Helena Bonham Carter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helena Bonham Carter
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Bonham Carter in 2011
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| Born | 26 May 1966 |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1983–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives | Edward Bonham Carter (brother) |
| Family | Bonham Carter |
| Awards | Full list |
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is a famous English actress. She is known for playing unique characters in big movies and smaller, independent films. Many of her roles are in period dramas, which are films set in the past.
Helena has won many awards, including a BAFTA Award and an Emmy Award. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards and nine Golden Globe Awards.
She became well-known for her roles in A Room with a View (1985) and Lady Jane (1986). Early in her career, she often played characters from olden times. Helena is also known for her interesting fashion choices.
For her role in The Wings of the Dove (1997), she was nominated for an Academy Award. Later, she won a BAFTA Award for playing Queen Elizabeth in The King's Speech (2010). She was also nominated for an Academy Award for this role.
Helena has been in many other popular films. These include Hamlet (1990), Howards End (1992), and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994). She also appeared in ... Club (1999) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005).
Many people know her from the Harry Potter series (2007–2011). She also starred in Great Expectations (2012) as Miss Havisham. Other films include Les Misérables (2012), Cinderella (2015), Ocean's 8 (2018), and Enola Holmes (2020).
She has worked often with director Tim Burton. Their films together include Big Fish (2003), Corpse Bride (2005), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). They also made Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012).
On television, she played children's author Enid Blyton in the film Enid (2009). For this, she won an International Emmy Award. From 2019 to 2020, she played Princess Margaret in the Netflix series The Crown. This role earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
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Early Life and Education
Helena Bonham Carter was born in Islington, London. Her father, Raymond Bonham Carter, came from a well-known British political family. He worked in banking. Her mother, Elena, is a psychotherapist. Her family background includes Spanish and Jewish heritage.
Helena's paternal grandmother was Violet Bonham Carter, a politician and a supporter of women's rights. Violet was the daughter of H. H. Asquith, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during part of the First World War.
Helena has two older brothers, Edward and Thomas. They grew up in Golders Green. Helena attended South Hampstead High School and Westminster School. She applied to King's College, Cambridge, but was not accepted. The university was concerned she might leave to act before finishing her studies.
When Helena was five, her mother became unwell. Her mother later became a psychotherapist. Helena's father became ill when she was ten. He had a stroke during an operation, which left him partly paralyzed and needing a wheelchair. Helena helped her mother care for him. Her father passed away in 2004.
Acting Career Highlights
Helena Bonham Carter has not had formal acting training. She started her career by winning a writing contest in 1979. She used the prize money to join an actors' directory. Her first professional acting job was in a TV commercial at age 16. She also had a small part in the 1983 TV film A Pattern of Roses.
In the early 1990s, Helena studied clowning with Philippe Gaulier. Her first main film role was as Lady Jane Grey in Lady Jane (1986). Her big breakthrough was as Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View (1985). This film was released before Lady Jane.
She also appeared in the TV show Miami Vice in 1986–87. Her early roles often saw her playing characters from olden times. She wanted to try different types of roles. In 1994, she appeared in the British comedy show Absolutely Fabulous.
In 1996, Helena starred in a French film called Portraits chinois. That same year, she played Olivia in a film version of Twelfth Night. A major point in her early career was her role as Kate Croy in The Wings of the Dove (1997). This role earned her nominations for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.
In 1999, she played Marla Singer in ... Club. For this role, she won the 2000 Empire Award for Best British Actress.
Worldwide Recognition and Blockbuster Films
In 2005, she lent her voice to Lady Tottingham in the animated comedy Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This film was part of the popular Wallace & Gromit series.
In May 2006, Helena started her own fashion line called "The Pantaloonies." It featured Victorian-style clothing like camisoles and bloomers.
Helena played the villainous witch Bellatrix Lestrange in the last four Harry Potter films (2007–2011). She received positive reviews for her performance as Bellatrix. While filming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, she accidentally hurt Matthew Lewis (who played Neville Longbottom) with her wand.
She also played Mrs. Lovett in the film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by Tim Burton. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. She won Best Actress awards at the 2007 Evening Standard British Film Awards and the 2009 Empire Awards.
In 2009, Helena was the narrator for The Gruffalo, a 30-minute animated film based on the children's book. In 2010, she joined the cast of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland as the Red Queen. Her character was a mix of the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen.
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In 2010, Helena played Queen Elizabeth in the film The King's Speech. She received many awards and praise for her performance. She won her first BAFTA Award for this role.
She also played author Enid Blyton in the BBC Four TV film Enid. She received her first Television BAFTA Nomination for Best Actress for this role. In 2010, she starred in Toast, a film about chef Nigel Slater. She received the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year from BAFTA LA in 2011.
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In 2012, she played the unique character Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, based on the Charles Dickens novel. She also appeared in a short film for the brand Prada called A Therapy.
She co-starred in the film version of the musical Les Misérables, released in 2012. She played Madame Thénardier. In 2013, she played Red Harrington in the movie The Lone Ranger. Also in 2013, she played Elizabeth Taylor in BBC4's Burton & Taylor.
In 2015, she played the Fairy Godmother in the live-action film Cinderella. In 2016, she returned as the Red Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass. In 2018, she starred in Ocean's 8 with Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.
From 2019 to 2020, she played an older Princess Margaret in the Netflix series The Crown. Her performance earned her several award nominations. In 2020, Helena starred as Eudoria Holmes in the Netflix film Enola Holmes.
Personal Life and Interests
In August 2008, some of Helena's relatives were in a safari bus crash in South Africa. She took time off from filming Terminator Salvation to be with her family.
In October 2008, Helena became the first supporter of Action Duchenne. This charity helps families and people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle condition.
In 2022, Helena Bonham Carter was appointed president of the London Library. She is the first woman to hold this honorary position. She has been a member of the library since 1986.
Relationships and Family
In 1994, Helena Bonham Carter met Kenneth Branagh while filming Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. They were together for five years before separating in 1999.
Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh's former wife, has said she has no hard feelings towards Helena. She called Helena "a wonderful woman." Helena, Kenneth, and Emma all later appeared in the Harry Potter series.
In 2001, Helena began a relationship with American director Tim Burton. They met while filming Planet of the Apes. Tim Burton cast her in many of his films, including Big Fish, Corpse Bride, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They also worked together on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows.
Helena and Tim lived in connected houses in Belsize Park, London. In 2006, they bought the Mill House in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. This house was previously leased by her grandmother, Violet Bonham Carter.
Helena and Tim have a son and a daughter together. They announced their separation in December 2014. Helena has spoken about how difficult separations can be.
Since 2018, Helena Bonham Carter has been in a relationship with art historian Rye Dag Holmboe.
Awards and Recognition
Helena Bonham Carter has received many awards for her acting. These include a BAFTA Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, an International Emmy Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, and five Primetime Emmy Awards.
In 2012, she was made a CBE for her contributions to drama. In 2014, she was appointed to Britain's new national Holocaust Commission.
See also
In Spanish: Helena Bonham Carter para niños
- List of British actors
