Hi, its Helen, I heard when I picked up the phone Friday afternoon, her pleasant voice a welcome replacement for a publicists typical humdrum introduction. I immediately understood this conversation would be between myself and Ms. Helen Hunt , who could navigate my questions herself, thank you very much.

For over four decades, Hunt has affected audiences with her warm smile and natural charisma, appearing in everything from the late 1970s sci-fi series The Bionic Woman to Louis C.K.s controversial and critically panned I Love You, Daddy last year. She won multiple Emmys for her role as Jamie Buchman in the long-running 90s TV series Mad About You and took home an Oscar for As Good As It Gets in 97. She starred in the films What Women Want, Pay It Forward, Cast Away and Bobby, to name just a few, before taking a step off screen to focus on writing and directing. Her two projects, Then She Found Me and Ride, solidified Hunt as a blossoming filmmaker, giving her the opportunity to direct episodes of television series like Revenge, House of Lies, Feud, This Is Us and Splitting Up Together.

But, at 54, Hunt seems eager to get back on our screens and uncover the kinds of roles shes long been craving. As an actress whos witnessed decades of Hollywood ups and downs, she has strong opinions about her industry and the parts she wants to inhabit in it.

Currently, she can be seen in The Miracle Season, based on the true story of Iowa Citys West High School 2011-12 volleyball team . The squad, after the tragic death of its star player, attempts to conjure up the strength to make it to the state championship alongside tough-love coach Kathy Bresnahan (Hunt). On the phone, sans publicist, we spoke about the movie, the changes shes experienced in her ever-changing workplace and, of course, those Mad About You revival contracts .