Helena Bonham Carter

Early Life & Education

Helena Bonham Carter was born on 26 May 1966 in Golders Green, London to psychotherapist Elena (née Propper de Callejón) and merchant banker Raymond Bonham Carter.

• Her lineage includes former British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith, Spanish diplomat Eduardo Propper de Callejón (honoured for saving Jews in WWII), and film-maker Anthony Asquith.
• She attended South Hampstead High School and Westminster School but forwent university to pursue acting after winning second prize in a national poetry contest at 13 and using the money to list herself in the casting directory Spotlight.

Career Highlights

Merchant-Ivory Beginnings (1983 – 1996)

Bonham Carter’s screen debut was the TV movie A Pattern of Roses (1983). She quickly gained notice in A Room with a View (1985) and Lady Jane (1986), earning the moniker “corset queen” for her period roles.

International Breakthrough (1997 – 2001)

Her portrayal of Kate Croy in The Wings of the Dove (1997) earned Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations. She shed the period-piece image with modern parts, most famously Marla Singer in David Fincher’s cult classic Fight Club (1999).

Tim Burton & Franchise Era (2001 – 2014)

A creative and personal partnership with director Tim Burton began on Planet of the Apes (2001). Together they made seven films, including:

• Big Fish (2003)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
• Corpse Bride (voice, 2005)
• Sweeney Todd (2007) – Evening Standard Best Actress Award

She became globally recognisable as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series (2007 – 2011).

Prestige TV & Awards (2010 – Present)

• The King’s Speech (2010) as Queen Elizabeth (BAFTA win, Oscar nomination).
• Les Misérables (2012) and Cinderella (2015).
• Joined Netflix blockbuster The Crown (2019-2020) as Princess Margaret, earning an Emmy nomination.
• Starred in ITV’s Nolly (2023) and WWII drama One Life (2023).

Works

A Room with a View, Lady Jane, Howards End, The Wings of the Dove, Fight Club, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Harry Potter series, Alice in Wonderland, The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, Cinderella, Ocean’s 8, Enola Holmes, The Crown, Nolly, One Life.

Net Worth & Lifestyle

Helena’s estimated $60 million fortune stems from:

• Film salaries (reportedly $3–6 million per major studio film)
• Television deals with Netflix and ITV
• Voice-over work for animation and video games
• Real-estate holdings in Hampstead, London, and a riverside home in Oxfordshire

She previously served as the face of Marc Jacobs and campaigns for Vivienne Westwood and Burberry.

Awards & Recognition

• Academy Award nomination – The Wings of the Dove (1998)
• Academy Award nomination – The King’s Speech (2011)
• BAFTA Award – Best Supporting Actress (The King’s Speech)
• Golden Globe: 8 nominations, including Sweeney Todd and The Crown
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) – 2012 New Year Honours

Personal Life & Interests

Bonham Carter and director Tim Burton were partners from 2001-2014, famously living in adjoining London townhouses connected by a hallway. They co-parent son Billy Ray and daughter Nell. Helena is now in a long-term relationship with Norwegian writer Rye Dag Holmboe (since 2018).

An ambassador for Action Duchenne (muscular dystrophy charity) and Refuge (supporting domestic-abuse survivors), she also backs Save the Children and is a patron of the London Library.

Trivia & Lesser-Known Facts

• Keeps a Bellatrix wand to playfully scare her children’s noisy friends.
• Fluent in French and conversational Spanish.
• Designs many of her red-carpet outfits in collaboration with costume designers.
• Refused early Hollywood pressure to alter her teeth, calling them her “family’s legacy.”

Upcoming Projects