Helen Hunt - Better Than It Gets Quiz | Celebrities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Many of Helen's earliest roles were supporting characters in television movies produced during the early 1980s. She was also no stranger to episodic television, playing guest roles on several programs. Prior to starring in the award winning series "Mad About You", Helen portrayed the recurring character Clancy Williams on a popular medical drama. Which series was it?

Answer: St. Elsewhere

Helen portrayed Clancy Williams in eight different episodes of "St. Elsewhere" between 1984 and 1986. Her character Clancy became involved with Dr. Jack Morrison (David Morse), resulting in an unplanned pregnancy and the attendant complications. Helen's final appearance on "St. Elsewhere" (the 1986 episode "Family Affair") was directed by the late Bruce Paltrow, father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

2. Helen's signature television series "Mad About You" was set in New York City, and shared character relationships with a couple of other popular comedy series. On which of the following sitcoms did Helen make a crossover appearance as her "Mad About You" character Jamie Buchman?

Answer: Friends

Helen made her crossover appearance on "Friends", playing Jamie Buchman in the first season episode "The One With Two Parts (1)". Leila Kenzle also appeared in the same crossover scene, as her "Mad About You" character Fran Devanow. Aside from their common setting of New York City, there was another enduring link between "Mad About You" and "Friends"... Lisa Kudrow portrayed the recurring character Ursula Buffay (Phoebe's twin sister, and the world's worst waitress) on both programs.

There was also a crossover relationship between "Mad About You" and "Seinfeld", but Helen Hunt wasn't the performer crossing over. Early in the first season of "Mad About You", Michael Richards appeared in the episode "The Apartment" as Cosmo Kramer, his unforgettable character from "Seinfeld". "Caroline in the City" (starring Lea Thompson) was also set in New York City and featured crossovers with "Friends", but none with "Mad About You". "Suddenly Susan" (starring Brooke Shields) was set in San Francisco and shared no relationships with any of the other series.

3. One of Helen's earliest feature film appearances was a supporting role in a 1986 motion picture directed by legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Which Coppola film was it?

Answer: Peggy Sue Got Married

Helen Hunt played the supporting character Beth Bodell in "Peggy Sue Got Married". The film starred Kathleen Turner as Peggy Sue, an unhappy housewife whose life hadn't turned out the way she'd hoped. After fainting at her high school reunion, Peggy Sue awoke back in time. Reliving her own high school years, she had the chance to change her future, but would she choose to do so? Sorry, no spoilers! "Peggy Sue Got Married" was a rare comedy from Coppola, and also featured early performances from Nicholas Cage, Jim Carrey and Joan Allen.

4. Prior to becoming a major motion picture star in such films as "Pay It Forward" and "As Good As It Gets", Helen co-starred in a series of sci-fi action films. What was the title of the first film in that series?

Answer: Trancers

The "Trancers" film series began in 1985, and the fifth sequel ("Trancers 6") was filmed in 2002. Helen co-starred in the first three films of the series: "Trancers" (1985), "Trancers II" (1991), and "Trancers III" (1992). She played the role of Lena ("Leena" in the first film), the girlfriend - and then wife - of Trooper Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson).

5. In the poignant 1992 drama "The Waterdance", Helen portrayed Joel's lover, Anna. What serious medical difficulty did Joel suffer from?

Answer: Paralysis

Joel (Eric Stoltz) suffered a broken neck in an accident, becoming paralyzed as a result. The film centered around his relationships with the other spinal injury patients in his rehab ward, each struggling to deal with their new disability. Joel's relationship with Anna also suffered, complicated by the fact that Anna was married to another man. The film's writer and director, Neal Jiminez, was paralyzed in a 1984 accident, and "The Waterdance" was based on his personal experiences.

Helen Hunt has been active in fund raising efforts for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF). The foundation was established by actor Christopher Reeve ("Superman", "Monsignor") to seek a cure for paralysis; Reeve himself was tragically paralyzed following a riding accident in 1995. CRPF has a website at www.christopherreeve.org.

6. Helen starred in the 1996 action drama "Twister", playing a storm-chasing researcher who was obsessed with developing a better early warning system to predict tornados. What was her character's name?

Answer: JoAnne Thornton-Harding

Helen portrayed Dr. JoAnne Thornton-Harding, the estranged wife of fellow tornado researcher William Harding (Bill Paxton). JoAnne's father was killed by a tornado when she was five years old, leading to her obsession to develop a better early warning system. Jami Gertz played Melissa Reeves, and Lois Smith portrayed Meg Greene. Anne-Marie Martin co-wrote the film's script, together with award winning writer Michael Crichton.

7. Helen's first collaboration with director Robert Altman was her starring role in the 2000 romance comedy/drama "Dr. T & the Women". Like most Altman films, it featured a large ensemble cast, including Richard Gere, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, and Shelley Long. Prior to "Dr. T", had Helen ever appeared in a film with leading man Richard Gere?

Answer: Yes

In "Dr. T & the Women", Richard Gere starred as Dr. Sullivan Travis ("Dr. T"), a successful gynecologist catering to the elite of Dallas society women. Helen co-starred as Bree Davis, a golf pro. Bree was a strong, self-confident, independent woman; everything the other women in Dr. T's life weren't. Dr. T became involved in an affair with Bree after his wife Kate (Farrah Fawcett) suffered a mental breakdown and became institutionalized.

Much earlier in her career, Helen Hunt played the supporting role of Jennifer in the 1988 drama "Miles From Home", directed by Gary Sinise. "Miles From Home" told the story of two brothers, Frank and Terry Roberts (Richard Gere and Kevin Anderson), who were driven from their failed midwestern farm, and then embarked on a Robin Hood-esque robbery spree, stealing from the banks that were foreclosing on farm mortgages.

8. Helen portrayed a waitress, Carol Connelly, in the 1997 romance drama "As Good As It Gets". Her co-star was Jack Nicholson in the role of Melvin Udall, a neurotic author. Nicholson's performance earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. Did Helen also win the Oscar for Best Actress?

Answer: Yes

Helen's performance as Carol Connelly in "As Good As It Gets" earned her the 1998 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, in addition to several other awards. It was the first Oscar nomination of her career, but Helen was no stranger to accepting prestigious awards: her work on the television series "Mad About You" earned Helen four Lead Actress Emmys (and a total of seven Emmy nominations) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

9. The phrase "hat trick" is an ice hockey term referring to a player who scores three goals in the same game, a very difficult feat. In 1998, Helen Hunt scored her own unique form of hat trick, becoming the first actress in history to win three particular awards in the same year. Which three awards did Helen win?

Answer: Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Emmy Award

In 1998, Helen Hunt became the first actress to ever win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Golden Globe in the same year...

Helen's performance as Jamie Buchman on "Mad About You" earned her the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She also received a 1998 Golden Globe nomination for the same role. That same year, Helen won the 1998 Academy Award (Best Actress in a Leading Role), and the 1998 Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical) for her portrayal of Carol Connelly in "As Good As It Gets". Helen's performance as Carol Connelly also garnered her the 1998 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. Helen received no BAFTA or People's Choice honors in 1998.

10. Helen was briefly married to an actor who appeared with her on the television series "Mad About You". Who did Helen marry in July of 1999?

Answer: Hank Azaria

Helen and Hank dated for several years during the production run of "Mad About You", but their marriage lasted only a year and a half; Helen filed for divorce in December of 2000. Prior to her relationship with Azaria, Helen was romantically linked with actors Eric Stoltz (her co-star in the 1992 drama "The Waterdance") and Matthew Broderick (her co-star in the 1987 comedy "Project X").

Helen became involved with producer Matthew Carnahan in 2001, and the couple had a daughter, Makena' lei Gordon Carnahan, on May 13, 2004 (Helen's first child).

Source: Author doppelganger

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Helen Hunt - Better Than It Gets Quiz

Helen Hunt is one of the more remarkable actresses of the contemporary era. Cute as a kitten, yet sharp as a cat's claws. Helen can do it all, from silly comedy to heavy drama. What do you know about Helen's life and career? Enjoy!

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