Helena Bonham Carter

Helena Bonham Carter CBE (born 26 May 1966) is an Oscar-nominated British actress. She is famous for her appearances in blockbuster movies and period dramas. Bonham Carter is also known for appearing in many movies alongside Tim Burton (her ex-partner) and Johnny Depp.

She made her first appearance on screen in the K.M. Peyton movie, A Pattern of Roses, before appearing in her first starring role in Lady Jane. Some of her most famous roles include: Marla Singer in the movie Fight Club, Bellatrix Lestrange in four Harry Potter movies, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in The King's Speech, the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland and Princess Margaret in The Crown.

She was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to drama.

 Early life 
Bonham Carter was born on 26 May 1966 in Golders Green, London, England.

Her mother, Elena, is a psychotherapist. Her father, Raymond Bonham Carter, was a banker and his maternal grandfather was H. H. Asquith, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Helena Bonham Carter's maternal grandfather, Eduardo Propper de Callejón, was half Spanish and half Jewish. Carter has two brothers: Edward and Thomas. She is a distant cousin of fellow actor, Crispin Bonham-Carter, who played Mr. Bingley in the BBC's production of Pride and Prejudice in 1995. Carter is related to Jane Bonham Carter, the Baroness of Yarnbury.

Carter attended the South Hampstead High School, a girls' school, in Hampstead, London. She later went to Westminster School near the Palace of Westminster. She was rejected from King's College, Cambridge University because they feared she would leave mid-year to follow her acting career.The Scotsman, 23 July 2005, Gillian Welsh, "Scruffs up nicely" After the rejection, Carter decided to fully concentrate on acting instead of going to school. Carter speaks French fluently.

When Carter was five years old, her mother had a serious mental breakdown, which took her three years to recover from. After recovery, Carter's mother decided to become a psychotherapist. Carter now pays her mother to read scripts and provide her opinion of the characters' psychological motivations."'English rose' blossoms into other roles," Liam Lacey, 18 January 1996, The Globe and Mail, D1  A few years after her mother's recovery, Carter's father became deaf in one ear while on holiday in Greece. He was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, and underwent an operation to remove a benign tumor. However, the surgery went very wrong; after 9 hours in surgery, Raymond, at 50 years of age, had a stroke that left him half-paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair."How Helena Grew Up In a Violet Shadow," Valerie Grove, The Times, 10 May 1996 With Carter's two older brothers away at college, she alone was left to help her mother deal with issues.

 Career 
Bonham Carter has not received any formal training in acting. In 1979 she won a national writing contest and used the prize money to pay for her entry into the actors directory 'Spotlight'. She made her first appearance at the age of 16 in a television commercial. She also had a minor part in a TV movie, A Pattern of Roses in 1983. Her first starring role was in Lady Jane in 1984, which received mix reviews. She played the Queen of England when she was cast as Anne Boleyn in the ITV1 mini-series, Henry VIII. She was restricted in acting since she was pregnant with her first child at the time of filming.

Her breakthrough performance was in A Room with a View in 1985, when she played Lucy Honeychurch. Carter also appeared in episodes of Miami Vice as Don Johnson's love interest during the 1986-87 season. She auditioned for the role of Nancy Spungen in Sid and Nancy in 1986, but lost the role to Chloe Webb. These early roles led her to be typecast as a "corset queen", and "English rose." She expanded her acting range in more recent movies like Fight Club, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Big Fish, and Sweeney Todd.

Bonham Carter played Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2. She received good reviews as Lestrange, as she was described as a "shining but underused talent."  She then played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, which was also released in 2007.

In May 2006, Bonham Carter launched her own fashion line called, "The Pantaloonies," with swimwear designer Samantha Sage. The first collection is called "Bloomin' Bloomers" and is a Victorian style selection of camisoles, mop caps and bloomers. The two are now working on Pantaloonies customized jeans which Carter describes as "a kind of scrapbook on the bum."

Carter plans to return to the West End with an appearance in "Rubenstein's Kiss." However, the play was delayed because of her busy schedule. The production was set to open in November 2004 but was postponed. In September 2008, Wild Target director, Johnathan Lynn, confirmed that Carter had dropped out of his movie due to filming difficulties. He then went on to say that she had joined the cast of Tim Burton's 2010 movie, Alice in Wonderland, where she portrayed the Red Queen. In that movie, she starred with actors Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Christopher Lee, and Alan Rickman (who also co-starred in the Harry Potter films with her). Bonham Carter and Hathaway played two dueling sisters, the Red and White Queens.

In early 2009, Bonham Carter was named on of The Times newspaper's top 10 British Actresses of all-time. She appeared on the list with fellow British actresses Julie Andrews, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and Audrey Hepburn.

Bonham Carter played well-known author Enid Blyton in the BBC4 TV biography movie, Enid, showing the author's life. This movie aired on 16 November 2009. Carter starred with Matthew Macfadyen and Denis Lawson.

 Personal life 
[[File:Helena Bonham Carter 2005.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Bonham Carter at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, promoting Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]
In October 2001, Bonham Carter began her current relationship with director Tim Burton. She met Burton while he was engaged to and living with actress Lisa Marie. Bonham Carter and Burton met while filming Planet of the Apes. Burton tends to cast Bonham Carter in many of his movies. The couple lives in Belsize Park, London, England, in next-door houses with a hallway connecting the two homes. Each house is decorated to fit their own tastes and personality, because they felt the could not live 'together' but did not want to live apart.

They purchased the house when Bonham Carter became pregnant with the couple's first child, a son named Billy Ray Burton, who was born on 4 October 2003."Helena Bonham Carter- Biography". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 7 May 2012 The couple maintain a close relationship with actor Johnny Depp, who also regularly appears in Burton's movies. Depp is Billy Ray's godfather. At the age of 41, Bonham Carter gave birth to the couple's second child, a daughter named Nell Burton, who was born on 15 December 2007 in Central London. Bonham Carter says she named her daughter Nell after all the "Helens" in her family's past.

In 2008, four of her relatives were killed in a safari bus crash in South Africa. She was given indefinite leave from filming Terminator Salvation'', and returned later to complete the rest of the filming. Also in 2008, Carter and Burton both put up their American apartments for sale. The apartments are located in the Greenwich Village in New York City. The apartments were sold for $8.75 million.

In October 2008, it was released that Bonham Carter had become a patron of the charity, "Action Duchenne""Action Duchenne patron honoured with CBE" . Action Duchenne. Retrieved 7 May 2012 the national charity established to support parents and sufferers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. She released the statement:

In December 2008, Bonham Carter used her voice in a MTV domestic violence public service announcement (PSA), reciting a passage about love from the book of Corinthians in the Bible. The 60-second commercial features a troubled couple in a domestic environment. The commercial is silent except for Carter's voice and accompanying music. She recorded her voice in a single take for the ad, which aired on 2 December 2008 on MTV in the UK and Europe as a part of MTV's Staying Alive campaign. MTV will also make the ad available online, and is considering playing it in movie theaters.

In early 2009, Bonham Carter joined fellow actors Ewan McGregor, Kate Winslet, Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren and others, in leaving an imprint of her lips on a card and signing it. The kiss prints, which were featured in the window of Newcastle's Fenwick store, will be auctioned off for a charity.

In 2019, Bonham Carter began dating academic Rye Dag Holmboe

 Filmography 
 Movies 
YearTitleRoleNotes1983A Pattern of RosesNetty1985A Room with a ViewLucy Honeychurch1986Lady JaneLady Jane Grey1987MauriceLady at Cricket MatchCameoA Hazard of HeartsSerena Staverley1988The MaskIrisSix Minutes with LudwigThe Star1989FrancescoChiara OffreduccioGetting It RightLady Minerva Munday1990HamletOpheliaThe Early Life of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter1991Where Angels Fear to TreadCaroline AbbottBrown Bear's WeddingWhite Bear (voice)1992Howards EndHelen Schlegel1994Mary Shelley's FrankensteinElizabeth FrankensteinFatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey OswaldMarina OswaldButterDorothyShort film1995Mighty AphroditeAmanda WeinribMargaret's MuseumMargaret MacNeilJeremy Hardy Gives Good SexHerself (voice)1996Twelfth Night: Or What You WillOliviaPortraits chinoisAdaFrench-language role1997The Wings of the DoveKate CroyKeep the Aspidistra FlyingRosemaryThe Petticoat ExpeditionsNarrator (voice)1998Sweet RevengeKaren KnightlyAlso known as The Revengers' ComediesThe Theory of FlightJane Thatchard1999CarnivaleMilly (voice)Fight ClubMarla SingerWomen Talking DirtyCoraThe Nearly Complete and Utter History of EverythingLily2001Planet of the ApesAriNovocaineSusan IveyFootballMumShort film2002The Heart of MeDinahTill Human Voices Wake UsRuby2003Big FishJennifer Hill / The Witch2004Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate EventsBeatrice BaudelaireUncredited cameo2005Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryMrs. BucketConversations with Other WomenWomanWallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-RabbitLady Tottington (voice)Corpse BrideEmily, the Corpse Bride (voice)2006Sixty SixEsther Reubens2007Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetMrs. LovettHarry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixBellatrix Lestrange2009Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceBellatrix LestrangeTerminator SalvationDr. Serena Kogan / SkynetThe GruffaloMother Squirrel (voice)Short film2010Alice in WonderlandRed Queen / Iracebeth of CrimsThe King's SpeechQueen ElizabethHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1Bellatrix Lestrange2011Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2Bellatrix LestrangeThe Gruffalo's ChildMother Squirrel (voice)Short film2012Dark ShadowsDr. Julia HoffmanA TherapyPatientShort filmGreat ExpectationsMiss HavishamLes MisérablesMme. Thénardier2013The Lone RangerRed HarringtonThe Young and Prodigious T.S. SpivetDr. Clair2014Night Will FallNarratorDocumentary film2015CinderellaThe Fairy GodmotherSuffragetteEdith Ellyn2016Alice Through the Looking GlassRed Queen / Iracebeth of Crims2017Poles ApartNanuk (voice)Short film55 StepsEleanor Riese2018Sgt. Stubby: An American HeroMargaret Conroy (voice)Ocean's 8Rose Weil2020Dragonheart: VengeanceSiveth (voice)Direct-to-videoTintoretto: A Rebel in VeniceNarratorDocumentary filmEnola HolmesEudoria Holmes2022The HouseJen (voice)Enola Holmes 2Eudoria HolmesThree Minutes: A LengtheningNarrator

 TV shows 
 Year Show Role Other notes 1987 Miami Vice  Dr. Theresa Lyons Two Episodes — Theresa & Savage 1991 Jackanory  Reader Five Episodes — The Way to Sattin Shore (1–5) 1994 Absolutely Fabulous  Dream Saffron One Episode — Hospital 1996 The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century Vera Brittain Unknown Episodes 2011 Life's Too Short Herself Cameo2016Love NinaGeorgia5 episodes2019The CrownMargaret2021The CleanerSheila1 Episode2022Harry Potter 20th AnniversaryHerselfDocumentary

 Stage productions and radio shows 
 Year Production Role Other notes 1985 The Reluctant Debutante Unknown Performed on BBC Radio 4 1987 The Tempest Unknown Performed at Oxford Playhouse 1988 The Woman in White Laura Fairlie Performed at Greenwich Theatre, London1989 The Happiest of All Princesses Unknown Performed on BBC Radio 4 The Chalk Garden Unknown Performed at Windsor/Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford 1991 The House of Bernarda Alba Magdalena Performed at Nottingham Playhouse1992 The Barber of Seville Rosina Performed at Palace Theatre, Watford Trelawney of the Wells Imogen Parrot Performed at Comedy Theatre, London1993 The Secret Garden Narrator by Frances Burnett The Whales' Song Narrator by Dyan Sheldon1994 The Seagull Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya Performed on BBC Radio 4 A Dog So Small Narrator by Philippa Pearce The Way to Sattin Shore Narrator by Philippa Pearce1995 Song of Love Unknown Performed on BBC Radio 4 Remember Me Narrator 1996 I Capture the Castle Rose Performed on BBC Radio 41997 A House by the Sea Unknown Performed on BBC Radio 4 The Diary of Anne Frank Narrator  1998 Lantern Slides Violet Bonham Carter Performed on BBC Radio 4 2000 As You Like It Rosalind Performed on BBC Radio 4 2004 The Rubenstein Kiss Unknown Postponed 2010 Private Lives Amanda Performed on BBC Radio 4

 Video games 
 Year Game Role Other notes 2005 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Lady Campanula Tottington 2008 Fable II Daphne / Kamilla

References

Category:1966 births
Category:Living people
Category:Actors from London
Category:British movie actors
Category:British radio actors
Category:British stage actors
Category:British television actors
Category:British voice actors
Category:People educated at Westminster School, London