About this episode
Helen Shaver has directed some of television's most celebrated shows, including Vikings , Orphan Black , Law & Order: SVU , Westworld , Station Eleven and The Penguin (Episodes 4 and 5). Helen takes us on a personal journey, sharing how a childhood illness led her to discover a passion for storytelling. We explore how her time in the hospital influenced her path to acting and, eventually, her transition to directing—during a period when female directors were still a rare presence in North American television. Helen opens up about her directing process, the preparation that went into her episodes of The Penguin , and her collaborative relationship with showrunner Lauren LeFranc.