Helen Hunt reveals how her acting career helped her direct 'Feud'

When it comes to the career trajectories of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Helen Hunt can relate. Like the two acting icons at the center of FX's Feud: Bette and Joan, Hunt began her Hollywood career at a young age (in her case, as a child actress) and has enjoyed both widespread popularity – as the Emmy-winning star of the hit sitcom Mad About You – and an acclaimed film career as well: along with starring in blockbuster crowd pleasers like Twister, Hunt earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for her turn in the 1997 dramedy As Good As It Gets. And as Hunt navigated the complex waters of acting in Hollywood, she also recognized the value of reinvention, following the example set by her father Gordon, a writer, acting coach and voiceover artist who pivoted into a highly regarded career as a director of sitcoms, stage plays and, later, video games. Like her father, Hunt initiated a successful segue behind the camera as well: writing, directing and starring in 2007's Then She Found Me and 2014's Ride, in addition to helming episodes of high profile TV shows including Californication, House of Lies, Revenge, Life in Pieces and This Is Us. And while she continues to pursue her acting career – she's currently appearing in Fox's limited series Shots Fired – Hunt was a natural recruit to direct the penultimate episode of Feud for a variety of reasons, as she tells Mashable; including executive producer Ryan Murphy's stated commitment to put more female directors to work; her empathy for the hard-fought battles of the actresses who preceded her in Hollywood; and her own understanding of leaving a lasting legacy in the arts.