The movie that made Helena Bonham Carter want to be an actor (2025)

To endure as an actor, it helps to have some instantly recognisable and definable quality that can be utilised when necessary or otherwise switched off. Helena Bonham Carter discovered this when she began carving out her career path, quickly becoming known for her penchant for eccentric style and just as eccentric characters.

Having collaborated multiple times with the king of modern gothic cinema, Tim Burton (whom she later married), and playing Bellatrix Lestrange in four Harry Potter films, Bonham Carter quickly established herself as a distinctive and unique star.

Yet, Bonham Carter is more than just a go-to actor for all things a little dark and unusual; she has also triumphed in various period dramas, finding significant acclaim with her leading role in James Ivory’s gorgeous tale of repression, A Room With a View, adapted from the novel by EM Forster. Evidently, nothing is off limits for Bonham Carter, who has shown herself to be one of the most versatile stars of her generation.

It’s this effortless versatility that keeps the actor booked and busy; she is just as skilled when it comes to contemporary dramas likeFight Clubas she is with impressive blockbusters likePlanet of the Apes. For Bonham Carter, the allure of acting has something to do with the idea of embodying someone else and getting the chance to step outside of yourself for a short period of time. As an actor, you can pour all of your energy into a character who lives a life completely far removed from your own if you choose, and this greatly appealed to Bonham Carter when she was just starting to forge her path under the spotlight.

The fact that she is a descendant of a prominent family full of politicians and businessmen certainly inspired a sense of limitless confidence in the budding star, encouraging her to dream big and become an icon. Yet, instead of politics, it wasthe endless creativity of art that she was most drawn to, and there was a certain film that captivated her attention and inspired her to pursue acting as a full-time career.

The film that changed Helena Bonham Carter’s life

Talking to Roger Ebert, the actor revealed: “There were a couple of films. There was a particular film that I loved called My Brilliant Career with Judy Davis, who I got to work with in TS Spivet.”

Released in 1979, you can certainly see the period drama’s influence on Bonham Carter’s early acting choices, which, alongside A Room With a View, also included other period features like Lady Jane, Hamlet, Where Angels Fear To Tread, and Howard’s End (it seemed like Bonham Carter was a really big fan of Forster’s work).

However, My Brilliant Career was adapted from a novel by Miles Franklin, and Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong took charge of direction, creating a beautiful and studied exploration of a young woman trying to make it as an author in the late 1800s. The film was only recognised with a ‘Best Costume Design’ nomination at the Academy Awards, but Davis’ performance is simply incredible, while Armstrong’s masterful direction shouldn’t be overlooked, either.

Clearly, the feminist tale of perseverance and the painful struggle against societal obstacles that was explored so beautifully in My Brilliant Career was a huge source of inspiration for the young Bonham Carter. She continued, further explaining her desire to act after seeing the film, “I think it came down to that I loved the idea of pretending not to be me. Maybe it was just a lack of self-love or boredom with myself. Also, I was interested in other people and working out how they ticked”.

She concluded: “The idea of being able to escape myself has always been very tempting–until I watch the thing and realise that I haven’t escaped myself at all. At least there is the mental illusion of being able to escape from your own skin that has always been exciting and liberating for me. I think it is just fun.”

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