Helen Shaver (born February 24, 1951) is a Canadian actress and film and

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

. She has received Emmy and

Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...

nominations, among other honours.

Early life

Shaver was born and raised, with five sisters, in

St. Thomas, Ontario St. Thomas is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It gained its city charter on March 4, 1881. The city is also the seat for Elgin County, although it is independent of the county. At the time of the 2021 Census, the population of the city wa ...

, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario. As a child, she suffered from chronic rheumatic fever and, between the ages of five and twelve, was forced to spend six months of each year in bed or in hospitals, which she said fostered her introspective side. She attended the Banff School of Fine Arts as a teenager and studied acting at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.

Career

After roles in such Canadian features as ''Outrageous!'' (1977), '' Starship Invasions'' (1977), ''Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1977) and ''High Ballin'' (1978), Shaver won a Canadian Film Award as Best Lead Actress opposite

Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing Jake ...

(for her performance as "Ann MacDonald") in '' In Praise of Older Women'' (1978). Shaver was one of the stars of director

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

's final film, 1983's ''

The Osterman Weekend ''The Osterman Weekend'' is a thriller novel by Robert Ludlum. First published in 1972, it was the author's second book. The novel was the basis for the film of the same title. Plot John Tanner, Director of News of a US TV network, is convinc ...

''. In 1985, Shaver starred in '' Desert Hearts'' as a 1950s university professor who falls in love with another woman. Her performance, with co-star

Patricia Charbonneau Patricia Charbonneau (born April 19, 1959) is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing the part of Cay Rivvers in '' Desert Hearts,'' her first film role and for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female ...

, drew critical praise and Shaver won the Bronze Leopard Award at the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

. Another prominent film performance during that time came in 1986 as the love interest of Paul Newman in his Oscar-winning portrayal of "Fast" Eddie Felson in Scorsese's ''

The Color of Money ''The Color of Money'' is a 1986 American sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film was created from a screenplay by Richard Price, based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. The ...

'', a sequel to 1961's ''

The Hustler ''The Hustler'' is a 1961 American sports romantic drama film directed by Robert Rossen from Walter Tevis's 1959 novel of the same name, adapted by Rossen and Sidney Carroll. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson ...

''.

In 1980, Shaver starred with

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was awar ...

in the short-lived NBC TV series '' United States'' developed by

Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series ''M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the B ...

. A year later she starred in the short-lived drama series ''

Jessica Novak ''Jessica Novak'' is an American drama television series that aired on CBS from November 5 until December 3, 1981 and was written by Ira Steven Behr. The cast includes Helen Shaver, Kip Gilman, Erik Kilpatrick, and Lara Parker. The series was ca ...

''. She was in the 1984 Canadian-made ''

Countdown to Looking Glass ''Countdown to Looking Glass'' is a Canadian made-for-television movie that premiered in the United States on HBO on October 14, 1984 and was also broadcast on CTV in Canada. The movie presents a fictional confrontation between the United States ...

''. She subsequently appeared on such television shows as ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'' and '' T. J. Hooker''. In 1990, she guest-starred as the murderer in '' Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo'', and later that year co-starred on the short-lived series '' WIOU'', playing a television journalist (as she also did on ''Jessica Novak''). From 1996-1999, Shaver co-starred on the TV series '' Poltergeist: The Legacy'', playing Dr. Rachel Corrigan, a widowed psychiatrist with an eight-year-old daughter who is helped by the Legacy in the pilot episode; her performance earned a

nomination. In 2000, she won a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

for her portrayal of a drug-addicted

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

in the independent feature '' We All Fall Down''. Shaver made her feature-length directorial debut in 1999 with the television film '' Summer's End'', which won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and earned her a directorial nomination. Shaver has also directed a number of television shows and cable movies, including '' The Outer Limits'', ''

Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...

'', ''

Joan of Arcadia ''Joan of Arcadia'' is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi ( Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS ...

'', ''

Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation * Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium ...

'', '' The OC'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ile ...

'', ''

Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho ...

'', '' Journeyman'', '' Private Practice'', '' The Unit'', '' Crusoe'', '' Orphan Black'',

Vikings (2013 TV series) ''Vikings'' is a historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst for the History channel, a Canadian network. Filmed in Ireland, it premiered on March 3, 2013, in Canada. The series concluded on December 30, 2020, when ...

, '' 13 Reasons Why'', and ''

Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populate ...

''. In 2003 she won a

Gemini award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

for Best Direction in a Dramatic Series for the '' Just Cause'' television series episode "Death's Details". In 2004, Shaver was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. '' Happy Place'', her first theatrical feature film after directing for television, premiered at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, and was screened at the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival. In 2021, Helen Shaver picked up The Living Legend Tribute at the 23rd

Women's Image Network Awards Women's Image Network (WIN) is a charity that produces The Women's Image Awards, "Advancing a gender-balanced world and increasing the value of women and girls by celebrating outstanding film and television." The awards show is produced during ...

with fellow honoree

JoJo Siwa Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa (; born May 19, 2003) is an American dancer, singer, actress and YouTuber. She is known for appearing for two seasons on '' Dance Moms'' along with her mother, Jessalynn Siwa, and for her singles " Boomerang" and "Kid ...

its Rising Musical Star recipient.

Personal life

Shaver dated screenwriter Stephen C. Peters, and is now married to Steve Smith, the key grip she met during the filming of ''Desert Hearts''. They have a son, Mackenzie.

Filmography

Film

Television

Director

References

External links

Canadian Film Encyclopedia: A publication of The Film Reference Library/a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaver, Helen 1951 births Actresses from Ontario Canadian film actresses Film directors from Ontario Canadian film producers Canadian television actresses Canadian television directors Canadian women film directors Canadian voice actresses Canadian women television directors Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Living people People from St. Thomas, Ontario University of Victoria alumni 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses Best Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian women film producers