She transitioned from complete obscurity to global fame almost overnight, only to see the spotlight shift away just as quickly. However, the real story of what happened to this blonde actress is far more intricate than the headlines suggest.
In the early 1980s, a young drama student fresh out of a performing arts high school landed what was supposed to be the role of a lifetime: the lead in a major superhero blockbuster, starring alongside two of Hollywood’s most formidable veterans.
She was unknown, with little experience, yet undeniably captivating. Audiences worldwide were enchanted. Men desired her, women admired her, and the entertainment industry seemed to roll out the red carpet. So, what happened next?
From Drama Student to Superheroine
At just 18 years old, and having appeared only in a handful of television episodes, she auditioned for one of the most competitive roles in Hollywood.
The producers of the superhero film “Supergirl,” released in 1984, were on the lookout for an unknown actress to take on the title role—and they had plenty of options. Names like Brooke Shields were mentioned, only to be dismissed.
Demi Moore and Melanie Griffith also auditioned. But the moment this drama student walked into the room, there was an undeniable chemistry.
She had prepared earnestly, even seeking advice from a famous actor who had played Superman to understand what it’s like to portray a superhero—just to convince herself she could do it.
She was the first to arrive for the audition and secured the role. “Oh, I just started crying as if… you know, my whole life had changed,” she later recalled in a podcast, describing the moment she was informed she had landed the part.
Within a few weeks, she found herself on a plane to London, where the filming was set to take place at Pinewood Studios. This was followed by a grueling physical transformation: swimming three times a week, horseback riding, weightlifting, and trampoline workouts.
By the time the cameras rolled, she had gained roughly 20 pounds of muscle mass, which proved necessary for the role.
On Set with Hollywood Royalty
The supporting cast was impressive. Peter O’Toole and Faye Dunaway—two Oscar-nominated stars—had been cast, and although she held her own, life on set was not without its challenges. O’Toole’s struggles with alcoholism were widely known, but she remembers him fondly.
For Dunaway, it was a different story. The “Network” star, still stinging from critical backlash for her role as Joan Crawford in “Mommie Dearest,” was eager to prove herself.
Brenda Vaccaro, who played Dunaway’s sidekick, later shared that she often had to remind the Oscar winner to relax—telling her, “It’s just a fun movie.”
Dunaway herself admitted years later that she had clashed with director Jeannot Szwarc, furious that he was restraining her comedic instincts.
Nevertheless, the young star chose to focus on the joy of the experience—an attitude that would deepen with age. Years later, reflecting on Dunaway’s reputation for being “difficult,” she offered a kinder interpretation.
“Today, as a more mature actress, I understand how vulnerable women are. I don’t think we have the same chances as men, and we may be judged or criticized more: we are labeled as difficult when it may just be about asking for what we want or having certain requirements about how we want to work.”
The Film’s Failure
Despite its promising start, “Supergirl” faced obstacles from the get-go. Christopher Reeve was initially slated to star as Superman—his appearance would have grounded the film within a beloved franchise—but he withdrew from the project over financial disagreements.
The screenplay had to be rewritten. Budget cuts decimated what screenwriter David Odell had envisioned: a grand $200 million epic where the villain, Selena, would literally conquer the world. What ultimately reached theaters was much more modest—and much more confusing.
Early screenings alarmed the studio, prompting the film’s runtime to be slashed by half an hour. Warner Bros. considered it a liability and handed it off to Tri-Pictures. Its initial box office ranking turned out to be a fluke, as the film flopped the following week, netting only $14 million in the U.S. against a $35 million budget.
The young actress at the center of it all faced considerable blame as her performance drew heavy criticism, with producer Ilya Salkind later admitting that casting Brooke Shields would have been a more commercially sound decision. Her burgeoning career, which once seemed so inevitable and promising, became bogged down.
And yet, she refuses to see it that way.
“I was 18, I had just graduated from a performing arts school, took a year off to see if I could land roles, and I got the lead in this amazing film,” she stated. “To me, that eclipses everything else. I went from a life in anonymity with my mother in New York to this dazzling experience. I am grateful for what happened to me. ‘Supergirl’ changed my life.”
A Career That Refused to Stop
She did not disappear; quite the opposite.
Throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, she built an impressive filmography, starring alongside Bette Midler in the hit comedy “Ruthless People” (1986), achieving further success with “The Secret of My Success” (1987), and landing roles in “City Slickers” (1991) and “Lassie” (1994), among many others.
Television kept her busy as well: with appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Will & Grace,” and “Supernatural,” her face remained familiar to audiences, even if her name didn’t always come to mind right away.
And in a telling gesture about her character, she returned to the DC universe not once, but twice—portraying Superman’s mother in “Smallville,” and then Supergirl’s adoptive mother in the TV series “Supergirl” (2015–2021), starring Melissa Benoist as the title character.
Unlike many actors who shy away from their superhero past, she fully embraces it. Fans never forgot who she once was—and recent social media posts make that very clear.
“What a beautiful woman,” exclaimed a fan. “My first crush was in 1987. I was 8 years old at the time when I saw how gorgeous she was in the film The Secret of My Success,” another fan gushed. “She looked stunning as Supergirl,” a third remarked.
Life Beyond the Screen
Outside of acting, she has built a life that may be richer than anything Hollywood could script for her.
A singer-songwriter, she has released six albums of original compositions, including three children’s albums: “The Myths of Ancient Greece” (2013), “The Ugly Duckling” (2015), and “Selkie” (2019).
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Antioch University and—perhaps the most unexpected degree of all—a Ph.D. in mythological studies with a specialization in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
She co-founded the theatre company The Naked Angels and is a founding member of the Los Angeles improv troupe The Bubalaires, as well as a founding member of the nonprofit Turbine Arts Collective.
She has been married to Robert Watzke, an award-winning editor, since 1989, and the couple has a daughter, Hannah Nika Watzke, who is 30. Those who have followed her journey to this new phase of life, one that seems more tranquil and fulfilling, appear moved by what they see.
“Beautiful… yesterday and today,” warmly commented one fan. “In my opinion, she is even more beautiful today,” another boldly stated. “She has aged gracefully,” a third concurred.
The Name Behind the Legend
But who is this woman—the blonde bombshell who became a superheroine, survived a major box office flop, reinvented herself time and again, and, decades later, emerged stronger than ever?
Her name is Helen Slater. Born Helen Rachel Schlacter on December 15, 1963, in Bethpage, New York, and raised in Massapequa, Long Island, she is now 62 years old—and remains, quietly, extraordinary.
