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Helen Roper
Helen Roper
Helen Roper (Audra Lindley) is the long-suffering, sex-deprived wife of hard-nosed, irascible husband Stanley in Three's Company and its spinoff series, The Ropers.
Personal Information
Gender: Female
Born: 1918
Died 1997
Occupation/
Career:
Homemaker/ Landlady
Spouse(s): Stanley Roper
Related to: Ethel Armbrewster (sister)
Hilda (sister)
"Mother" (mother)
Hubert P. Armbrewster[1] (brother-in-law)
Freddy (brother-in-law)
Arthur (Uncle)
Character information
Episodes appeared in: 56 episodes of Three's Company
28 episodes of The Ropers
Character played by: Audra Lindley
Three's Company Script

Helen Roper is a character in Three's Company and its later spin-off series The Ropers. In both shows, she was played by Audra Lindley. The character was based on the UK character Mildred Roper who was played by Yootha Joyce in the series Man About the House and its spin-off George & Mildred.

Forever Frustrated Wife[]

Helen is always looking for sex with her eternally-uninterested husband, Stanley, and he almost never delivers, which frustrates her.

Helen enjoys a friendship with the three tenants who live above her, Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow, to whom she refers as "the kids". Helen, unlike her husband, knows that Jack is not gay, but plays along with the charade. Contrary to her tightfisted and very suspicious husband, Helen does not mind that Jack lives with Janet and Chrissy, and is very understanding of their situation. She frequently tries to defuse tense situations between her husband and the three tenants.

Eventually, she and Stanley move to Cheviot Hills, an affluent section of Los Angeles, where her natural snobbishness asserts itself, often aided and abetted by her sister, Ethel Armbrewster, who clearly despises Stanley.

Despite her attempts at adopting the behavior of her more affluent neighbors, she still retains her kindness. She befriends Anne Brookes, the wife of Jeffrey Brookes III, a real estate agent who lives next door, and enjoys the company of their son, David. They take in a boarder, an art student named Jenny they find sleeping in their storage room. While showing Jenny old photographs, Helen reminisces about her days with the USO.[2]

Return to Three's Company[]

Helen and Stanley came back to Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Cindy Snow's apartment in a special guest appearance. Helen was frustrated with Stanley, for he forgot their anniversary. She went downstairs to Ralph Furley's apartment to get some sleep (Mr. Furley was out of town at the time). Mr. Furley returned unexpectedly early, and went to bed, unaware that he was not alone. Soon Mr. Roper came in, and saw the two in bed together, and said, "Helen, if this (a relationship/affair with Furley) is what you want, so be it." Helen was upset and still angry at this. "Aren't you gonna fight for me?" she replies. Later Stanley came back and started fighting for Helen against Mr. Furley, which made Helen happy. Soon, the two went to sleep in Mr. Furley's bed, which could have been the answer to Helen's wishes.

References[]

  1. Four Letter Word
  2. Old Flames



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