Holly Hunter was born in Conyers, Georgia, the youngest of seven children whose father was a part-time sporting goods company representative and part-time farmer with a 250 acre farm. Her parents encouraged in her talent at an early age, and her first acting part was as Helen Keller in a fifth-grade play. In 1976 she went to Pittsburgh to pursue a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating in 1980, she went to New York City, where she met playwright Beth Henley in a stalled elevator. Hunter went on to get roles in a number of Henley's southern gothic plays, including Crimes of the Heart and The Miss Firecracker Contest. In 1982 the actress went to Los Angeles. She landed her first starring role in the movies in the Coen brothers' Raising Arizona, a part that is said to have been written with her in mind. She gained stardom in 1987 when she played the driven TV news producer Jane Craig in James L. Brooks' Broadcast News. In 1993 she earned an Academy Award and worldwide acclaim with her performance as a mute bride to a New Zealand planter in The Piano.
Was director James L. Brooks' first choice to play the female lead in As Good as It Gets, 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, Broadcast News. She had one line in her film debut, The Burning, 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 The Piano. 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 _Broadcast News (1987)_ . Turned down the role of God in Dogma. 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 nine 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 Blood Simple., 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 Silver Lake, just outside of Los Angeles. Hired a sign language interpreter to help her create her own sign language for her role in The Piano. 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, Blood Simple.. Because she was committed in another play, "The Wake of Jamey Foster", they cast her roommate Frances McDormand instead. Frances McDormand ended up marrying Joel Coen. In 1993, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for The Piano, in which she utilised her real-life piano skills. Eleven years later, Jamie Foxx won Best Actor for Ray, 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 The Firm and Jamie Foxx appeared in Collateral. Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999. Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in drama (1980). Holly and her boyfriend, Gordon MacDonald, became parents of twin boys [January 17, 2006]. Spent a summer interning at Cortland Repertory Theatre (Cortland, New York) in 1976. Her performance as Jane Craig in Broadcast News is ranked #66 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). Wings of Desire (Wings of Desire) is one of her favourite films.