With an Academy Award, four Emmys, four Golden Globes and a collection of SAG and Critics’ Choice awards to her name, Helen Hunt stands among Hollywood’s most accomplished talents. But perhaps the greatest testament to her success is the quiet confidence of her inner compass. “I decided a long time ago what was allowed to take up space in my head,” says the 62-year-old acclaimed actress, director and writer, who’s been navigating the entertainment industry since the age of nine. This summer, Hunt shines as Winnie Landell in Season 4 of Hacks—a role she simply calls “swell”—as she takes what’s next in stride.
The world is a big fan of Hacks, and it seems like playing someone like Winnie would be fun. How was stepping into the role?
“Well, I love the show, so when they called me up, that was easy. I had one Zoom with them where we navigated how we might play it, and what kind of people we all know who are maybe like this. I pretty much jumped in. It was really fun. I’ve worked with Jean [Smart] twice before, and she is everything you would think. She is just the most wonderful person to work with. She said it was fun for her to have somebody be even meaner than her—someone more powerful than her whole ‘alpha thing.’ And Hannah Einbinder is just so wonderful. I just loved being around her and working with her. The whole experience was pretty swell.”
That was my next question: Have you ever had to deal with somebody like Winnie in your career?
“Yes. Yes, I have. They will break your hand with a handshake, for sure. But they also often have a point. I once had an executive tell me: ‘The movie you’ve written is good, but it has to be even better than it would need to be if you were a man, because there’s so many reasons that financiers want to say no. It has to be absolutely, irrefutably right.’ I see the upside of that…but there’s a downside, too, and that’s perfectionism for women. I see Winnie’s point in this show.”
I really enjoyed an interview you recently did that talked about gratitude and boundaries. How did you set some guidelines on what you’d put up with throughout your career?
“You just have to decide that it’s not worth it to give all this space in your head to the nonsense. Are you actually going to defy the laws of mother nature and not age? That’s not really an option. You know what I mean? In the ’80s, there was so much focus on body and weight and being skinny—that was everything. I was around that way of thinking back then, and I realized pretty early on that you could sacrifice your whole life trying to get there. Wherever that is. Even if you don’t go way down the drain with some kind of disorder, it’s still going to take up time in your precious life on earth to think about it. At some point, I was just lucky enough to be able to say to myself, ‘I’m not doing it anymore.’ And I’m very happy I did.”
And you just celebrated your 62nd birthday. What is the best thing for you about getting to be another year older?
“The things that you hear are true. There is definitely a little bit less of giving a shit—especially when it comes to what other people think. I find myself letting go of being overly self-deprecating. And, if I start to do that, I notice that I’m doing it. I’m not playing up or downplaying how much experience I have had. Either way, you’re still a human being who has imperfect parts. But I do find a little bit of relief from the relentless chatter in the head.”
The Daily Mail just snapped a picture of you on vacation in your bathing suit. Do things like that get to you?
“I didn’t even know about that. I actually wasn’t on vacation. Was it in Italy? I was working at a film festival and took a minute to enjoy myself. But, I didn’t even know about that.”
Good for you. Well, it was all positive. Out of all your roles, were there any fun or memorable beauty moments that stick out to you? The wigs, the makeup, the hair?
“I don’t consider it beauty…but when you feel lost, or you feel like you don’t know how to play a part…all of that helps. You get the right shoes, or the right hair piece comes into play, and suddenly you think, ‘Wait. I know who this woman is.’ That’s huge. There’s no worse feeling in acting than knowing you just haven’t found the character yet. Sometimes, those things count on the inside, but often they come from the outside. Hair, makeup, wardrobe can really make a huge difference.”
Are there any products you’ve used over the years that you really enjoy? Any holy-grail skin care?
“Not really. [laughs] It’s pretty simple. I’m pretty simple!”
What else are you excited for the summer or projects? Will you get to take some time off?
“I’m going to take a little time off. I’ve got a couple of things going on. We took that trip to Italy, and I’m going to go back east to spend some time with my daughter. None of it’s set yet, but it suddenly looks like I went from ‘Why aren’t I working?’ to possibly having three jobs. I’m trying to enjoy the time off before that happens, if it happens. As always, we’ll see.”
