What Helga From Hey Arnold Looks Like In Real Life

Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold!" is a surprisingly mature show about living in the big city. Thanks to its exaggerated animation style, it's easy for viewers to immerse themselves in the series' animated setting, so much so that they may forget about the real-life voice actors behind the show's characters. Adding to the immersion is the fact that "Hey Arnold!" was never too hung up on locking in a specific voice for its main character. After all, Arnold Shortman has been voiced by several different voice actors spanning multiple projects at this stage.

This doesn't apply to every major character, though. In particular, the tomboyish Helga G. Pataki has retained the same voice throughout the various installments of the "Hey Arnold!" franchise. Specifically, the character has been voiced exclusively by Francesca Marie Smith in all of her appearances (save for a flashback to the character's younger days in the season 4 episode "Helga on the Couch," for which Katie Bartlett provided the voice). This includes the 2017 film "Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie" and the various Nickelodeon video games where Helga shows up, which means that Smith is truly dedicated to the role. 

With Smith's impressive stint voicing one of the most memorable "Hey Arnold!" characters, it's only natural for fans of the show to want to find out more about her. Let's take a closer look at her roles beyond "Hey Arnold!" — as well as what she looks like in real life.

Francesca Marie Smith has been in the acting game since 1991, and she landed her defining role early. The first time she voiced Helga was in 1994, in the animated short "Hey Arnold!: 24 Hours to Live." It's probably fair to say that she's been at it ever since.

Though Helga is Smith's most prominent role by a fairly significant margin, she has also voiced other characters over the years. Fans of the animated "Beethoven" series from the mid-1990s might remember her as the voice of Ellie Newton, and those who watched Disney's "Recess" (Which was co-created by Joe Ansolabehere, one of the folks behind "Hey Arnold!") may recognize her as the voice of Ashley B. and assorted other characters. Smith has also guest starred on numerous other animated projects, from "Nightmare Ned" to "The New Batman Adventures." On the movie front, she's provided additional voices for "A Bug's Life" and "The Prince of Egypt."

While the bulk of her acting credits is voice work, Smith has appeared in a handful of live-action projects. Her very first credited role was in a season 2 episode of the Fox teen sitcom "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." She has also guest starred in a few other live-action titles, among them "Blossom" and "The Drew Carey Show.