Helena Bonham Carter Biography, Photos, Pictures

Old-world actress, Helena Bonham Carter was born on May 26, 1966, in London, England. Carter's great-grandfather on her father's side was former Prime Minister of the U.K., Herbert Henry Asquith. Despite her noble background, a ten-year-old Carter was forced to grow up early when her father suffered a stroke and became paralyzed following a surgery, and her mother suffered several nervous breakdowns. Carter attended the girls' independent school, South Hampstead High School, as well as Westminster School. Around this time, Carter entered and won a national writing competition, and used her cash prize to purchase herself a listing in the actor's directory, Spotlight.In 1985, a nineteen-year-old Carter made her big-screen debut in Lady Jane, opposite Cary Elwes. The following year, she was cast in the screen adaptation of E.M. Forster's A Room With a View, which was met with much critical success, and she snagged eight Oscar nominations. The acclaim led to additional roles for the actress, who then decided to forego studies at Cambridge University in favor of focusing on her burgeoning acting career.Although Carter was offered a series of steady roles during the late 80s and early 90s, most of them proved to be in period pieces, such as Hamlet in 1990, with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close; Where Angels Fear to Tread in 1991; and Howards End in 1992, with Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins.In 1995, Carter broke free from the past by appearing as Woody Allen's wife in a more modern movie, Mighty Aphrodite; followed by Margaret's Museum in 1995, Twelfth Night, and The Wings of the Dove in 1997, for which she earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination. By 1999, Carter was appearing alongside such Hollywood heavyweights as Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club.The new millennium saw Carter teaming up with whimsical director Tim Burton, for a match made in movie heaven. Carter starred in Burton's 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, starring Mark Wahlberg and Michael Clarke Duncan. Three years later, she played Jenny the Witch in Burton's Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, and Danny DeVito; and then lent her voice to Burton's animated Corpse Bride in 2005, along with Johnny Depp.While starring in Burton's films, Carter also became involved with the director; and the couple welcomed the birth of a son, Billy Ray Burton, on October 4, 2003. Carter has always tried to keep her private relationships out of the spotlight, and has previously been linked to actor, Steve Martin.In 2006, Carter shifted her focus from film to fashion, launching her own clothing line, The Pantaloonies, which features Victorian-style camisoles, mop caps, and bloomers.