Holly Hunter

Biography

Career

Hunter's first starring role in films came in 1987's Raising Arizona. That year, she also starred in Broadcast News, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for the Best Actress. In 1993, she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Piano and showcased her skill with the piano by playing all the elaborate pieces on the score herself. That year, Hunter was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Firm. In 2004, she earned another Best Supporting Actress nomination for Thirteen and voiced a star role (Helen Parr/Elastigirl) in the hit animated film The Incredibles. Hunter has also appeared in several television films and has earned two Emmys.

Personal life

Hunter earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, after which she moved to New York City. When she first moved to Los Angeles she shared a house with a group of people which included actress Frances McDormand and director Sam Raimi as well as future collaborators Joel and Ethan Coen. For many years she was in a relationship with actor Arliss Howard. She was married to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski from May 20, 1995 until their divorce on December 21, 2001. Since 2001, she has been in a relationship with British actor Gordon MacDonald, with whom she co-starred in Marina Carr's By the Bog of Cats in a 2001 run at the San Jose Repertory Theater, and later in a 2004 West End production. In January 2006, Hunter's publicist announced that the couple had welcomed twins; Entertainment Weekly later reported that the twins were boys.

Selected filmography