Spouse
Janusz Kaminski (20 May 1995 - 21 December 2001) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Southern accent
Trivia
Was director James L. Brooks' first choice to play the female lead in Mejor... imposible(1997), but reportedly demanded too much money upfront and was passed over in favour of Helen Hunt. Hunter had previously collaborated with James L. Brooks on the 1987 film,Al filo de la noticia (1987).
She had one line in her film debut, La quema (1981), among a few ad libs. Regarding missing canoes she says to Todd -- "What happens if we don't find them?"
In 10th grade she placed 8th nationally in a poultry-judging contest. (Interview, 11/95)
Hunter's uncle was the first commander of the Thunderbirds, the world-famous U.S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron of fighter pilots.An accomplished pianist, she actually performed all of the piano music for her Oscar performance in El piano (1993). Film makers selected pieces for her that matched her talent.
Second cousin of Anaheim Angels' outfielder Tim Salmon.
Replaced Debra Winger for the role of Jane Craig in Al filo de la noticia (1987).
Turned down the role of God in Dogma (1999).
Announced her separation from husband, Janusz Kaminski. They have had been apart since Halloween. [December 2001]
Taught by Jorge Guerra.
She is one of the elite eleven actors to have been nominated for both a Supporting and Lead Acting Academy Award in the same year. The other ten are: Fay Bainter; Barry Fitzgerald; Teresa Wright; Jessica Lange; Sigourney Weaver; Al Pacino; Emma Thompson; Julianne Moore; Cate Blanchett and Jamie Foxx. Emma Thompson received her double-nomination in the same year that Hunter did.
While living in the North Bronx, she turned down the lead role in Sangre fácil (1984), but introduced the Coen Brothers to her roommate Frances McDormand, who got the role and ended up marrying one of the brothers. Hunter's voice can be heard on an answering machine message in the film.
Lived in the same house as Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Frances McDormand and Sam Raimi in 1985 in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Hired a sign language interpreter to help her create her own sign language for her role in El piano (1993).
Started playing piano at 9.
Moved to New York in 1980 to pursue a career in acting.
Made her Broadway debut in 1982 in "Crimes of the Heart."
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen saw her in "Crimes of the Heart" and wanted to cast her in the movie, Sangre fácil (1984). Because she was committed in another play, "The Wake of Jamey Foster", they cast her roommate Frances McDormand instead. Frances McDormandended up marrying Joel Coen.In 1993, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for El piano (1993), in which she utilised her real-life piano skills. Eleven years later, Jamie Foxx won Best Actor for Ray (2004), in which he also played the piano. Both of them had been nominated for a supporting performance in those respective years, and both were nominated for a role they played opposite Tom Cruise. Hunter appeared in La tapadera (1993) and Jamie Foxx appeared inCollateral (2004).
Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.
Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in drama (1980).
Spent a summer interning at Cortland Repertory Theatre (Cortland, New York) in 1976.
Her performance as Jane Craig in Al filo de la noticia (1987) is ranked #66 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
El cielo sobre Berlín (1987)) is one of her favorite films.
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 30, 2008.
She won her Oscar-winning role in El piano (1993) over Anjelica Huston, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert. Sigourney Weaver's agent had turned it down without sending her the script.
She won the role in Al filo de la noticia (1987) just two days before shooting began, over several then-better-known actresses.
Was in consideration for the part of Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994) but Uma Thurman, who went on to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.
Was in consideration for the part of Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty (1999) butAnnette Bening, who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.
Has been in a relationship with Gordon MacDonald since 2001.
Gave birth to twin sons (her 1st and 2nd children) at age 47, Press MacDonald and Claude McDonald on January 17, 2006. Children's father is her boyfriend, Gordon MacDonald.
Starring in the lead role in Irish play "In the Bog of Cats" in London's West End. [March 2005]
Was the 107th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar forEl piano (1993) at The 66th Annual Academy Awards (1994) on March 21, 1994.
Personal Quotes
Acting, for me, is the last vestige of doing something that I would like to feel really naive about. - Interview, November 1995.
[on the importance of rehearsal for Thirteen (2003)] : I mean, some movies I walk in, "Hi, nice to meet you", we get in bed and we do a love scene. And that does happen. That happened with me with Billy Crudup on Jesus' Son (1999). Actors talk about that a lot, but it's not uncommon. And we could not have done Thirteen (2003) that way. It would not have worked.
I always feel that I am the advocate for my character. More than anyone else on the set, including the director. I'm there to protect my character, in a way.
I often get asked to direct and I've never taken anyone up on it. It would be very interesting and I would learn so much. But it's a very confrontational job - I mean, directors are forced to confront themselves, and I don't think there's really a way to prepare for the pressure of directing. And I have seen quite a few good people crash and burn at the job. Nervous breakdowns, crying, screaming fits - people buckle, so it's always scared me. But it's intriguing.
It just seems that abortion rights never ceases to be a hot topic. It's a shame. It feels to me an anachronism. I mean, why are we still talking about this? Why is this not just a woman's right, period? I find it boring and very frustrating that it remains such a high profile subject.
Actors do movies because you want to make a connection, you want an audience to recognise themselves in what it is that you're depicting. The portrait, you want it to be a reflection of some aspect of humanity that people understand, that they see in their own lives. And so, when a movie makes a connection like that, there's simply nothing better. And in some ways, an Academy Award does validate that actual hook-up.
I was trying to get as much experience as I could. But very early on, I was always extremely particular. From the beginning, I was never desperate. I did other things for money; you know, the normal, boring stuff - I temped, I did waitressing. But I actually quit a play early on in my career - it was one of the first things that I ever got cast in, but I quit because there was something about it that I didn't like. I didn't think the director was the right guy to be directing it. So I've never felt that every situation was great for me and therefore I would have to stay. To me, being creative is a very fragile thing, the environment in which one can create is a very particular one, and somehow I've always felt the need to be very protective of that.
[on how her career as an actress began] : ....Joel and Ethan (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen) had just finished the script of Arizona Baby (1987), and they asked me to read it and said that they'd written this part for me and would I be interested in doing it? So that was the beginning of my feature film career.
I'm just always looking for the best stuff. And also, there are things I want to do that I can't get - they want someone else. Often, in the movie business, they need somebody who will garner box office because they need to pay for the movie. So the people who are in movies that make a lot of money are the people who most often get cast in studio pictures. In my career, I've never been a box office name. Granted, a couple of my movies have made a lot of money but I'd do other movies which make very little money or they're not seen that much.
Actors are beggars and gypsies, that's just the way it is. And in many ways, I take what I can get. But I do search high and low for stuff that interests me.
Well, I think that an Academy Award has a certain kind of business shelf life. People have different speculations but definitely for a couple of years, your price is raised and there are more plentiful offers. Which only makes sense - it is a business. And the Academy Awards is a business, it enhances everything when you win one. But I think the most significant thing for me was, one, it was presented to me by Al Pacino, which I just loved. And two, that it was given to me for a role and an experience that I felt was a profound influence in my life. I know this because I was nominated for La tapadera (1993) that same year and I don't feel the same way about La tapadera (1993) that I do about El piano (1993). So if I'd won for La tapadera (1993) it would have been a whole different deal for me. I never actually saw La tapadera (1993), so for me it would have been like... maces]
I get cold really quickly, but I don't care. I like weather. I never understand why people move someplace so that they can avoid weather.I've never directed, but it must be humbling.
I really admire people who are extraordinarily tolerant and patient.
Mothers and daughters can stay very connected during teenage years. In the middle of your life, you can become very alone. Even though you're connected deeply to other family members, lovers, husbands, friends.
I think it's really odd, too, that the public is so privy to how much money the actors make and what movies cost. It seems to me to be beside the point. When I go to a movie I really don't want to think about the money. I want to see the story.
Salary
Saving Grace (2007) $150.000 /episode (2009-10)
Holly Hunter (photos)
