‘Is That Really Her?’: Fans Shocked as 61-Year-Old Helen Hunt Looks ‘Totally Different’ in New Selfie

Something about Helen Hunt’s newest selfie has sparked a wave of conversation online. The Oscar-winning actress shared a sunny snap from a baseball stadium — and fans couldn’t stop talking.

On Tuesday, March 18, Helen Hunt posted a cheerful photo from Wrigley Field in Chicago. At 61, the acclaimed actress appeared happy and glowing, smiling brightly as she took in the iconic setting.

Best known for her role as Darcie Maguire in What Women Want, Hunt seemed thrilled about the upcoming baseball season. “In just a few hours, the Chicago @cubs will play my @dodgers in Tokyo in the first game of the 2025 season,” she wrote on Instagram. “Let’s go Dodgers. But my goodness, the Cubs are epic and this stadium is a work of art.”

While the post was meant to celebrate sports, fans were more focused on something else — Hunt’s appearance. Comments quickly poured in, some filled with praise, others with concern.

Helen Hunt seen attending a match at Dodger Stadium on May 20, 2024 | Source: Getty Images

“What happened to her? She looks completely different,” one person wrote. Another added, “Her eyes look swollen.” Someone else commented, “You don’t look like yourself anymore. 😢”

Still, many fans came to her defense, complimenting her timeless charm. “Still beautiful as ever,” one follower noted. Another shared, “Such a lovely photo. You look amazing, Helen!”

Helen Hunt attends the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 10, 2024 | Source: Getty Images

Hunt has long championed balance and self-care — habits that may explain her youthful glow. In a 2012 interview, she opened up about her mindset around health and aging.

Back then, at age 49, she was already fielding questions about how she stayed in shape. Her answer was straightforward: focus on nourishment, not perfection.

Helen Hunt at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2007. | Source: Getty Images

“I eat well. I try to love my body,” she said. “That’s what I teach my daughter. I tell her, ‘Enjoy every bite. Love your body.’” Then she joked, “We’re all going to be dead soon — though I don’t tell her that part.”

An avid surfer and yoga fan, Hunt admitted she never stuck to strict routines — even when preparing for intimate scenes. When she appeared nude in The Sessions, she didn’t hit the gym in advance. “I didn’t have time,” she said. “What would I have done — gone to Pilates for two days?”

Helen Hunt speaking during a Q&A following the screening of “Then She Found Me” on April 14, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

By 2015, her laid-back approach remained the same. She credited staying active with things like hiking, biking, and yoga. “You just have to do a little of everything,” she said.

Off-camera, Hunt prefers a relaxed, casual style. She’s known for choosing comfort over fashion, often seen in sweatpants — much to the dismay of her colleagues who jokingly encourage her to dress up more.

Helen Hunt at the 2021 Gotham Awards on November 29, 2021, in New York. | Source: Getty Images

That said, she still enjoys dressing up for red carpet events. “I didn’t go to prom in high school,” she once said, “so I treat those nights like my prom.”

When it comes to beauty, Hunt puts more stock in self-love than in skincare products. “Love yourself. That’s the goal,” she explained. “If I can get there before my final breath, I’ll be proud.”

Helen Hunt at SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversations with “Mad About You” on November 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

She brings the same mindset to motherhood. With her daughter, Makena, Hunt has always been careful about limiting exposure to media. She prefers her to explore creativity through music, painting, or reading — not screen time.

Through it all, Hunt has stayed grounded in who she is. Her confidence and quiet strength are part of what keeps her so relatable to fans. Her desire for simplicity and authenticity extends to how she views fame, too.

Despite her breakout success in As Good As It Gets, Hunt admitted she was never fully comfortable in the limelight. The attention unnerved her. “There were a few years when I was spooked,” she said, reflecting on paparazzi crowding outside her home. “I thought maybe I’d never be able to undo that.”

To cope, she made an unexpected choice — she faded into the background. “I just became very boring,” she quipped.

Yet, boring doesn’t quite fit. Helen Hunt is thoughtful, private, and refreshingly honest. In a recent Zoom chat, she appeared in glasses, eating dinner on her bed, apologizing mid-interview for munching while they talked.

She’s not the type to seek the spotlight. She joked that after the 130th photo of her in yoga pants with a mat, people lose interest — and that’s just how she likes it. Her life, on her terms, is a reminder that fame doesn’t have to come with flash. Sometimes, authenticity shines the brightest.