Holly Hunter
Encyclopedia
Holly Hunter is an American actress. Hunter starred in The Piano
for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress
. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News
, The Firm, and Thirteen
. Hunter has also won two Emmy Award
s with seven nominations and has won a Golden Globe Award
with another six nominations.
, the daughter of Opal Marguerite (née
Catledge), a housewife, and Charles Edwin Hunter, a farmer and sporting-goods manufacturer's representative. Hunter earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh, and for a while performed in the theatre scene
there, playing ingenue roles at City Theatre
, then named the City Players. She eventually moved to New York City and roomed with fellow actress Frances McDormand
. Hunter, in 2008, described living in The Bronx
"at the end of the D [subway] train, just off 205th Street, on Bainbridge Avenue and Hull Avenue. It was very Irish, and then you could go just a few blocks away and hit major Italian". A chance encounter with playwright Beth Henley
, when the two were trapped alone in an elevator, led to Hunter's being cast in Henley's plays Crimes of the Heart
(succeeding Mary Beth Hurt
on Broadway
), and Off-Broadway
's The Miss Firecracker Contest. "It was like the beginning of 1982. It was on 49th Street between Broadway and Eighth [Avenue] [...] on the south side of the street", Hunter recalled in an interview. "[We were trapped] 10 minutes; not long. We actually had a nice conversation. It was just the two of us".
before being cast in a supporting role in 1984's Swing Shift
. That year, she had her first collaboration with the writing-directing-producing team of brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, in Blood Simple
, making an uncredited appearance as a voice on an answering-machine recording. More film and television work followed until 1987, when thanks to a starring role in the Coens' Raising Arizona
and her Academy Award-nominated turn in Broadcast News
, Hunter became a critically acclaimed star. She went on to the screen adaptation of Henley's Miss Firecracker
; Steven Spielberg's Always, a romantic drama with Richard Dreyfuss
; and the made-for-TV 1989 docudrama
about the Supreme Court
case Roe v. Wade
.
Following her second collaboration with Dreyfuss, in Once Around
, Hunter garnered critical attention for her work in two 1993 films, resulting in her being nominated for two Academy Awards the same year: Hunter's performance in The Firm won her a nomination as Best Supporting Actress, while her portrayal of a mute Scottish woman entangled in an adulterous affair with Harvey Keitel
in Jane Campion
's The Piano
won her the Best Actress award.
Hunter went on to appear in films such as the comedy-drama Home for the Holidays
and the thriller Copycat
. She also appreared in David Cronenberg
's Crash
and as a sardonic angel in A Life Less Ordinary
. The following year, she played a recently divorced New Yorker in Richard LaGravenese
's Living Out Loud
; starring alongside Danny DeVito
, Queen Latifah
, and Martin Donovan
. Hunter rounded out the 1990s with a minor role in the independent drama
Jesus' Son
and as a housekeeper torn between a grieving widower and his son in Kiefer Sutherland
's drama Woman Wanted
.
Following a supporting role in the Coens' O Brother, Where Art Thou?
, Hunter took top billing in the same year's television movie Harlan County War
, an account of labor struggles among Kentucky
coal-mine workers
. Hunter would continue her small screen streak with a role in When Billie Beat Bobby
, playing tennis
pro Billie Jean King
in the fact-based story of King's famed exhibition match with Bobby Riggs
; and as narrator of Eco Challenge New Zealand before returning to film work with a minor role in the 2002 drama Moonlight Mile. The following year found Hunter in the redemption drama Levity
. Also in 2003, Hunter had a supporting role in the film Thirteen
for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
In 2004, Hunter starred alongside Brittany Murphy
in the romantic satire Little Black Book
, and the same year lent her voice to the animated film The Incredibles
as the voice of Helen Parr, a.k.a. the superhero
ine Elastigirl. In 2005, Hunter starred alongside Robin Williams
in the black comedy
-drama The Big White
.
Hunter became an executive producer, and helped develop a starring vehicle for herself with the TNT
cable-network
drama Saving Grace
, which premiered in July 2007. For her acting, she received a Golden Globe Award
nomination, two Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, and an Emmy Award
nomination. On May 30, 2008 Hunter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. In 2009, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award.
announced that Hunter had given birth to the couple's twin boys.
In a 2009 interview, Hunter said to TV Guide that she does not discuss her children with the media.
Hunter is deaf in one ear, which sometimes leads to complications at work and some scenes have to be altered from the script for her to use her healthy ear.
The Piano
The Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin...
for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News
Broadcast News (film)
Broadcast News is a 1987 romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks. The film concerns a virtuoso television news producer , who has daily emotional breakdowns, a brilliant yet prickly reporter and his charismatic but far less seasoned rival...
, The Firm, and Thirteen
Thirteen (film)
Thirteen is a 2003 American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, the film's co-star. The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter. It is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by Reed's life at age 12 and 13 with Wood's character "Tracy" being...
. Hunter has also won two Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s with seven nominations and has won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
with another six nominations.
Early life and career
Holly Hunter was born in Conyers, GeorgiaConyers, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
, the daughter of Opal Marguerite (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Catledge), a housewife, and Charles Edwin Hunter, a farmer and sporting-goods manufacturer's representative. Hunter earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Pittsburgh, and for a while performed in the theatre scene
Theatre in Pittsburgh
Theatre in Pittsburgh has existed professionally since the early 1800s and has continued to expand, having emerged as an important cultural force in the city over the past 30 years.-History:...
there, playing ingenue roles at City Theatre
City Theatre (Pittsburgh)
City Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh's South Side. It specializes in productions of new plays and has commissioned new works by playwrights on the national theatre scene, including Christopher Durang, Adam Rapp, and Jeffrey Hatcher...
, then named the City Players. She eventually moved to New York City and roomed with fellow actress Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996...
. Hunter, in 2008, described living in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
"at the end of the D [subway] train, just off 205th Street, on Bainbridge Avenue and Hull Avenue. It was very Irish, and then you could go just a few blocks away and hit major Italian". A chance encounter with playwright Beth Henley
Beth Henley
Elizabeth Becker "Beth" Henley is an American dramatist and actress. She writes primarily about women's issues and family in the Southern United States. She is also a screenwriter who has written many film adaptations of her plays...
, when the two were trapped alone in an elevator, led to Hunter's being cast in Henley's plays Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart is a play by Beth Henley.-Synopsis:At the core of the tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The trio was raised in a dysfunctional family with a...
(succeeding Mary Beth Hurt
Mary Beth Hurt
Mary Beth Hurt is an American actress of stage and screen.-Personal life:Hurt was born Mary Supinger in 1946 in Marshalltown, Iowa, the daughter of Delores Lenore and Forrest Clayton Supinger. Her childhood babysitter was actress Jean Seberg, also a Marshalltown native...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
), and Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
's The Miss Firecracker Contest. "It was like the beginning of 1982. It was on 49th Street between Broadway and Eighth [Avenue] [...] on the south side of the street", Hunter recalled in an interview. "[We were trapped] 10 minutes; not long. We actually had a nice conversation. It was just the two of us".
Stage and film
Hunter made her screen debut in the 1981 horror movie The Burning. After moving to Los Angeles in 1982, Hunter appeared in TV moviesTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
before being cast in a supporting role in 1984's Swing Shift
Swing Shift (film)
Swing Shift is a 1984 feature film directed by Jonathan Demme and produced by and starring Goldie Hawn with Kurt Russell. It also starred Christine Lahti, Fred Ward and Ed Harris...
. That year, she had her first collaboration with the writing-directing-producing team of brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, in Blood Simple
Blood Simple
Blood Simple is a 1984 neo-noir crime film. It was the directorial debut of Joel Coen and the first major film of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a noted director...
, making an uncredited appearance as a voice on an answering-machine recording. More film and television work followed until 1987, when thanks to a starring role in the Coens' Raising Arizona
Raising Arizona
Raising Arizona is a 1987 comedy film directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved cult status...
and her Academy Award-nominated turn in Broadcast News
Broadcast News (film)
Broadcast News is a 1987 romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks. The film concerns a virtuoso television news producer , who has daily emotional breakdowns, a brilliant yet prickly reporter and his charismatic but far less seasoned rival...
, Hunter became a critically acclaimed star. She went on to the screen adaptation of Henley's Miss Firecracker
Miss Firecracker
Miss Firecracker is a 1989 comedy film directed by Thomas Schlamme. It stars Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Robbins, Alfre Woodard, and Scott Glenn...
; Steven Spielberg's Always, a romantic drama with Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
; and the made-for-TV 1989 docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
about the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
.
Following her second collaboration with Dreyfuss, in Once Around
Once Around
Once Around is a 1991 romantic comedy-drama film about a young woman who falls for and eventually marries an overbearing older man who proceeds to rub her close-knit family the wrong way...
, Hunter garnered critical attention for her work in two 1993 films, resulting in her being nominated for two Academy Awards the same year: Hunter's performance in The Firm won her a nomination as Best Supporting Actress, while her portrayal of a mute Scottish woman entangled in an adulterous affair with Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
in Jane Campion
Jane Campion
Jane Campion is a filmmaker and screenwriter. She is one of the most internationally successful New Zealand directors, although most of her work has been made in or financed by other countries, principally Australia – where she now lives – and the United States...
's The Piano
The Piano
The Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin...
won her the Best Actress award.
Hunter went on to appear in films such as the comedy-drama Home for the Holidays
Home for the Holidays (film)
Home for the Holidays is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster and produced by Peggy Rajski and Jodie Foster. The screenplay was by W. D. Richter based on the short story by Chris Radant...
and the thriller Copycat
Copycat (film)
Copycat is an American psychological thriller, starring Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. The film was directed by Jon Amiel, with a score composed by Christopher Young.-Plot:...
. She also appreared in David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
's Crash
Crash (1996 film)
Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable...
and as a sardonic angel in A Life Less Ordinary
A Life Less Ordinary
A Life Less Ordinary is a 1997 British black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge. It stars Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, and Delroy Lindo.-Plot:...
. The following year, she played a recently divorced New Yorker in Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese is an American screenwriter and occasional film director. He is best known as the writer of The Fisher King.-Personal life:...
's Living Out Loud
Living Out Loud
The film, set in New York City, stars Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, and Claudia Shear.-Plot:Judith Moore had what she thought was a perfect marriage, both she and her husband studying to be doctors...
; starring alongside Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
, and Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
. Hunter rounded out the 1990s with a minor role in the independent drama
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Jesus' Son
Jesus' Son
Jesus' Son is a 1999 film that was adapted from a collection of short stories of the same name by Denis Johnson. It stars Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary, Will Patton, John Ventimiglia, Michael Shannon and Jack Black...
and as a housekeeper torn between a grieving widower and his son in Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
's drama Woman Wanted
Woman Wanted
Woman Wanted is a film directed by Kiefer Sutherland. It is based on a novel by Joanna McClelland Glass who also wrote the screenplay. The story is about a woman who works as a housekeeper for a widower and his son. It stars Sutherland, Holly Hunter, Michael Moriarty and Sutherland's own mother,...
.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
, Hunter took top billing in the same year's television movie Harlan County War
Harlan County War
The Harlan County War was a violent labor dispute between the United Mine Workers union and strikebreakers in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1932.-External links :* by Katie Rorrer...
, an account of labor struggles among Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
coal-mine workers
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. Hunter would continue her small screen streak with a role in When Billie Beat Bobby
When Billie Beat Bobby
When Billie Beat Bobby is a 2001 ABC docudrama detailing the historic 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and what lead up to it. The match was filmed at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California....
, playing tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
pro Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
in the fact-based story of King's famed exhibition match with Bobby Riggs
Bobby Riggs
Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
; and as narrator of Eco Challenge New Zealand before returning to film work with a minor role in the 2002 drama Moonlight Mile. The following year found Hunter in the redemption drama Levity
Levity (film)
Levity is a 2003 drama movie, directed by Ed Solomon. Its theatrical release was on April 4. The score for this film was composed by Mark Oliver Everett of the band Eels. Levity was filmed in Montreal, Canada.- Plot :...
. Also in 2003, Hunter had a supporting role in the film Thirteen
Thirteen (film)
Thirteen is a 2003 American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, the film's co-star. The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter. It is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by Reed's life at age 12 and 13 with Wood's character "Tracy" being...
for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
In 2004, Hunter starred alongside Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
in the romantic satire Little Black Book
Little Black Book
Little Black Book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by Nick Hurran.-Plot:Stacy Holt , an associate producer on a daytime talk show , is convinced that her boyfriend Derek is the right man for her, though he has an apparent phobia of commitment, and he's vague about his past relationships...
, and the same year lent her voice to the animated film The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
as the voice of Helen Parr, a.k.a. the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
ine Elastigirl. In 2005, Hunter starred alongside Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
in the black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
-drama The Big White
The Big White
The Big White is a 2005 black comedy picture directed by Mark Mylod starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, Woody Harrelson, Tim Blake Nelson, W. Earl Brown and Alison Lohman.-Plot:...
.
Hunter became an executive producer, and helped develop a starring vehicle for herself with the TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
cable-network
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
drama Saving Grace
Saving Grace (TV series)
Saving Grace is an American television crime drama series which premiered on TNT on July 23, 2007 and ran until June 21, 2010. The show stars Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter in her first television series, as well as Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine,...
, which premiered in July 2007. For her acting, she received a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination, two Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, and an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination. On May 30, 2008 Hunter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. In 2009, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award.
Personal life
Hunter has been in a relationship with British actor Gordon MacDonald. In January 2006, Hunter's publicistPublicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
announced that Hunter had given birth to the couple's twin boys.
In a 2009 interview, Hunter said to TV Guide that she does not discuss her children with the media.
Hunter is deaf in one ear, which sometimes leads to complications at work and some scenes have to be altered from the script for her to use her healthy ear.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Burning | Sophie | ||
| 1984 | Swing Shift Swing Shift (film) Swing Shift is a 1984 feature film directed by Jonathan Demme and produced by and starring Goldie Hawn with Kurt Russell. It also starred Christine Lahti, Fred Ward and Ed Harris... |
Jeannie | ||
| Blood Simple Blood Simple Blood Simple is a 1984 neo-noir crime film. It was the directorial debut of Joel Coen and the first major film of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a noted director... |
Helene Trend (voice only) | uncredited | ||
| 1987 | Raising Arizona Raising Arizona Raising Arizona is a 1987 comedy film directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved cult status... |
Edwina 'Ed' McDunnough | ||
| End of the Line | Charlotte | |||
| A Gathering of Old Men A Gathering of Old Men (film) A Gathering of Old Men is a 1987 American television drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and based on the novel of the same name. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Louis Gossett Jr... |
Candy Marshall | |||
| Broadcast News Broadcast News (film) Broadcast News is a 1987 romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by James L. Brooks. The film concerns a virtuoso television news producer , who has daily emotional breakdowns, a brilliant yet prickly reporter and his charismatic but far less seasoned rival... |
Jane Craig | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress The Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the Boston Society of Film Critics.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Silver Bear for Best Actress Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*... – Berlin Film Festival 38th Berlin International Film Festival The 38th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 12 to 23, 1988.-Jury:* Guglielmo Biraghi * Ellen Burstyn* Heiner Carow* Eberhard Junkersdorf* Tom Luddy* Heinz Rathsack* Daniel Schmid* Andrei Smirnov... Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... National Board of Review Award for Best Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Actress The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.-1940s:-1950s:- 1960s :- 1970s :- 1980s :- 1990s :- 2000s :-2010s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-1930s:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
||
| 1989 | Miss Firecracker Miss Firecracker Miss Firecracker is a 1989 comedy film directed by Thomas Schlamme. It stars Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Robbins, Alfre Woodard, and Scott Glenn... |
Carnelle Scott | ||
| Animal Behavior | Coral Grable | |||
| Always | Dorinda Durston | |||
| 1991 | Once Around | Renata Bella | ||
| 1993 | The Piano The Piano The Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin... |
Ada McGrath | Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented annually at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The award has been presented annually since 1971.-History:... BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :... Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress The Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the Boston Society of Film Critics.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival) The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * .... Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is an award given by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association to honor the best achievements in filmmaking.-Winners and nominees:*1993: Holly Hunter - The Piano*1994:... Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics Circle.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... National Board of Review Award for Best Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Actress The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.-1940s:-1950s:- 1960s :- 1970s :- 1980s :- 1990s :- 2000s :-2010s:... National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress TheNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the National Society of Film Critics to honour the best leading actress of the year.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-1930s:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
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| The Firm | Tammy Hemphill | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... |
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| 1995 | Copycat Copycat (film) Copycat is an American psychological thriller, starring Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. The film was directed by Jon Amiel, with a score composed by Christopher Young.-Plot:... |
M.J. Monahan | Special Mention Award at the Festival du Film Policier de Cognac Festival du Film Policier de Cognac The Festival du Film Policier de Cognac is an annual film festival that took place in Cognac, France from 1982 to 2007 .The festival was disbanded after an extraordinary general meeting in December 2007... (Shared with Sigourney Weaver Sigourney Weaver Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana... for their acting performances) |
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| Home for the Holidays Home for the Holidays (film) Home for the Holidays is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster and produced by Peggy Rajski and Jodie Foster. The screenplay was by W. D. Richter based on the short story by Chris Radant... |
Claudia Larson | |||
| 1996 | Crash Crash (1996 film) Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable... |
Helen Remington | ||
| 1997 | A Life Less Ordinary A Life Less Ordinary A Life Less Ordinary is a 1997 British black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge. It stars Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, and Delroy Lindo.-Plot:... |
O'Reilly | ||
| 1998 | Living Out Loud Living Out Loud The film, set in New York City, stars Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, and Claudia Shear.-Plot:Judith Moore had what she thought was a perfect marriage, both she and her husband studying to be doctors... |
Judith Moore | Nominated — American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
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| 1999 | Jesus' Son Jesus' Son Jesus' Son is a 1999 film that was adapted from a collection of short stories of the same name by Denis Johnson. It stars Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary, Will Patton, John Ventimiglia, Michael Shannon and Jack Black... |
Mira | ||
| 2000 | Woman Wanted Woman Wanted Woman Wanted is a film directed by Kiefer Sutherland. It is based on a novel by Joanna McClelland Glass who also wrote the screenplay. The story is about a woman who works as a housekeeper for a widower and his son. It stars Sutherland, Holly Hunter, Michael Moriarty and Sutherland's own mother,... |
Emma Riley | ||
| Timecode Timecode (film) Timecode is a 2000 American experimental film directed by Mike Figgis.The film is constructed from four continuous 90-minute takes that were filmed simultaneously by four cameramen; the screen is divided into quarters and the four shots are shown simultaneously... |
Renee Fishbine, Executive | |||
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? O Brother, Where Art Thou? O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely... |
Penny | Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | ||
| 2000 | Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is a film written and directed by Rodrigo García starring an ensemble cast. Garcías debut film was shown at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard Award... |
Rebecca Waynon | ||
| 2001 | Festival in Cannes Festival in Cannes Festival in Cannes is a 2001 film directed by Henry Jaglom.The plot is an entertainment industry farce about filmmakers trying to make deals during the Cannes Film Festival.... |
Herself | Uncredited | |
| 2002 | Moonlight Mile | Mona Camp | ||
| 2003 | Levity Levity (film) Levity is a 2003 drama movie, directed by Ed Solomon. Its theatrical release was on April 4. The score for this film was composed by Mark Oliver Everett of the band Eels. Levity was filmed in Montreal, Canada.- Plot :... |
Adele Easley | ||
| Thirteen Thirteen (film) Thirteen is a 2003 American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, the film's co-star. The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter. It is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by Reed's life at age 12 and 13 with Wood's character "Tracy" being... |
Melanie Freeland | Bronze Leopard Award for Best Actress Locarno International Film Festival The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history... Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Supporting Actress is an award given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society to honor the best actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics Circle.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is an award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society to honor the finest achievements in acting.-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Prism Award for Best Performance in a Theatrical Feature Film Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... |
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| 2004 | Little Black Book Little Black Book Little Black Book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by Nick Hurran.-Plot:Stacy Holt , an associate producer on a daytime talk show , is convinced that her boyfriend Derek is the right man for her, though he has an apparent phobia of commitment, and he's vague about his past relationships... |
Barb Campbell-Dunn | ||
| The Incredibles The Incredibles The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by... |
Helen Parr/Elastigirl | voice Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general... |
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| 2005 | Nine Lives Nine Lives (2005 film) Nine Lives is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Rodrigo García. The screenplay, an example of hyperlink cinema, relates nine short, loosely intertwined tales with nine different women at their cores. Their themes include parent-child relationships, fractured love, adultery,... |
Sonia | Bronze Leopard Award for Best Actress Locarno International Film Festival The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history... (Shared with the film's ensemble of actresses) Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Cast Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... |
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| The Big White The Big White The Big White is a 2005 black comedy picture directed by Mark Mylod starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, Woody Harrelson, Tim Blake Nelson, W. Earl Brown and Alison Lohman.-Plot:... |
Margaret Barnell |
Television
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Roe vs. Wade | Ellen Russell/Jane Doe | Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1993 | The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom is a 1993 comedy TV movie produced by and for HBO. It was directed by Michael Ritchie and starred Holly Hunter, Swoosie Kurtz and Beau Bridges.... |
Wanda Holloway | CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries CableACE Award The CableACE Award was an award that was given from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in American cable television programming... Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 2000 | Harlan County War | Ruby Kincaid | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film -1990s:*1996: Helen Mirren - Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment**Kirstie Alley - Suddenly**Lolita Davidovich - Harvest on Fire**Laura Dern - The Siege of Ruby Ridge**Jena Malone - Hidden in America... |
| Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is a film written and directed by Rodrigo García starring an ensemble cast. Garcías debut film was shown at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard Award... |
Rebecca Weyman | Segment – "Fantasies About Rebecca" Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
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| 2002 | When Billie Beat Bobby When Billie Beat Bobby When Billie Beat Bobby is a 2001 ABC docudrama detailing the historic 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and what lead up to it. The match was filmed at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.... |
Billie Jean King | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 2007–2010 | Saving Grace Saving Grace (TV series) Saving Grace is an American television crime drama series which premiered on TNT on July 23, 2007 and ran until June 21, 2010. The show stars Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter in her first television series, as well as Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine,... (TV series) |
Grace Hanadarko | Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Actress — Drama Series (2007) Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series (2008, 2009) Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2007) Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2007–2009) Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television The following are a list of Saturn Award nominees & winners for Best Actress on Television:-1990s:*1996: Gillian Anderson - The X-Files**Claudia Christian - Babylon 5**Melissa Joan Hart - Sabrina, the Teenage Witch... (2008) Nominated — People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama Diva People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... (2009) Nominated — Prism Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series Episode (2008) Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2008) |
External links
- "What people don't know about Holly" (Interview), The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 22 November 2003