Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt is an American actress and director. She has one daughter, Makena Lei Carnahan, with former partner Matthew Carnahan.

Hunt was previously married to Hank Azaria. Since 2022 she has publicly been linked to actor Jeffrey Nordling, and the pair marked four years together in 2026.

Helen Hunt kids

Makena Lei Carnahan (daughter)

Makena was born on May 13, 2004. She is a musician and photographer and has appeared in films including “The Miracle Season.” Hunt continues to protect her daughters private life.

Who are Helen Hunt parents?

Gordon Hunt (father)

Date of birth: April 26, 1929

Date of death: December 17, 2016

Not every person on earth can boast that he serves as a role model to others. But Helen Hunt’s father is that kind of a person.

Gordon Edwynn Hunt was a talented film director and animated series creator. His talent and hard work brought him many well-deserved awards, including the Director’s Guild of America Award for directing an episode of the “Mad About You” comedy series. Besides, Gordon was very skillful in voice work. He was one of the first entertainers to be recorded at the famous Hanna-Barbera Studios. Mr. Hunt directed lots of super successful performances, which drew full houses. Besides, he stood behind voicing many video games.

Hunt was brought up by a single dad George, the furniture designer. His mother was killed in a car accident when the boy was just four years old. Gordon grew up with three siblings. He had just one biological child – a daughter Helen Hunt, with his first wife Jane Novis. He was also a stepfather to Jane’s older daughter Colleen, whom he adopted. After the divorce from Helen’s mother Jane, he re-married an actress Betty Jean Ward.

Jane Hunt (mother)

Date of birth: April 19, 1938

Helen Hunt’s mother stays away from the limelight. But she is occasionally present on social media, where she shares various charity projects, which shows, that she is a kind-hearted person.

Jane was born in the family of Ted Novis and Dorothy Fries, a talented piano teacher. Dorothy, who passed away in 2015, spent a wonderful life, full of love for music and success. She trained lots of talented musicians, including Gary Bachlund, a composer. Jane has a younger maternal half-sister Catherine Fries Vaughn, a famous theater actress, who is very close to Helen Hunt.

Jane used to work as a photographer. She divorced Helen’s father many years ago. Currently, she is single.

Helen Hunt siblings

Colleen Morrison-Hunt (older half-sister)

Date of birth: June 1957

Helen has just one sibling – an older half-sister from her maternal side Colleen. She was adopted by Helen’s father Gordon Hunt. Colleen is the daughter of Helen’s mother Jane and her first husband George Albert Morrison. On her paternal side, Colleen has a half-brother, Kevin.

Colleen was educated at Hollywood High School. Then she continued her education at California State University, Northridge. She earned her living as a theater teacher and screenwriter. She served as a Story Analyst at Columbia Pictures.

Bio

Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress and director born on June 15, 1963, in Culver City, California. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for “As Good as It Gets” and starred in “Mad About You,” “Twister,” “Cast Away” and “Pay It Forward.”

Hunt continues acting and directing and appeared at the 2026 Paris Fashion Week with her daughter Makena. She is in a long-term relationship with Jeffrey Nordling.