performances in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999.<ref name=tca/> For the show's final season, Reiser and Hunt received $1&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1|1999|r=1}}}} million today) per episode.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E7D81338F937A15750C0A96E958260 |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; NBC Signs Deal to Keep 'Mad About You' for Another Season |first=Bill |last=Carter |date=March 24, 1998 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=March 24, 2008}}</ref> She directed several episodes of ''Mad About You'', including the series finale.

In 1995, Hunt played the wife of an ex-con living in [[Queens, NYC|Queens]], alongside [[Nicolas Cage]], in ''[[Kiss of Death (1995 film)|Kiss of Death]]'', a very loosely based remake of the [[Kiss of Death (1947 film)|1947 film noir classic]] of the same name. In the disaster action film ''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]'' (1996), Hunt starred with [[Bill Paxton]] as [[Storm chasing|storm chasers]] researching [[tornado]]es. Both actors were temporarily blinded by bright electronic lamps halfway through filming, and needed hepatitis shots after shooting in a particularly unsanitary ditch. ''Twister'' was the [[1996 in film#Highest-grossing films|second-highest-grossing film of 1996]], behind ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/twister-2-helen-hunt-story-details-character-death/|title=Rejected Twister 2 Story Killed Off Helen Hunt's Character|website=[[Screen Rant]] |date=June 14, 2021 }}</ref> The film sold an estimated 54,688,100 tickets in the US. It made US$494.5&nbsp;million around the globe.<ref>{{cite web | title=Twister (1996) | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twister.htm | work=Box Office Mojo | access-date=February 23, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602160804/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=twister.htm | archive-date=June 2, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Hunt went on to win the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] in the romantic comedy ''[[As Good as It Gets]]'' (1997), in which she took on the role of a waitress and single mother who finds herself falling in love with a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive romance novelist, played by [[Jack Nicholson]].<ref name=tca/> Hunt and Nicholson got along well during the filming, and they connected immediately: "It wasn't even what we said", Hunt added. "It was just some frequency we both could tune into that was very, very compatible."<ref>Bona, Damien. ''Inside Oscar 2'', Random House (2002) e-book</ref> Author and screenwriter Andrew Horton described their on-screen relationship as being like "fire and ice, oil and water&mdash;seemingly complete opposites".<ref>Horton, Andrew. ''Laughing Out Loud: Writing the Comedy-centered Screenplay'', Univ. of California Press (2000) p. 64</ref> Nonetheless, Hunt was Nicholson's perfect counterpart, and delivered "a simply stunning performance", wrote critic Louise Keller. The film was a tremendous box office success, grossing US$314 million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2185397761/|title=As Good as It Gets|website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref> In 1998, she played the love interest of [[Moe Szyslak]] on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Dumbbell Indemnity]]", and played Viola in [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', at [[Lincoln Center]] in New York.<ref name="ibdb">{{IBDB name|id=45974|name=Helen Hunt}}</ref>

===2000s===
Two of Hunt's four film releases in 2000—the comedy ''[[Dr. T & the Women]]'' and the drama ''[[Pay It Forward (film)|Pay It Forward]]''—were both released in October. While the first featured her as one of the women that encompass the everyday life of a wealthy gynecologist, opposite [[Richard Gere]], the second starred her as the love interest of a physically and emotionally scarred grade school teacher, played by [[Kevin Spacey]]. Critic [[Roger Ebert]] highlighted her performance in ''Pay It Forward'', despite finding the film itself to be "too emotionally manipulative".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pay_it_forward/|title=Pay It Forward|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=February 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129071703/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pay_it_forward/|archive-date=November 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Her other two 2000 films—the romantic comedy ''[[What Women Want]]'', and the drama ''[[Cast Away]]''— were released in December, to outstanding box office receipts. In ''What Women Want'', Hunt starred with [[Mel Gibson]] as the co-worker and love interest of a Chicago executive, and in ''Cast Away'', she portrayed the long-term girlfriend of a [[FedEx]] employee marooned on an uninhabited island, alongside [[Tom Hanks]].

Hunt starred in [[Woody Allen]]'s ''[[The Curse of the Jade Scorpion]]'' (2001), as an efficiency expert hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist into stealing jewels. Despite the film's limited success, Roger Ebert asserted: "Hunt in particular has fun with a wisecracking dame role that owes something, perhaps, to [[Rosalind Russell]] in ''[[His Girl Friday]]''."<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link1=Roger Ebert|title=The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-curse-of-the-jade-scorpion-2001|website=Roger Ebert.com|date=August 24, 2001|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163312/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-curse-of-the-jade-scorpion-2001|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2003, Hunt returned to Broadway in [[Yasmina Reza]]'s ''[[Life x 3]]'',<ref name="ibdb" /> and in 2004, she starred in the drama ''[[A Good Woman (film)|A Good Woman]]'', as a [[femme fatale]] in 1930s NYC. ''AV Club'', in its review for the latter, remarked: "Helen Hunt looks embarrassingly out of place trying to play an infamous seductress".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/a-good-woman-1798201400|title=A Good Woman|website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=February 2006 |access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411232051/https://film.avclub.com/a-good-woman-1798201400|archive-date=April 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> She played a socialite, as part of an ensemble cast, in [[Emilio Estevez]]'s drama ''[[Bobby (2006 film)|Bobby]]'' (2006), about the hours leading up to the [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|Robert F. Kennedy assassination]]. As a member of the cast, she was nominated for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture]] but won the [[Hollywood Film Festival|Hollywood Film Festival Award]] for Best Ensemble Cast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/13th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title=The 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – Screen Actors Guild Awards|website=Sagawards.org|access-date=October 11, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204191422/http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/13th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|archive-date=December 4, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Hunt made her feature film directorial debut in ''[[Then She Found Me]]'' (2007), in which she also starred as a 39-year-old Brooklyn elementary school teacher, who after years is contacted by the flamboyant host of a local talk show, played by [[Bette Midler]], who introduces herself as her biological mother. After first reading [[Elinor Lipman]]'s novel, she tried to interest numerous studios in the material, and her unsuccessful efforts led her to begin writing the screenplay and raising funds to produce it herself. Upon its release, Ruthe Stein of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' observed, "You would think that frontloading ''Then She Found Me'' with so much plot would make it play like a [[soap opera]]. But Hunt saves the movie from this fate in two ways. First she turns in a touchingly real performance, the best of her big-screen career. Forget that ''[[As Good as It Gets]]'' won her an [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Oscar]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vivarelli |first=Nick |date=2023-12-11 |title=Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt to Star in Peter Greenaway's Tuscan Drama 'Lucca Mortis' |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/dustin-hoffman-helen-hunt-peter-greenaway-lucca-mortis-1235833126/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> She's eons better and more realistic in this one [...] By directing ''Then She Found Me'', Helen becomes its savior as well  [...] Hunt knows when to rein in the Divine Miss M instead of allowing her to go into full [[Kabuki]] mode. [She] also coaxes pitch-perfect performances from Broderick and Firth."<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/02/DDII10E0F3.DTL San Francisco Chronicle, May 2, 2008: ''Then She Found Me''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504051957/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2008%2F05%2F02%2FDDII10E0F3.DTL |date=May 4, 2008 }} Retrieved February 27, 2013</ref>

===2010s===
[[File:Helen Hunt face.jpg|thumb|upright|Hunt in 2011]]
Hunt starred in the dramedy ''[[Every Day (2010 film)|Every Day]]'' (2010), as one half of a married couple pulled apart by increasing responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/day-review-richard-levine-fails-veers-reality-article-1.149045|title='Every Day' review: Richard Levine fails only when it veers away from reality|first=Elizabeth|last=Weitzman|website=nydailynews.com|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401203323/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/day-review-richard-levine-fails-veers-reality-article-1.149045|archive-date=April 1, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', the film "comes as a reminder of [Hunt's] talent for understatement, and a wish to see more of her".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-jan-14-la-et-every-day-20110114-story.html|title=Movie review: 'Every Day'|date=January 14, 2011|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In the biographical drama ''[[Soul Surfer (film)|Soul Surfer]]'' (2011), she played the mother of the Hawaiian-born champion surfer [[Bethany Hamilton]], on whose life the film was based. Her first [[wide release]] since 2001's ''The Curse of the Jade Scorpion'', ''Soul Surfer'' made US$47.1 million internationally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2272298497/|title=Soul Surfer|website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

Hunt starred as sex surrogate [[Cheryl Cohen-Greene]] in [[The Sessions (2012 film)|''The Sessions'']] (2012), alongside [[John Hawkes (actor)|John Hawkes]] and [[William H. Macy]]. The role required Hunt to perform multiple scenes of [[Nudity in film|full-frontal nudity]], on which she further said: "Being naked was challenging, but even more than that was the vulnerability. I felt vulnerable because I was naked. I felt vulnerable because we were having such a vulnerable moment in this character's life. This was a real journey that someone had gone on, and I wanted to do right by that."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.popsugar.co.uk/love/photo-gallery/45083061/image/45082981/Helen-Hunt|title=Helen Hunt|last=Block|first=Tara|work=POPSUGAR Love UK|access-date=October 24, 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024233433/https://www.popsugar.co.uk/love/photo-gallery/45083061/image/45082981/Helen-Hunt|archive-date=October 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Her performance was acclaimed by critics and earned her several award nominations, including an [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]. Todd McCarthy of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' wrote: "Hunt's performance may be physically bold but is equally marked by its maturity and composure."<ref>{{cite web |title=''The Surrogate'': Sundance Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/surrogate-sundance-film-review-284158 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 23, 2012 |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |access-date=January 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129001604/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/surrogate-sundance-film-review-284158 |archive-date=January 29, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Hunt played research geneticist [[Mary-Claire King]] in the independent drama ''[[Decoding Annie Parker]]'' (2013),<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/samantha-morton-helen-hunts-decoding-annie-parker-gets-u-s-distribution-exclusive-1200919748/ |title=Samantha Morton-Helen Hunt's 'Decoding Annie Parker' Gets U.S. Distribution (EXCLUSIVE) |journal=Variety |date=December 4, 2013 |first=Dave |last=McNary |access-date=November 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219154627/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/samantha-morton-helen-hunts-decoding-annie-parker-gets-u-s-distribution-exclusive-1200919748/ |archive-date=December 19, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=decodingannieparker.htm |title=Decoding Annie Parker (2014) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=January 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305202654/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=decodingannieparker.htm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> which was released to a mixed critical response.<ref>{{cite web |last=Souter |first=Collin |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/decoding-annie-parker-2014 |title=Decoding Annie Parker Movie Review (2014) |publisher=Roger Ebert |date=May 2, 2014 |access-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504171641/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/decoding-annie-parker-2014 |archive-date=May 4, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> She wrote and directed the drama ''[[Ride (2014 film)|Ride]]'' (2014), in which she also starred as a mother who travels cross-country to California to be with her son after he decides to drop out of school and become a surfer. [[Rotten Tomatoes]]' critical consensus read: "''Ride'' reaffirms Helen Hunt's immense acting talent —but suggests that she still needs time to develop as a director."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771415073/ |title=Ride (2015) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=May 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428122230/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771415073/ |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In ''[[The Miracle Season]]'' (2018), based on the true story of the [[Iowa City West High School]] [[volleyball]] team,<ref>{{cite web|first=Zach |last=Berg|url=http://www.press-citizen.com/story/entertainment/2018/02/15/west-high-volleyball-coach-hosts-miracle-season-caroline-found-book-release-party-iowa-city/338562002/|title=West High volleyball coach hosts 'Miracle Season,' Caroline Found book release party in Iowa City|work=[[Iowa City Press Citizen]]|date=February 15, 2018|access-date=February 17, 2018}}</ref> Hunt played Kathy Bresnahan, a volleyball coach. In 2019, Hunt appeared in the BBC series ''[[World on Fire (TV series)|World on Fire]]'' as journalist Nancy Campbell, a character inspired by real-life war correspondent [[Clare Hollingworth]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/helen-hunt-brings-trailblazing-war-journalist-to-life-in-world-on-fire/|title=Helen Hunt brings trailblazing war journalist to life in 'World on Fire'|last=Starr|first=Michael|date=March 30, 2020|website=New York Post|language=en|access-date=April 22, 2020}}</ref> and reprised the role of Jamie Buchman in the ''Mad About You'' revival, which premiered in the form of a limited series, by [[Spectrum Originals]]. In December 2018, Hunt was a guest narrator at [[Disney's Candlelight Processional]] at [[Walt Disney World]].<ref>[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2018/09/25/disney-candlelight-processional-narrators-to-include-helen-hunt-alfonso-ribeiro/ ''OrlandoSentinel.Com'' Disney Narrators Include Helen Hunt]retrieved 08-21-2023</ref>

===2020s===
In 2020, Hunt appeared in the crime drama film ''[[The Night Clerk]]'' alongside [[Tye Sheridan]].<ref>[https://deadline.com/2018/05/helen-hunt-ana-de-armas-john-leguizamo-the-night-clerk-movie-1202396672/ Helen Hunt, Ana de Armas & John Leguizamo Join 'The Night Clerk' Thriller]</ref> In December 2020, it was reported that Hunt would appear in a leading role in the Starz series ''[[Blindspotting (TV series)|Blindspotting]]'', created by [[Daveed Diggs]] and [[Rafael Casal]] and based on their [[Blindspotting|2018 film of the same name]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Otterson|first=Joe|title=Helen Hunt joins 'Blindspotting' series at Starz|website=Variety|date=December 2, 2020|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/blindspotting-series-starz-helen-hunt-1234844099/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Porter|first=Rick|title=Helen Hunt boards 'Blindspotting' series at Starz|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 2, 2020|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/helen-hunt-boards-blindspotting-series-at-starz}}</ref> In September 2022, she starred in the European premiere of ''[[Eureka Day]]'' at [[The Old Vic]] theatre in London.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cast joining Helen Hunt in Old Vic's Eureka Day announced {{!}} WhatsOnStage |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/cast-helen-hunt-old-vic-eureka-day_57036.html |access-date=2022-08-21 |website=www.whatsonstage.com |date=July 29, 2022 |language=en-GB}}</ref>