Slater made her film debut in 'Supergirl,' sharing scenes with Dunaway and O'Toole at 18 years old
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NEED TO KNOW
- Helen Slater made her film debut as the first big-screen Supergirl in 1984
- She starred alongside Hollywood icons Faye Dunaway and Peter O’Toole, who were both helpful on set, Slater tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview
- Although acting with both stars was “intimidating,” Slater says she wasn’t as scared as she thought she would be
When Helen Slater arrived on the set of the first Supergirl film, she was an 18-year-old making her first movie.
Thankfully for Slater, she was able to learn from two Hollywood icons, Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole, as they filmed scenes together. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Slater recalls how Dunaway, 85, and the late O'Toole made her feel comfortable on the 1984 film's U.K. set.
Slater describes working with Dunaway as an “initiation” about being “mindful of where the camera is and how you're being shot.” When she began working on the film, Slater says that she had no sense of “making sure that you're being photographed in a way” that makes you look good.
“‘Just take care. It is an image… Film is image.' And she really understood that,” Slater tells PEOPLE of Dunaway, who played the evil witch Selena in Supergirl.
Meanwhile, O'Toole, who died in 2013 at 81, helped Slater brush up on her acting skills as the two filmed their scenes together. In the movie, O'Toole starred as Zaltar, a Yoda-like mentor for Supergirl and the other residents of Argo City.
While she was attending the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, Slater was cast as Juliet in a production of Romeo & Juliet. One day, O'Toole asked Slater to perform a scene as Juliet when they weren't filming Supergirl.
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O'Toole directed Slater as she performed, showing her how just holding a rose in a slightly different way could add “poetry” to the scene.
“It was such a transmission masterclass of Shakespeare,” she tells PEOPLE. “I felt the poetry in a way I hadn't felt before. So, that's a very long-lasting memory. Happy, happy memory.”
Although Slater admits it was “intimidating” to act alongside two legends, she wasn't actually as scared about sharing scenes with Dunaway and O'Toole as others might think.
“When you're young and innocent, literally don't know what that… You should be terrified every second you're in Faye Dunaway or Peter O'Toole's presence,” Slater says. “I didn't have enough years to know to be super scared.”
Slater, who has a PhD in mythological studies, says that she is still open to acting, but is now more interested in working with actors and writers as a mythologist. She tells PEOPLE that she enjoys helping those who are making movies and TV shows see the connection between their work and the myths of the past.
“Nothing is ever really brand new,” Slater tells PEOPLE. “There's usually going to be a resource for that. And it's my joy to do that kind of research and put together, doing it in person or on Zoom, that kind of lane. So I love that very, very much.”
Slater was the first star to play Kara Zor-El on the big screen. Melissa Benoist played the character in The CW's six-season Supergirl series, while Sasha Calle starred as Kara in The Flash movie.
The new Supergirl stars Milly Alcock in the title role and is now in theaters. The 1984 Supergirl is available to stream on HBO Max.
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