Holly Hunter is an American actress and producer, well recognized for her highly acclaimed performances in films like Broadcast News, The Firm, The Piano, and The Incredibles. She has won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Piano. The accomplished actress started her acting career on stage, with an array of Broadway and Off-Broadway projects. Passionate about acting since childhood, she portrayed Helen Keller in a fifth-grade play. After contracting mumps as a child, she lost hearing in one ear but never let this disability hinder her determination to become an actress. As a young woman, she studied drama in college and moved from Pittsburgh to New York City to pursue her ambitions. In a chance encounter, she got stuck in an elevator with playwright Beth Henley, which led to their collaboration on the Broadway production of Crimes of the Heart, marking Hunter’s stage debut. After moving to Los Angeles, she pursued film roles and landed a supporting role in Swing Shift. Since then, she has appeared in numerous films, television movies, and series over a career spanning more than three decades. Holly Hunter has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Women in Film Lucy Award.