The actress rose to fame playing Jamie Buchman in the sitcom Mad About You, a role that earned her three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards.

In 1997, she won an Oscar for her performance as Carol Connelly, a single mother with a chronically ill son, in As Good as It Gets.

Helen’s most recent film role was in the thriller In Cold Light, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 7. She also has a recurring role in the HBO Max show Hacks.

The Twister star revealed that she used to be “really worried” about her appearance in the 1980s, saying, “When I gave it up, my brain and body got better. I was taking these exercise classes called ‘abs, thighs, and buns’ and I was like, ‘I’m going to be d*ad one day — do I really want to give up an hour in this class?’”