Helen Hunt gets candid about ditching Hollywood beauty norms after years of struggle and self-doubt
Helen Hunt has been in the Hollywood business for decades. She has won an Oscar, four Emmy, four Golden Globe awards, and more. However, the actress admitted that she was never immune to Hollywood's beauty standards, and at one point, she felt both "misery and shame" about her physical appearance.
In an interview with The Flow Space for their June 2025 cover story, she recalled the body-shaming celebrities experienced from tabloids during the '90s:
"It felt impossible not to internalize the way you're supposed to look. And [there was] a certain amount of misery and shame around not looking exactly that way."
However, according to the Oscar-winning actress, she realized that thinking like that could "quietly ruin your whole life," so she made a conscious effort to release herself from Hollywood's beauty standards. She added that she made a decision that she won't let that pressure get to her and won't let it take space in her mind.
Helen Hunt credits the book that helped her develop a healthy relationship with food
In her interview with The Flow Space for their June 2025 cover issue, Helen Hunt revealed her routines, the things she does, and what she reads that changed her perspective in life. One particular book that the actress credited with helping her develop a much better relationship with food is the one written by spiritual leader Sondra Ray, The Only Diet There Is.
Per the book's description, it's a "method for losing weight through positive thinking and the changing of attitudes toward life and food." Hunt said this about the book, first published in 1982:
"What I took for it is eat what you want and love every bite, period."
That said, when it comes to her relationship with food, Helen Hunt said that she practiced restraint. She added:
"I'm never going to go down a sugar rabbit hole, because I immediately feel anxious and weepy."
Speaking of being anxious, also shared her methods of keeping her mind clear and warding off anxiety. Hunt revealed that she does "all the usual things," like writing her gratitude list. The actress also revealed that taking a walk is among her routines to keep anxiety at bay, as well as making it a habit to pause before speaking.
As much as having enough alone time is necessary, she also ensures that she has "enough time" when it comes to reaching out to other people. And, unlike her network executive character in HBO Max's Hacks, Helen Hunt prefers yoga to pickleball. She also told The Flow Space that one of the activities she enjoys doing is taking long walks with her three-legged rescue dog.
Meditation is another thing that Helen Hunt has taken up to help ward off stress. She told The Flow Space that she started meditation some 30 years ago during a particularly stressful time in her career. It was too stressful, she said, that she would experience "aches and pains everywhere." The actress also mentioned that big bodies of water help her "feel right-sized and relaxed."
Helen Hunt stars as the recurring character Winnie Landell in Hacks, which has been picked up for a fifth season.
