Holly Hunter (born March 20, 1958) is an American actress. Born in Conyers, Georgia, she has managed to maintain a successful career in Hollywood, despite retaining her Southern accent. The youngest of seven children, her father was part salesman and part farmer.

Her parents encouraged her to become an actress and Hunter went to Pittsburgh to study drama at Carnegie Mellon University, where she graduated in 1980. Thereafter she moved to New York City, where she happened to meet playwright Beth Henley in an elevator. She was cast in several Henley plays on Broadway, including Crimes of the Heart and The Miss Firecracker Festival.

Hunter's first starring role in movies was in 1987, when she appeared in Raising Arizona. That same year she starred in Broadcast News, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1993, she won the Oscar, for The Piano. In this year she also earned again a nomination as Best Supporting Actress for The Firm, starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.

Hunter has also appeared in several television films with remarkable performances, and has earned two Emmys.

She has been married to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski since 1995, although the couple has been separated for several years.

Filmography

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