Helen Slater was born in Massapequa, Long Island, in New York, USA. She attended the New York High School of Performing Arts, graduating in 1982. Having made her actress debut in the after school special, Amy and the Angel starring alongside James Earl Jones, and Matthew Modine, she took the acting bug very seriously. This was also the only film she appeared in as a brunette. Within months of her graduating, she attended auditions for an upcoming spin-off of the famous Superman franchise. The film was to be shot in England at the Pinewood studios, where the first films were filmed. Slater even spoke to Christopher Reeve at the time of the auditions about playing a superhero to assure herself she could do it. After being the first to present herself for audition, she was cast in the film, Supergirl and her career took flight.
Although Supergirl received mixed reviews at its opening, most critics were impressed with her abilities to perform. In fact, most critics considered that she did a better job at keeping a secret identity (a mousy school girl) than Christopher Reeve did as Clark Kent. In her next film, she was cast as a modern day Joan of Arc in the ignored, yet cult classic The Legend of Billie Jean. She was cast alongside 'Yeardly Smith' , and Peter Coyote. Next, she went the comic route. She starred in the two big comic blockbusters, Ruthless People and _Secret of My Success, The (1987)_ . She received praise for both roles and finally attained status as a professional actress. Next, she and her friend Melanie Mayron starred in the feminist comedy film Sticky Fingers. The film was ignored by the masses but gained respect from the critics. It was this film and her next, Happy Together, that she was able to prove that she could do comedy as well as drama. She went on to do more theatrical films such as City Slickers, A House in the Hills, and Lassie.
|
|
– Co-founded the New York based Theater group, The Naked Angels with Gina Gershon.
|
– A classically trained singer. She released her first album, titled One of these Days, in 2003.
|
|
|
