1. Overview
Anne Helm, born on July 6, 1986, is a prominent German figure known for her dual career as both a politician and a voice actress. She has served as a member of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin, the state parliament of Berlin, since 2016, and has been the parliamentary co-leader of The Left party since June 2020. Prior to joining The Left, Helm was actively involved with the Pirate Party Germany from 2009 to 2014. Her voice acting career began at the age of nine, and she is widely recognized for her significant contributions to German dubbing, particularly for her roles as Babe in the German version of Babe and Mallory Grace in The Spiderwick Chronicles.
2. Early Life and Education
Anne Helm was born on July 6, 1986, in Rostock, German Democratic Republic. She grew up in Neukölln, a district of Berlin. Her family has deep roots in the entertainment industry; her father, Gunnar Helm, is a renowned actor and voice actor. Following in her father's footsteps, Anne began her own voice acting career at the early age of nine. Her sister, Luise Helm, is also a prominent actress and voice actress, known for being the German voice of actresses like Megan Fox and Scarlett Johansson. Anne Helm pursued her education at the Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium, where she successfully earned her Abitur in 2006, marking the completion of her secondary education.
3. Voice Acting Career
Anne Helm embarked on her voice acting journey at the age of nine, establishing herself as a prolific and significant contributor to the German dubbing industry. Her career spans across various media, where she has lent her voice to a wide array of characters, making her the German voice for several internationally recognized actresses.
3.1. Early Career and Notable Roles
Helm's early start in voice acting quickly led to her taking on significant roles in major film productions. She is particularly well-known for voicing the titular character, Babe the Gallant Pig, in the German dub of the critically acclaimed film Babe and its sequel, Babe: Pig in the City. Another notable early role was Mallory Grace in The Spiderwick Chronicles, originally portrayed by Sarah Bolger. Throughout her career, she has become the consistent German voice for several prominent actresses, including Anna Kendrick, Margot Robbie, Ludivine Sagnier, Michelle Dockery, and Jennette McCurdy. She has also dubbed roles for actresses such as Amber Heard.
3.2. Dubbing Works by Medium
Anne Helm's voice acting portfolio is extensive, covering animated television series, theatrical animated films, live-action films and television series, and video games.
3.2.1. Television Animation
Helm has provided voices for numerous characters in animated television series:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender as Ty Lee (original voice by Olivia Hack)
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as Silver Spoon (original voice by Shannon Chan-Kent) and Diamond Tiara (original voice by Chantal Strand), taking over from Jill Schulz
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED as Lacus Clyne (original voice by Rie Tanaka)
- Negima! Magister Negi Magi as Setsuna Sakurazaki
- The Suite Life as Violet Berg
- The Vampire Diaries (specific role not detailed in sources)
3.2.2. Theatrical Animation
Her contributions to animated feature films include:
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time as Makoto Konno (original voice by Riisa Naka)
3.2.3. Dubbing Roles (Live-Action)
Helm has dubbed a wide range of characters in live-action films and television series, often becoming the German voice for specific actresses:
- Babe as Babe the Gallant Pig (original voice by Christine Cavanaugh)
- Babe: Pig in the City as Babe the Gallant Pig (original voice by Elizabeth Daily)
- Before and After as T.J. (original voice by Oliver Graney)
- Dead Like Me as Georgia "George" Lass (original voice by Ellen Muth)
- The Grudge 2 as Lacey Kimble (original voice by Sarah Roemer)
- Into the Wild as Carine McCandless (original voice by Jena Malone)
- King of California as Miranda (original voice by Evan Rachel Wood)
- Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide as Missy Meany (original voice by Carlie Casey)
- One Tree Hill as Brooke Davis (original voice by Sophia Bush)
- The Quiet as Dot (original voice by Camilla Belle)
- The Ring as Samara Morgan (original voice by Daveigh Chase)
- The Ring Two as Samara Morgan (original voice by Daveigh Chase)
- Shark as Julie Stark (original voice by Danielle Panabaker)
- The Spiderwick Chronicles as Mallory Grace (original voice by Sarah Bolger)
- Volver as Paula (original voice by Yohana Cobo)
- iCarly as Sam Puckett (original voice by Jennette McCurdy)
- Sam & Cat as Sam Puckett (original voice by Jennette McCurdy)
- Up in the Air as Natalie Keener
- Pitch Perfect as Becca
- The Wolf of Wall Street as Naomi Belfort
- The Legend of Tarzan as Jane Clayton
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Sharon Tate
3.2.4. Video Games
In the realm of video games, Anne Helm has lent her voice to:
- Kingdom Hearts II as Naminé (original voice by Brittany Snow)
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as Naminé (original voice by Meaghan Jette Martin)
- Kingdom Hearts as Naminé
4. Political Career
Anne Helm's political journey began with the Pirate Party Germany and later transitioned to The Left, where she has taken on significant leadership roles within the Berlin state parliament.
4.1. Early Political Activities (Pirate Party Germany)
Helm joined the Pirate Party Germany in 2009, marking the beginning of her active political engagement. Her dedication led to her election to the municipal council of Neukölln in 2011, where she served as a local representative. In the 2013 German federal election, she stood as a candidate for the Pirate Party in the Berlin-Neukölln constituency, securing 4.4% of the votes. The same year, she was appointed as the party's spokeswoman for asylum policy, demonstrating her commitment to social justice issues. Helm also ran in the 2014 European Parliament election, placed fifth on the party list, though she was not elected. In September 2014, it was reported that Helm had terminated her membership with the Pirate Party, though she continued to serve as a member of the Neukölln municipal council.
4.2. Transition to The Left and State Politics
In January 2016, Anne Helm was among 36 current or former Pirate Party members who publicly declared their "critical and solidary" support for The Left party. In an interview with Neues Deutschland, Helm articulated that her decision was made in concert with other dissident Pirates, driven by a desire to bring a clear left-wing perspective to her political work. In the same month, she became a member of the steering committee of the Emancipatory Left, a libertarian socialist faction within The Left.
In March 2016, Helm officially announced her candidacy for The Left in the 2016 Berlin state election. She was successfully elected to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin on the state party list. Following her election, she took on the crucial roles of spokeswoman for media and strategies against the right within the parliamentary group.
4.3. Leadership in the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Helm's influence within the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin continued to grow. On June 2, 2020, following the resignations of Carola Bluhm and Udo Wolf as co-leaders of The Left parliamentary group, Anne Helm and Carsten Schatz were elected as their successors. This marked a significant step in her political career, placing her in a key leadership position within the state parliament. In the 2021 Berlin state election, Helm was re-elected, securing the fifth position on the state party list. She also contested the constituency of Mitte 3, where she garnered 12.7% of the votes, finishing in fourth place.
5. Controversies and Political Threats
Anne Helm's outspoken political stances and public actions have, at times, led to significant controversies and exposed her to serious threats.
5.1. Dresden Bombing Commemoration Protest
In February 2014, during the commemoration of the bombing of Dresden, Anne Helm participated in a protest that drew considerable public attention and criticism. She appeared topless with the words "Thanks Bomber Harris" painted on her body. Initially, she denied her involvement, citing that she was wearing a mask in the widely publicized photographs. However, she later admitted that it was indeed her. Her actions, particularly the phrase "Thanks Bomber Harris," which refers to the British Air Marshal responsible for the strategic bombing campaign during World War II, sparked significant public backlash and resulted in threats of violence against her.
5.2. Targeting and Threats
Helm has been the target of political threats and surveillance due to her public profile and left-wing activism. In 2017, her name appeared on a list of "terror suspects" compiled by the planners of the Day X plot, a far-right conspiracy. Investigators interpreted this list as a designation for potential targets of attack. Furthermore, in 2020, she was subjected to death threats from the self-proclaimed "NSU 2.0," an extremist group. Helm has described herself as "a lightning rod for the right," highlighting the consistent risks associated with her political stance and advocacy.
6. Personal Life
Anne Helm's personal life is closely intertwined with her family, particularly her connections to the German voice acting industry.
6.1. Family
Anne Helm is the daughter of Gunnar Helm, a well-known actor and voice actor. Following in their father's footsteps, both Anne and her sister, Luise Helm, have established successful careers in voice acting. Luise Helm is also recognized as an actress and is notably the German voice for prominent Hollywood stars such as Megan Fox and Scarlett Johansson.