Helen Hunt: Perfecting her craft over the decades

It remains one of my favourite episodes of television.

In the “Highway to Heaven” episode “Thoroughbreds”, she plays Ruthie a young horse trainer. John Hammond plays a spoiled rich boy who competes at a high level in equestrian. Along comes Ruthie, played by a very young Helen Hunt, who is the daughter of the head stable hand. She shows our rich kid how she can ride the horse, Busepheles, that he cannot. In fact, she beats him at the show he was preparing so hard for. Of course, the sparks fly, they have always had feelings for each other, elope and the two-part story goes from there.

That was just one of the wide array of roles Helen Hunt played early in her career, that prepared her for that iconic performance in “Mad About You” and the great movies that followed.

Helen Hunt was in my newsfeed recently talking about “Hacks” the current show she has a recurring role in.

It brought back memories of “The Bionic Woman”, “Highway to Heaven”; a little known sitcom with a lot of star power, and more.

The early years
Looking back, Helen Hunt has quite a long history in television going back to her childhood. The first time I ever saw her was as the daughter Helga in “The Swiss Family Robinson” on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. It’s interesting because around that time, so the 1975-1976 season, there was also a Canadian made “Swiss Family Robinson”. Because of Canadian Content regulations, it lived on in reruns on Channel 13 for years. That wasn’t the case for the American version, which lasted one season and 20 episodes.

The other notable role I recall from those early years was as Aura, an alien princess. She was being protected by Jaime Sommers from alien kidnappers in an episode of “The Bionic Woman” in 1978. Aura’s stalkers were identical twins Jim and Jon Hager.

Hunt also had main roles in “Amy Prentiss”, playing opposite Jessica Walter, and “The Fitzpatricks”; as well as guest spots in “Ark II”; “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; and some TV movies.

As the ‘80s began, she had guest starring roles in “The Facts of Life”; “Knot’s Landing”; “Darkroom”; “Gimme a Break”; and more TV movies.

Then she had a crack at a comedy with a very talented cast.

Stellar line up
“It Takes Two” lasted one season, 1982-1983, and just 22 episodes. However, it starred Richard Crenna as a doctor; Patty Duke Astin as his wife who is also an assistant district attorney; and Helen Hunt and Anthony Edwards as their teenaged children. I recall Hunt’s character being a smart aleck, while Edwards’ was an aspiring musician.

I also recall trying to like the show, which appeared on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial, but it really wasn't that funny.

That was kind of hard to believe, because it was created by Susan Harris. I loved her, because she created “Soap” and “Benson”, which were two of my favourite shows.

And it had that great cast. I was in Grade 8, and maybe was too young to get the jokes, although I did pretty well with “Soap” and “Benson”.

Groundbreaking
The next role I recall Helen Hunt playing was the title character in “Quarterback Princess” in 1983. She plays a girl who not only battles sexism to be the starting quarterback for her high school football team, but is also named homecoming queen.

Interestingly, in reading up on this movie I knew it was based on a true story. However, I did not know it happened in Canada, and the real-life quarterback princess was Canadian.

The rest of the decade
Hunt would go on to have that memorable guest role in “Highway to Heaven” in 1985. She also joined the cast of the medical drama “St. Elsewhere” from 1984 to 1986 as the girlfriend of Dr. Jack Morrison, played by David Morse.

Hunt also had roles in a number of big-screen movies such as “Trancers”; “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”; “The Frog Prince”; “Peggy Sue Got Married”; “Project X”; “Stealing Home”; and more.

As the 1980s closed, Helen Hunt was making a name for herself.

She would explode onto the TV and movie scene in the ‘90s and beyond.

The years after
Hunt appeared in an episode of “China Beach”; a couple TV movies; and a short-lived but interesting series called “My Life and Times”; before she landed the role that changed the trajectory of her career.

In 1992, the sitcom “Made About You” debuted, starring Hunt as Jamie Buchman playing opposite her husband Paul Buchman played by Paul Reiser. They were recently married. For the next 162 episodes, spanning 1992 to 1999 with a brief return in 2019, we watched as they navigated the joys and pitfalls of their marriage.

Hunt was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, for the role of Jamie Buchman, in 1993, 1994, and 1995, and won the Emmy in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. She was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1992, 1995, and 1997, and won in 1993, 1994, and 1996.

The role catapulted Hunt into a series of big-screen movies, starting with “Only You”; “Bob Roberts”; “Mr. Saturday Night”; “Trancers II and III”; and “Kiss of Death”.

Her career really got rolling with the 1996 blockbuster “Twister”, then in a starring role in “As Good as it Gets” opposite Jack Nicholson in 1997. She ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actress for that role in “As Good as it Gets”, as well as the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

“Cast Away” followed, then “What Women Want”; “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”; “A Good Woman”; “Bobby”; “Then She Found Me”; “Every Day”; “Soul Surfer”; “The Sessions” and so much more. Hunt would be nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in “The Sessions”.

She also returned to television with recurring roles in “Shots Fired”; “World on Fire”; “Blindspotting”; and “Hacks”.

Over time she has moved into writing, directing, and producing as well.

Parting thoughts
Helen Hunt is a force of nature. She has avoided being typecast, by being in a variety of roles. I can’t say I always liked her as Jamie Buchman in “Mad About You”, but she was absolutely heroic and alluring in “Twister”, and charming in “Cast Away”. She was engaging and very complex in “As Good as it Gets” and very deserving of the Oscar for that role.

She has taken years to perfect her craft, starting with all those TV roles in the 1970s and 1980s.

For me, it all started as Ruthie butting heads with a spoiled rich kid over a horse.