Character guide
Helen Sharp
from Death Becomes Her
Helen Sharp is Madeline Ashton's lifelong rival in Death Becomes Her, the 2024 musical based on the 1992 film.
- Show
- Death Becomes Her
- Broadway premiere
- 2024
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Mattison & Carey
Helen Sharp: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1992 film
Jennifer Simard originated Helen on Broadway in 2024 and, like her co-star Megan Hilty, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical; Goldie Hawn played her in Robert Zemeckis's 1992 film. In both, Madeline steals Helen's fiance, Ernest, and Helen resurfaces years later at a party celebrating her new book.
Both versions commit her to a mental hospital first. On stage she then reappears, mysteriously young and beautiful, at the publication of her debut novel and openly flirts with Ernest. On stage she sings That Was Then, This Is Now and Alive Forever.
Helen Sharp: role facts
- Originated on Broadway by
- Jennifer Simard (2024)
- Notable performers
- Kristen Beth Williams was cast as Helen for the 2026 North American tour; Goldie Hawn played Helen in the 1992 film.
- Voice type and range
- Mezzo-soprano
- Songs Helen Sharp sings
- That Was Then, This Is Now (solo)
- Tell Me, Ernest (with Madeline and Ernest)
- Madeline (solo)
- Tell Me, Ernest (Reprise) (solo)
- Let's Run Away Together (with Ernest)
- Confrontation (with Madeline, Ernest, and Viola)
- Hit Me (with Madeline)
- Alive Forever (with Madeline)
Who is Helen Sharp?
Helen Sharp is a struggling writer who arrives engaged to plastic surgeon Ernest Menville, only for her friend turned rival Madeline Ashton to seduce and marry him. Helen has a breakdown and is committed to a mental hospital, where she fixates on revenge, then reemerges ten years later mysteriously young, successful, and beautiful.
Her pursuit of Viola Van Horn's potion puts her on a collision course with Madeline once again, and the two women's rivalry becomes an ongoing, undead battle for beauty, relevance, and Ernest's affection. Helen's arc is one of transformation, moving from wounded victim to formidable, larger than life adversary.
Helen's role in Death Becomes Her
Helen Sharp is a lead role requiring both strong comic timing and vocal power, with a character arc that spans dramatic physical transformation over the course of the show. Helen's numbers often match or top Madeline's in scale, reflecting the story's central rivalry.
Jennifer Simard originated the role on Broadway when Death Becomes Her opened in 2024 and received a Tony Award nomination for the performance. Audiences remember Helen as a scene stealing comic force, a wronged woman who claims her power back with theatrical, unapologetic relish.
Helen Sharp: frequently asked questions
Who played Helen Sharp in the Death Becomes Her movie?
Goldie Hawn played Helen Sharp in the 1992 film Death Becomes Her. Jennifer Simard originated the role in the 2024 Broadway musical and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for the performance.
What is Helen Sharp's key song in Death Becomes Her?
Helen's first big number is That Was Then, This Is Now, in which she gloats to Madeline about her engagement to Ernest. After Madeline steals him, Helen sings Madeline from a mental hospital, and she later duets with Madeline on Alive Forever.
Does Helen Sharp die in Death Becomes Her?
No. Helen has secretly taken Viola Van Horn's potion too, so she survives being blasted with a shotgun by Madeline and impaled by an umbrella. Fifty years later she and Madeline, their rivalry finally set aside, are still together, visiting their own gravesites.
What show is Helen Sharp from?
Helen Sharp is a lead character in Death Becomes Her, which opened on Broadway in 2024.
Is Helen Sharp a lead or supporting role?
Helen Sharp is a lead role and Madeline Ashton's rival.
Who wrote the music for Death Becomes Her?
Julia Mattison and Noel Carey composed the music and lyrics for Death Becomes Her.
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