Tricia Janine Helfer (born April 11, 1974) is a Canadian and American actress and former model.
Helfer worked as a fashion model from 1992 to 2002 appearing in ad campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Versace, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani, and appearing in shows for Carolina Herrera, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Dolce & Gabbana and others. She appeared on the cover ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Vogue, regularly in Maxim magazine and on the February 2007 cover of Playboy. In 2002, Helfer relocated to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She is best known for her role as Number Six in the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica (2003–2009). She also portrayed the wife of God in the series Lucifer (2016–2021) and had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.
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Early life
Helfer was born in rural Donalda, Alberta, Canada, to Dennis and Elaine Helfer. She studied at William E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler, Alberta. She lived and worked on the family's grain farm with her three sisters, Trena, Tammy and Tara. Helfer was discovered at age 17 by a modeling agency scout while standing in line at a movie theatre.
Career
Modeling
In 1992, she won Ford Models' Supermodel of the World contest. Helfer retired from fashion modelling in 2002 and said all her shoots since then are related to projects or product endorsements. She has appeared in ad campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Versace, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani.
Helfer has walked for top fashion shows, such as Carolina Herrera, Christian Dior, Claude Montana, Givenchy, John Galliano, and Dolce & Gabbana. Helfer has appeared on the covers of Flare, Amica, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Vogue, among others. She also regularly appeared in photo shoots by Maxim magazine, was the magazine's wall calendar girl for 2005, and was ranked #57 on the Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2007. Helfer was also featured as the cover model for the February 2007 issue of Playboy.
In 2026, Helfer launched an OnlyFans account.
Acting
Helfer relocated to Los Angeles in 2002 to pursue an acting career. Her first acting assignment was a co-starring role as Sarah on the television series Jeremiah. She later played a model named Ashleigh James on the May 16, 2002 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ("The Hunger Artist"). In 2002, she played Eva in the independent film White Rush.
In 2003, she played Number Six on Battlestar Galactica. In 2004, she portrayed Farrah Fawcett in the telefilm Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels. Concurrent with her role in Battlestar Galactica, Helfer began producing and hosting Canada's Next Top Model on May 31, 2006. She appeared in Spiral and The Green Chain later the same year.
In October 2006, it was announced that Helfer would not return to host the second season of Canada's Next Top Model so she could concentrate on Battlestar Galactica. Helfer also played a major role in Electronic Arts' video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, as the high-level Nod general Kilian Qatar, along with her Battlestar Galactica co-star, actress Grace Park. She also starred in the episode "Roadkill" on the second season of Supernatural.
Helfer had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. She played Gail, best friend of Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) fiancée Chelsea (Jennifer Taylor). When Chelsea finds out that her friend is recovering from a breakup, she says she should do so at Charlie's house. Shortly after Chelsea and Charlie begin a trial separation, Gail begins a sexual relationship with Charlie.
In 2003, the television series Battlestar Galactica was used as the basis for a three-hour miniseries on the Sci Fi channel. The project was written and produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer. Helfer played the role of Number Six, a humanoid Cylon operative. She continued that role as a regular cast member in the TV series, which completed its fourth and final season on March 20, 2009. Due to the special nature of the Number Six character – there are many "copies" of Number Six with distinct personalities – Helfer has, in effect, played numerous roles on the series. In 2009, she reprised her role as Number Six in Battlestar Galactica: The Plan – a television movie that tells the story of the series from the Cylons' point of view. In 2012, she voiced a prototype Cylon in the prequel Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome.
Personal life
In 2003, Helfer married Jonathan Marshall, a lawyer whom she met at a mutual friend's birthday party. They separated in May 2017 and Helfer filed for divorce in January 2018, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was settled in 2019.
In 2011, Helfer became an American citizen.
She has four artificial discs in her back: two in her neck, resulting from an incident in which a piece of luggage was dropped on her head while she was sitting on an airplane, and two in her lower back from mishaps while doing her own stunts.
She co-founded the charity web site "Acting Outlaws" with former Battlestar Galactica co-star Katee Sackhoff; the web site collects donations for several causes and charity events. She is also involved in various causes, from animal rescue to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In 2014, she appeared in a PETA video campaign, encouraging cat owners to keep their cats indoors.
Helfer is a vegetarian.
