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Helena Bonham Carter

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9.0 Superb
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Biography

Recent Role:
Herself on Life's Too Short
Gender:
Female
Born:
5-26-1966
Birthplace:
Golders Green, London, England
Birth Name:
Helena Bonham Carter
AKA:
Helena Bonham Carter, Helena Bonham-Carter
Helena Bonham Carter

There are a lot of Bonham Carters, and they have been prominent in English life and well-connected since Victorian times, at least.

Helena is the daughter of the Hon. Raymond Bonham Carter, a retired banker who is now seriously disabled by an unsuccessful brain operation, and his half-Spanish wife, born Elena Propper de Callejon, a psychotherapist. Helena has two brothers - one of them is Dr Graeme Bonham-Carter, a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada. Helena's father is the son of the late Lady Violet Bonham Carter,



More Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, who was herself the daughter of Herbert Asquith, Earl of Oxford and Asquith, a Liberal politician who served as Britain's prime minister from 1908 to 1916. Helena's uncle Mark Bonham Carter was also created a Life Peer under the title of Lord Bonham Carter.
Among Helena's many relations, several have worked 'in the business'. The actors Crispin Bonham Carter and Rosie Bonham Carter, and the photographer and director Philip Bonham Carter are all her cousins, while the director Anthony Asquith was a great-uncle.

Helena grew up in London, where she went to Hampstead High School for Girls and later to Westminster School. She's been acting since prep-school, but it wasnt until she appeared in the film A Room With A View she really got noticed. She hoped to get into Cambridge University, but was turned down for a place there. She then concentrated on her acting career, which was already going strong. A long string of parts in costume dramas slowly led on to some more up-to-date roles, and in 1997 she received a nomination for an Academy Award (Best Actress) for The Wings of The Dove. Since then she's had multiple roles in movies, and in between she's also managed to get some TV appearances; A Hazard Of Hearts (1983) being her first. She also had a guest apearance in the series Miami Vice (1987) among others.

Between 1994 and 1999 Helena lived with the actor Kenneth Branagh. In the summer of 2000, Helena had a short realationship with Steve Martin. In November 2001 her engagement to director Tim Burton was announced. They now have a son together, Billy Ray, born in October 2003.

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  •  
    9 Superb
    Helen Bonham Carter is an actress like no other. hide show

    Helen Bonham Carter is an actress like no other. Her acting skills are undeniable! The first time I really became aware of her was in Fight Club. Of course I knew her before that but she amazed me; She just looks absolutly fantastic in the movie Fight Club. That movie simply made me want to see all of her movies, which I have, most of them. I appreciate every single performance of her, I think she does a fantatic job. As Bellatrix Lestrange I can't picture anyone who could do a better performance than her. She's just perfect for that role. I also loved her on Sweeney Todd, she has a great voice (which I noticed previously on Corpse Bride). Tim Burton's movies are amazing and I love all the movies Depp and Carter are in (Charlie and the chocolate factory, Big Fish, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd)
    I can't wait to see Carter on the last movies of Harry Potter, which I'm sure she'll do amazingly well. And of course, the most hyped movie, Alice in Wonderland. My expectations regarding that movie are extremely high. I'm sure she won't disappoint.

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    8 Great
    Great! hide show

    I admit, the only acting I have seen her do is in the character of the pyschotic Bellatrix Lestrange in the fifth and sixth Harry Potter movies. As Bellatrix, she is supposed to be driven insane from years with the Dementors in Azkaban and Carter pulls it off beautifully! Of course, her hair, makeup and dress has something to do with it - her appearance is wonderfully crazy but her acting is superb. She makes Bellatrix come to life and I cannot think of anyone better for the role. Seeing Bellatrix played by Carter, I know that I would definitely not want to meet Bellatrix at any time, even if I had not read the books and knew what she was capable of. Watching her in the Harry Potter movies makes me wonder who else she has played and I am curious to see her play someone a little more sane. I can't wait to see more of her acting skills in other productions!

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    9 Superb
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    I have to say that this person has been in a lot of movies however I hadn't taken notice until the Harry Potters however once I looked at her credits it seemed as though she had been in a lot of movies I enjoyed. First being Hamlet she was great in that I had forgotten she was there as Ophelia. The next was in Fight Club. I couldn't forget her she was funny and spunky all at the same time. And, as an oposite her character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a Wow part. She was just completely different than I had ever seen from her before. Then the Corpse Bride just another wonderful part and played it so well. Wallace and Gromit...in the same years as Charlie and the chocolate factory, and Corpse Bride all in the same year 2005. Then my favorite part for her was in the Harry Potter movies. She was Wonderful could not have picked a better actress for the part. Sweeney Todd I am curious about her and Johnny Depp just have done well in the past and I am curious again... I can't wait to see that.

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    10 Perfect
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    One of the few most amazing actresses out there.Helen Bonham Carter is a true artist: her distinguishing accent, her artistic choice of roles, her pride and dignity. She will be remembered many years from now when snow will no longer fall. Her gothic/old age acting roles are unique, not to mention her inspirational fashion sense.Love her.

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    7.6 Good
    Helena Bonham Carter hide show

    She has a real class that traslates excellently into the big screen. I really enjoy her work with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. She made a great edition to their long time team up. She also has a great flair for Shakerspeare and Vistorian roles, which may have something to do with her long time assocation with both those world through her family and their history.

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