Childhood & Early Life
Helena Bonham Carter was born on May 26, 1966, in Islington, London, England, to Elena, a psychotherapist, and Raymond Bonham Carter, a merchant banker.
She came from a renowned political family. Her paternal grandparents were successful politicians. She was the great grand daughter of former British PM Asquith. She has two older brothers, Edward and Thomas.
Her childhood was traumatic. Her mother had a serious nervous breakdown and took three years to recover. Her father suffered complications during a surgery to remove a tumor which left him half-paralyzed.
Educated at ‘South Hampstead High School,’ she completed her A-levels at ‘Westminster School.’ ‘King's College,’ Cambridge, would not admit her because they felt that she would discontinue the course to pursue her acting career.
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Career
Helena Bonham Carter won a national writing contest in 1979. She used the prize money to pay for her entry into the actors' Spotlight directory. She made her debut at the age of 16, appearing in a television commercial.
She played the title role in the movie ‘Lady Jane’ in 1986. It tells the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days' Queen, her reign, and romance with husband Lord Guilford Dudley.
In the Merchant-Ivory produced 1985 romance film 'A Room with a View,’ she had a significant role as ‘Lucy Honeychurch,’ who falls in love with a free-spirited young man.
Between 1986 and 1988, she concentrated on television work. She appeared in the episodes of ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ (1994), and starred in television films, such as ‘A Hazard of Hearts’ and ‘The Vision.’
Her role as ‘Helen Schlegel’ in the 1992 film ‘Howards End’ brought her massive acclaim and a ‘BAFTA’ nomination for best supporting actress. The film was based on E. M. Forster’s novel.
In ‘Fight Club,’ a 1999 film based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, she starred alongside Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. She played a dissolute woman named ‘Marla Singer’ and received positive reviews from critics.
She did many movies with Tim Burton between 2001 and 2010. Some of these movies include ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Big Fish,’ ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ and ‘Corpse Bride.’
She did many movies with Tim Burton between 2001 and 2010. Some of these movies include ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Big Fish,’ ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ and ‘Corpse Bride.’
In 2006, the actor opened her own fashion line called ‘The Pantaloonies’ in collaboration with swimwear designer Samantha Sage. Their first collection, ‘Bloomin' Bloomers,’ was a Victorian style range of camisoles and bloomers.
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She essayed the role of ‘Enid Blyton’ in ‘Enid,’ a British dramatic television film, which was first broadcast in 2009 on ‘BBC Four.’ She won the 2010 ‘International Emmy Award’ for ‘Best Actress’ for her role.
She starred in the biopic ‘Toast’ in 2010. It was a ‘BBC One’ adaptation of the autobiographical novel of the same name by cookery writer Nigel Slater - she played the role of ‘Joan Potter.’
‘The King's Speech,’ a 2010 British epic historical drama film, directed by Tom Hooper saw her portray Queen Elizabeth. It was a major box office and critical success, and brought her much fame and appreciation.
Between 2007 and 2011, she played the villainous ‘Bellatrix Lestrange,’ a female Death Eater, in the famous ‘Harry Potter’ film series.
In 2012, she worked in two adapted classics; in the film ‘Great Expectations,’ she played the role of a wealthy spinster named ‘Miss Havisham,’ and in ‘Les Misérables,’ she played ‘Mme. Thénardier.’
‘Burton & Taylor,’ a 2013 ‘BBC’ TV film, was based on the legendary acting duo and former husband and wife, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. They were ‘perfectly’ portrayed by Dominic West and Carter, respectively.
Bonham Carter reprised her role as the ‘Red Queen’ in ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ in 2016. In 2018, she starred in the movie ‘Ocean's 8’ as ‘Rose Weil.’
In 2018, she was cast to play ‘Princess Margaret’ in the ‘Netflix’ series ‘The Crown.’ The following year, she was cast to play ‘Eudoria Holmes’ in a mystery film titled ‘Enola Holmes.’
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Awards
Helen Bonham Carter was nominated twice for the ‘Oscars’ for her performances in ‘The Wings of the Dove’ and ‘The King's Speech.’ She has also received many ‘Golden Globe’ nominations.
In 2011, for ‘The King's Speech,’ she won a ‘BAFTA’ for ‘Best Supporting Actress,’ and shared the ‘Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Award’ with her co-stars.
She won two ‘Empire Awards’ for ‘Best Actress’ for ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Fight Club.’ The ‘Empire Award’ is an accolade bestowed by ‘Empire,’ Britain's best-selling film magazine.
In 2008, she was presented with the ‘Evening Standard British Film Award’ for her performances in ‘Conversations with Other Women’ and ‘Sweeney Todd.’
