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Helen Slater
10.17.09HelenSlaterByLuigiNovi.jpg
Slater at the October 17, 2009 Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, New York City, New York
Born
Helen Rachel Slater

(1963-12-15) December 15, 1963 (age 61)
Occupation Actress, singer-songwriter
Years active 1982–present
Spouse(s)
Robert Watzke
(m. 1989)
Children 1

Helen Rachel Slater (born December 15, 1963) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is famous for playing the superheroine Supergirl in the 1984 movie Supergirl. She has also appeared in many other films like The Legend of Billie Jean (1985), Ruthless People (1986), and City Slickers (1991). You might also know her voice as Talia al Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series. Later, she played Lara-El in Smallville and Eliza Danvers in the 2015 Supergirl TV show.

About Helen Slater's Early Life

Helen Slater was born in Bethpage, New York. She is from a Jewish family. Her mom, Alice Joan, was a lawyer and worked for peace, trying to stop nuclear weapons. Her dad, Gerald Slater, worked in television. Her parents divorced in 1974. Helen has a brother named David, who is also a lawyer.

Helen went to Great Neck South High School. Later, she moved to the High School of Performing Arts, where she graduated in 1982.

Many people think Helen is related to actor Christian Slater. This is not true, even though they played brother and sister in the movie The Legend of Billie Jean.

Helen Slater's Career Journey

Helen Slater has had a long and interesting career in movies, TV, and music.

Acting in Movies and TV Shows

Helen Slater became well-known for playing Supergirl in the 1984 movie. After that, she starred in other popular films. These include The Legend of Billie Jean in 1985 and The Secret of My Success in 1987. She also appeared in the comedy City Slickers in 1991.

Helen has often returned to the world of Superman and Supergirl. She played Superman's mom, Lara-El, in the TV series Smallville. Later, she played Supergirl's adoptive mom, Eliza Danvers, in the Supergirl TV show. She even voiced Clark Kent's adoptive mom, Martha Kent, in some animated DC Super Hero Girls projects. In 2023, her image was used as Supergirl in a computer-animated part of The Flash movie.

In 1985, DC Comics honored Helen Slater. They included her in their 50th-anniversary book, Fifty Who Made DC Great, because of her role in the Supergirl film.

Working on Stage

In 1987, Helen helped start a theater group in New York called Naked Angels. She also co-founded another theater group, The Bubalaires, with her husband, Robert Watzke, in Los Angeles in 1991.

She has acted in plays like Almost Romance and Responsible Parties. She also performed in The Big Deal at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Music and Albums

Helen Slater is also a talented singer and songwriter. In 2003, she released her first album, One of These Days. It featured her own songs, recorded live with other musicians. She released a second album, Crossword, in 2005, using the same live recording style.

Since then, she has released three more albums. Two of them, The Myth of Ancient Greece (2013) and The Ugly Duckling (2015), were made for children. Her 2019 album, Selkie, is a unique eleven-song concept album that plays as one continuous piece of music.

Writing Stories

In 2010, Helen Slater wrote a Supergirl story for a comic book. It was called "A Hero's Journey" and appeared in the fiftieth issue of the Supergirl comic book series.

Helen Slater's Main Roles

Helen Slater has played many memorable characters. Here are some of her most well-known roles:

  • 1984: Supergirl as Kara Zor-El / Linda Lee / Supergirl
  • 1985: The Legend of Billie Jean as Billie Jean Davy
  • 1986: Ruthless People as Sandy Kessler
  • 1987: The Secret of My Success as Christy Wills
  • 1991: City Slickers as Bonnie Rayburn
  • 1992–1994: Batman: The Animated Series as Talia al Ghul (voice)
  • 2007–2010: Smallville as Lara-El
  • 2015–2021: Supergirl as Eliza Danvers
  • 2016: DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year and DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High as Martha Kent (voice)

Helen Slater's Music Albums

  • One of These Days (2003)
  • Crossword (2005)
  • The Myth of Ancient Greece (2013)
  • The Ugly Duckling (2015)
  • Selkie (2019)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Helen Slater para niños

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