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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. After taking on her first adult role in the 1982 sitcom It Takes Two, Hunt's film assignments improved, with sizable roles in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Project X (1987), Next of Kin (1989), and The Waterdance (1991). She also gained a small measure of cult status by appearing in a brace of science fiction films, including Trancers II (1991) and Trancers III (1992).