Helena Marie is an award-winning actor born in Montreal, Quebec and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. A born entertainer, Helena found her passion for performing in ballet class at the age of 3. Soon after she was singing in front of crowds at her local church and regional choirs. After studying theatre at Montreal’s Dawson College, her first professional acting gig was in the dark comedy series ‘Bullet in the Face’ (IFC) playing a role originally written for a man. Helena now stars in the new drama series My Perfect Landing about a family of gymnasts who struggle with a life-changing move. We caught up with Helena for a chat about her role and career to date.
Hi Helena, Thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career so far. How did you get into acting?
It’s my pleasure, thanks for having me.
I resisted acting for so long because I would always get so nervous when I had to do any kind of public speaking. So I assumed I would be nervous if I tried acting as well. Hesitantly, I started drama in my final year of high school, became instantly obsessed, and my fear subsided. I went on to study theatre in college and eventually decided to pursue acting professionally. That meant taking a job as a bartender, so I could leave my days free for auditions. I took any class I could, did a bunch of student films, and just tried to be as professional as possible.
You got your first professional acting role in the dark comedy series Bullet in the Face and we hear the audition was a unique one. Please tell us more about this and your role on the show.
Haha yeah! I was working on an indie film, shooting at this beautiful hotel in Montreal. One day, a random patron of the hotel literally stumbled onto our set. We had a good laugh, and in what felt like a very Hollywood moment, he said something like “You should be on my show, too!”. “Sure!”, I said, but I didn’t think he was serious. A few days later, my agent contacted me with an audition for Bullet In The Face. I was stunned. And confused – because the role was very clearly written for a man. But I went for it – and got it! They flipped the gender and I became Ms. Bartleby, assistant to a slimy business owner. The role wasn’t pivotal to the story by any stretch, but for me it was huge. Thanks, Alan!
What attracts you to a role?
So many things! I have been fortunate enough to play a wide range of characters, and I’ve loved them all. They’ve all been challenging in different ways. If a script is great, I’m generally excited to be a part of a project in any way I can. And once the character is mine, I try to use whatever I’ve been given by the writers and director, along with my own thoughts and experiences, to bring the character to life in a genuine way. We all have different parts of ourselves that we show, some parts we hide, and some parts we don’t even know are there. I think an actor’s job is to know every part of a character like they would themselves – or maybe even better.
You appeared as Bonnie Mudd in the western film Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story which earned you your ACTRA Montreal nomination. What was this experience like and how has it impacted your career?
Being able to play such a unique character in Stagecoach was a gift on its own. To then be recognized for my work by my peers felt like a big shiny bow on top. Validation is something that not everyone gets in their job, so it means a lot when you’re given acknowledgment that you’re doing good work, work that people like. So I’d say every bit of validation I’ve been given, whether by an award or just from a friend, impacts me in a way that helps me feel more and more confident in my craft.
You co-wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning short film Crazy Love, portraying spousal-abuse victim Sam. Please share your experience working on this production.
I had heard many people around me saying that to do work you care about, you have to create your own work. I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t feel ready for a long time. When I finally decided that I was ready, I wanted to write a film about a situation that exists so much around this world, one that can feel so impossible to deal with. So I wrote a film about spousal abuse, the people affected by it directly and indirectly, and revenge. Everyone involved knew what a unique story we were telling and gave everything they could to do it justice. It was a wonderful creative outlet, and a great way to learn about all the different aspects of filmmaking. That experience truly had an impact on me. It helped me to feel satisfied creatively, and it felt like I had made something that could potentially make a difference to someone, somewhere.
You’re currently starring in the new drama series My Perfect Landing. Please tell us more about the show and what viewers can expect.
My Perfect Landing follows a family of gymnasts as they move from Miami to Toronto to open up a gymnastics studio. My character, Whitney, is a widow with two kids, who partners with her father, whom she doesn’t see eye to eye with. It’s a family show with a lot of heart, difficult decisions, and a ton of gymnastics. People are really going to identify with this family and be blown away by the extremely talented gymnasts who continuously give it all they’ve got.
Please share any other milestone experiences that have shaped your career.
A few years ago, while living in Vancouver, I auditioned for Supernatural. It was my very first audition in Vancouver – and I booked it! When my episode aired, it was the first time I had friends and family message me to say they had seen me on television. I’ll never forget how happy that made me feel.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline we can look forward to?
You can catch me in the murder mystery His Fatal Fixation on Lifetime, and in Hallmark’s Matchmaker Mysteries: A Killer Engagement. You’ll have to watch to see which one I survive!
So where can we keep up to date with your activities?
You can find me posting doggy photos, silly songs and other things I find amusing on Instagram @_helenamarie. You can check photos and other stuff I’m up to on my website at officialhelenamarie.com!
Photos by Kristina Ruddick
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