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Any My Chemical Romance fan will be able to remember the epic opening to “Helena”, one of the American rock band’s most iconic music videos.

The video starts off sombre, with mourners entering a church to attend a funeral for someone named Helena. In less than 20 seconds, the funeral attendees burst into dance as the Gerard belts out the first verse full of sorrow.

All of this happens around one central piece of the video: the deceased Helena, who later comes to life and joins the dance in a macabre celebration. Since the video was released, Helena has become an icon to all MCR fans and the goth/emo scene in general.

Her ballerina-inspired burial outfit, the haunting solo dance from her coffin and down the church aisle, all elevated MCR’s Helena into one of emo music video history’s most memorable visual narratives.

The song explores themes of grief, loss, and the impact of death, particularly the regret and self-blame that MCR frontman Gerard Way felt for not being present for his late grandmother in her final year of life.

And yes, the song is a heartfelt tribute to his grandmum Elena Lee Rush who is also nicknamed Helena.

But who is the real Helena?

Her name is Tracy Phillips, and she’s much more than just a pretty ballet zombie. She is also an actress, dancer, and choreographer, which made her perfect for MCR’s emotionally-charged music video.

Outside of Helena, she has worked on a variety of film and television projects in capacities such as choreography and acting including in films like 500 Days of Summer, The Muppets, and Jackass Number Two, according to British rock, punk and heavy metal music magazine Kerrang!.

She also frequently performs and choreographs in the L.A. underground arts scene and has worked with innovative troupes like The Lucent Dossier Experience, known for blending circus, dance, and surreal visuals.

Talk about talent!

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A post shared by Tracy Phillips (@tracyphillips66)

Biographical details on Phillips are relatively scarce, save the fact that she is credited on Internet Movie Database (IMDb) simply as the actress playing Helena in the MCR music video. She is also credited as choreographer in goth rock band Evanescence’s music video Call Me When You’re Sober (2006) on the Internet Music Video Database (IMVDb).

A blog post about the music video mentions Phillips being the daughter of American football coach Wade Phillips, who is the former defensive coordinator of the L.A. Rams.

Wade was a prominent figure in the American National Football League (NFL) and has been the head coach of teams like the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and more.

Fans of MCR are still enchanted by “Helena” until today

On social media, Tracy is still celebrated by fans at meet and greets, proving how big of an impact she made just by appearing in a music video that was released in 2005.

@xpumpkinwh0re Meeting Helena from the my chemical romance music video! I’m still in Awh! I let her know she’s ICONIC! Us emos will always love you! 🖤❤️✨🪦😭 #helena #emo #mychemicalromance #thelastparade #theblackparade #mcr #goth #gothgirl #losangeles #la ♬ Helena – My Chemical Romance

@_annabluroze_ I had a blast meeting Tracy Phillips from the Helena music video!! #mcrday #goulsday #koreatown #la #fyp #mychemicalromance #mcr ♬ Helena (Live from Sessions@AOL) – My Chemical Romance

Some even commented on her appearance as she seemingly did not age since she was first seen in the music video, and joked that she and Gerard Way are vampires due to their apparent youthfulness.

Tracy is celebrated not just for her technical skill, but for the emotional depth and narrative quality she brings to every performance. Whether it’s a music video, a film scene, or a live act, her work continues to captivate audiences through its elegance, intensity, and storytelling power.

The odds of her coming to Malaysia are slim, but at least we’ll get to be reminded of her whe MCR comes down to Malaysia next year.

The iconic emo rock band is set to perform at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on 31 April and 1 May. Tickets for both days sold out in mere hours, and the second day was added later due to overwhelming demand — breaking a record in the stadium’s history of ticket sales at 120,000 tickets, according to the Malaysia Stadium Corporation.

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A post shared by Hello Universe (@hellouniversemy)

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