Helen Shyres

Helen Shyres is a major character in Carrie. She, along with Chris Hargensen takes part in bullying Carrie White. Helen is a girl with a good conscience. She is also the girlfriend of Roy Evarts and the best friend of Sue Snell and Jeanne Gault.

Novel

According to the novel, Helen is a member of The Mortimer Snerds and one of the girls who were running for Prom Queen.

She bullies and harassed Carrie White during the shower incident by making throwing-up gestures and throwing tampons at her. She also helped in decorating the Prom, along with Sue Snell and did not object to the idea of Tommy Ross bringing Carrie to the prom because she herself implied that they had behaved wrongly. However, Sue suspected that she knew something was going to happen and was hiding information from her.

At the prom, Helen burst into tears of laughter when Carrie became the victim of the evil prank.

It is unknown if she survived The Black Prom.

1976 Film

Helen Shyres is portrayed by Edie McClurg in the 1976 film.

Helen is a bully of Carrie White, a member of The Mortimer Snerds and the best friend of Chris Hargensen, Sue Snell and Norma Watson. She is present during the shower incident and also at Miss Collins's detention. During the boot camp style detention, Helen is seen making a very unfriendly face, because of her being in Miss Collins's detention and not in another teacher's detention probably because she is bad at sports. Helen is than seen getting her hair done for the prom with Norma and laughing because Carrie is going to the prom. and she is later seen For a split-second helping Frieda Jason and Sue in the decorations. She attended the Prom only to serve drinks along with Ruthie Gogan During the prank, Helen is very shocked and speechless. Carrie also hallucinates Helen is laughing. When Carrie starts to close the doors with her telekinesis, Helen quickly panics and scared. When the mayhem begins, Helen tries to escape with Ruthie, but failed and is killed and slaughtered when she is knocked roughly over one of the tables and slamming on the hard ground. Ruthie and another guy can be seen attending to her body but it appears to be too late. Her body burns with all the other students as the building crumbles to the ground, as Carrie begins to leave the burning gym.

Trivia

• Edie McClurg originally had no dialogue in any part of the film, so she decided to improvise instead.

• In the original script, Helen is giggling and snickering in the corner with fear, when Tommy Ross gets hit by the bucket.

• Helen is the first Mortimer Snerds member to be killed, slaughtered, and murdered by Carrie White.

• Many thought she was a reformed character, but she turned out to be a bully because she enjoyed throwing tampons at Carrie, which makes her a pure evil-type character.
• During the detention, Miss Collins mistakenly called her "Katie".
• A lot of fans also thought she turned nicer later because of her reaction to the prank, but this was false.
• After her demise at the hands of Carrie White, Theodore Seville (Jesse McCartney) was ultimately crowned as the Thunder King in his ending and smiles with excitement while looking at the viewers.

2002 Remake

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Helen was portrayed by Chelan Simmons. In the prom sequence, her role is a synthesis of her own character, Frieda Jason and Sue Snell. Helen also takes part in throwing tampons at Carrie. Helen is seen chatting with Sue while they decorate for the prom. She sympathizes with Carrie, and complimented her dress like Freida in the 1976 movie.

She finds the behavior of Tina Blake to be suspicious, and follows her look (and that of Kenny Garson) going up to the ceiling, where she sees the bucket. Unlike Sue in the previous movie, she does not attempt to warn Rita Desjarden, because she does not know what to expect. But when Carrie gets the pig’s blood dumped on her, Helen looks shocked; however, without hesitation, she angrily slaps Kenny across the face (which made him stop laughing), thus showing that she didn’t like the prank on Carrie or his laughing at Carrie’s humiliation one bit. Afterwards, she heads over to the stage, along with Roy and Rita, in order to help Tommy Ross (who was knocked out by the bucket) and attempt to reassure Carrie.

During the prom massacre, Helen and Roy are seen to be running away from Carrie at this point in fear only for Carrie to drop the basketball score board onto the floor, killing her and Roy by electrocution. Their bodies are left to burn in the school building.

2013 Remake

Helen and Don's name.

Helen is a student at Ewen High School. She is dating Don Farnham and is possibly a bully of Carrie White. She is also nominated for Prom Queen but loses to Carrie. Although Helen is a character she is not seen, but her name can be seen on the prom King and Queen ballot. In the background of a deleted scene, a reporter announces the names of the deceased we then hear her say a blurry noised name that sounds like "Helen".

Gallery

Helen Shyres (1976)

Helen in English class

Helen at Kelso's Cafe

Helen and Ruth watching the prank

Helen and Ruth laughing at Carrie

Helen signalling for help

Helen's death

Appearances

• Carrie
• Carrie (1976 Film)
• Carrie: The Musical
• Carrie (2002 TV Film)
• Carrie (2013 Remake) (rename as Heather Shyres)

Trivia

• Heather Shyres from the 2013 remake of Carrie, is possibly and most likely based on Helen Shyres.
• The reason why Heather is most likely based on Helen, is because her name is modernized.