Meet Helen Hayden | Actor, Writer, & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Helen Hayden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Helen, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I actually didn’t set out to pursue a career in the arts. I thought I’d go into medicine or health care, because I really felt this need to be of service, and that was sort of the most literal expression of that calling. But I grew up immersed in music, choir, dance, theatre, and eventually I realized – through the help of “wise men” along my way, that truly the best way to serve others is to follow that which calls you, and to use the gifts and talents that you were given. Acting and writing from a very young age seemed to be sort of native to me. Also, at around 15, I remember distinctly journaling about how I wanted to a chance to be so many people in life – to be a mom, an astronaut, a lawyer, even a drug addict! Sounds crazy, I know, but I suppose I just felt this yearning to experience the whole breadth of what it means to be human. Acting really seemed like the only way I could realistically step into all these different experiences of life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is not just my career, it’s my vocation. Movies, plays, books, and music shaped me; I immersed myself in artistic works as a child, and that opened me to universe of humanity and started my life-long fascination with what it is we’re capable of as individuals. I just want to participate in allowing that to happen for others, I suppose. Selfishly, acting is my chance to explore and transform. Stepping into a character is truly like traveling into another life and another world for me. I suppose my writing, which I’m developing more and more as I get older, is where I feel I am giving back more. When I think about cinema specifically, especially the experience of actually sitting in the theatre, I get quite emotional! To me, it’s a type of church – a sacred space that we enter into and allow ourselves to become small and insignificant and forget ourselves so that we can feel into the lives and stories of others. Stories that allow us to believe ourselves into being somewhere else, or even someone else, and that is a sort of miraculous thing, isn’t it? It really illuminates the great power of our thoughts and emotions, as well as the words and images we put out into this world. When you think that these worlds we feel we are a part of when we watch a show or read a novel were just letters that an author etched on a page… but it causes our eyes to fill with tears and our cheeks to burst into laughter… The art we create and the stories we tell truly have the power to change us; to change hearts and change lives, and I’ve felt that myself over and over again. This is why I devote myself to cinema and and to my craft.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What I love about LA is that there’s truly a neighborhood or pocket for every mood – like New York, but with more palm trees and abs! If I had a week to show someone my version of LA, I’d start with a post-flight trip to a Korean spa in Koreatown. It’s such a quintessential LA experience. The best ones are tucked away on the third or fourth floor of an unassuming mall, and you suddenly find yourself in this sprawling, otherworldly space with salt rooms, steam rooms, and women scrubbing you down before pouring hot milk on you. Unforgettable. For a classic night out, I’d go to Dan Tana’s or Tower Bar while the piano’s playing – timeless and iconic. I’d also make sure to get out of the city for a drive up the coast, stopping at little gems along the way. Field and Fort just south of Montecito is divine. I’m completely obsessed with Ojai so we’d probably spend a night there. Too many cute spots to mention. If you’re lucky enough to be there for the 4th of July, it’s pure magic. Back in LA, the Academy Museum is a must for any film lover. it’s beautifully done and feels really special and inspiring, and it’s so nice to see so much film history preserved and honored so well. And of course, you can’t skip the cliché that’s actually true: hiking and driving. With the right friend, the right playlist, and the right car, that’s the LA lifestyle at its best.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are truly countless people who’ve contributed to my journey as an artist. Most recently, I wrote a piece for Broadway World about the teachers I had at Circle in the Square Conservatory in New York. They were giants – Alan Langdon, Therese Hayden, Jacqueline Brooks, and Edward Berkele – who devoted their lives to the craft, and to us, their students, and I’ll forever be indebted to them. After graduating, fellow actors and friends sustained me, both spiritually and practically – some shared their homes, their beds, their networks, and most importantly their hearts in those early years when I needed the support most. I trained with Suzanne Bastien in her wonderful on-camera class in Toronto, and met peers who’ve become like family. Vasilios Fillippakis and Kwaku Adu-Poku are like brothers, and we continue to support each other mentally and emotionally through the uncertainty of a working actors career. Having artists walk this road with you is invaluable. I’m deeply grateful to have been able to share the highs and lows with creatives who truly understand the journey.

Website: You can share my Broadway World exclusive with readers if you like. Link is here: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-What-Happens-When-the-Great-Teachers-Are-Gone-20250801

Image Credits
Matthew Reid Photography (for the headshots only)