Sexy Beast
More Sexy BeastHow Helena Became a Freak
by Gina Piccalo
Gina Piccalo spent a decade at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. She's now a contributing writer for Los Angeles Magazine and her work has appeared in Elle, More and Emmy. She can be found at ginapiccalo.com.
She and Burton don't exactly live together. Bonham Carter has her house and next-door, Burton has his. The children, Billy Ray, 5 and Nell, 2, share a third in between and their parents come and go. (At the slightest hint of a prompt, Bonham Carter pulls up a photo on her pink iPhone of Nell, barefoot in a poufy skirt, her features a perfect amalgam of her parents.)
Alice in Wonderland marks the sixth time that Bonham Carter has worked under Burton's direction, which isn't easy for either one of them. In fact, she says they bickered constantly during the filming of Sweeney Todd. Burton, she says, took her for granted. So she issued some commandments in an effort to stem their rows: Don't talk about work when you're at home. Don't short-change each other on the set. (Burton had the habit, she says, of refusing her the same takes he gave Depp.) And listen even when it feels unnecessary.
"The more and more we've worked together, the more I've worked out how to be with him creatively," Bonham Carter says. "It just takes time. And now I understand a lot more what he needs from me when we're working together."
And what is that?
"Sometimes it's almost two acting jobs," she says. "I have to act the wife, that's not quite me. And then I've got to act the work part."
As work goes, Bonham Carter has done her share. In five years, she has starred in 10 feature films and two animated features. She has given birth to two children. It's no surprise the actress hasn't booked another role after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II due out in 2011.
"I want to be a mom for a bit," she says, "remind them I am a mom. And I am their mom. Be in the real world. For five minutes."
Gina Piccalo spent a decade at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. She's now a contributing writer for Los Angeles Magazine and her work has appeared in Elle, More and Emmy. She can be found at ginapiccalo.com.
For more of The Daily Beast, become a fan on Facebook and for more entertainment and fashion coverage follow Sexy Beast on Twitter.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
YOUR FRIENDS
The 10 Rules of Kissing Hello
Claire Howorth is the Arts editor at the Daily Beast.
Classic American Summer
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Best Celebrity Twit Pics
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Real Housewives Goes 90210
Gina Piccalo spent a decade at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. She's now a contributing writer for Los Angeles Magazine and her work has appeared in Elle, More and Emmy. She can be found at ginapiccalo.com.
The Nice Guy Who Finishes First
Gina Piccalo spent a decade at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. She's now a contributing writer for Los Angeles Magazine and her work has appeared in Elle, More and Emmy. She can be found at ginapiccalo.com.
Joaquin Phoenix's Great Practical Joke
Gina Piccalo spent a decade at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. She's now a contributing writer for Los Angeles Magazine and her work has appeared in Elle, More and Emmy. She can be found at ginapiccalo.com.
ortega
There aren't so much roles that you can play with that moustache.
terrycollmann
Right - and remind us just how perfect-looking you are?
maxiepad
The author of this article read my mind. I had been thinking about how HBC used to be such a proper, prim, sweet girl (I'm thinking "A room with a view") and now she exclusively plays weirdos ("Planet of the apes", "Harry Potter", "Fight club", etc.)
It's unfortunate, because she obviously has a broad range. I blame Tim Burton and his penchant for the gothic.
CoddledEgg
I was thinking the same thing two weeks ago when I saw the unappealing Alice trailer- Bonham Carter was so pretty in Room with a View and now she only takes roles where she is made to look grotesque. Only in Hollywood can that be counted as growth.
The author seems to skate around this very question- How Did Helena Become a Freak? Thats never answered.
One can understand taking some daring roles. Buts its been how long since a conventionally beautiful role? Maybe there were a couple since Frankenstein but thats it. She obviously gets offered her old Merchant Ivory roles so she is picking the grotesque. At this point I think its an outward manifestation of inner unhappiness.
Kiyomi
I think it's true, as maxiepad said, that she obviously has broad range. And I too would like to see her do more films that aren't in the same style as Tim Burton's films. But I guess the part where I veer away is the part where you comment on her not taking any more roles that make her more "conventionally beautiful".
It's possible that she feels beautiful in her every-day life and doesn't need public adoration for her looks to make her feel "ok". That she understands that this movie is a job. And the idea that a woman should consider whether or not, during the performance of her job duties, she's allowed to look beautiful while performing those tasks, before deciding whether or not to take the job offer seems like a skewed sense of priorities ("Don't do too many things that don't allow you to look beautiful while doing them"). Or maybe after doing all of those Merchant Ivory type roles, she's found that she personally finds these fantasy-world, over-the-top types of films/roles to just be more fun for her to participate in.
I guess what's bothersome particularly is that it hints of the old attitude that what women have to offer is their physical beauty, and to have it and yet not use it is somehow offensive to the public. Apparently to the point where you would assert that there must be some sort of emotional disturbance ("I think its an outward manifestation of inner unhappiness").
It's as though you're saying, "the fact that you don't care whether or not you appear to the public (and make your money by being) as beautiful to our standards of convention must mean that there's something wrong with you. It can't be alright that you don't seek out that approval, or adhere to our rules, or have other things that you find far more important. The idea that you would actually choose to do something that, while it may be fun for you, will compromise how aesthetically pleasing you are while doing it, is a sign of some sort of emotional/mental issue."
I don't know, maybe it's just me. But I feel like that attitude is a bit questionable.
CoddledEgg
"It's possible that she feels beautiful in her every-day life and doesn't need public adoration for her looks to make her feel "ok"."
Perhaps she does. But when she select 12 roles that portray her as a freak I think there is a pattern there.
Compare her to Merle Streep- who isnt a great natural beauty, like I feel HBC was. Streep has a variety of roles some of which play up conventional beauty like Mama Mia and Devil Wears Prada. Charlize Theron did Monster and Aeon Flux. Even Christiana Ricci does glamorous roles.
I wouldnt be surprise if we didnt find something weird was going on with HBC mentally 20 years from now.
From a film goers stand point, I thought Terminator Salvation was a worthwhile movie, but she served no purpose in it. If she would take over Kate Hudson's or Cameron Diaz's career,movie going would be greatly improved.
terrycollmann
And you received your degree in psychiatry from where?
akcita
Interesting double standard. Johnny Depp plays the freakiest roles on the planet and he is a genius, but poor Helen is a freak?
What drivel.
easton
absolutely right, couldn't have said it better myself. She is starring in an adaptation of a Children's classic book, and working with a great cast and director. She sounds like she is having a wonderful life.
clearthinker
Johnny Depp can play a freak and then come back and play a more conservative character. Carter has become typecast as a freak and that is all she can do. It is sad because she has become predictable. Even a freak can be boring.
comink
It seems impossible for HBC not to be influenced by Burton in her film choices. Physically, she isn't a classic film beauty. She's beautiful, but in a weird way. That also lends itself to the quirky roles. (in Room With A View she was wonderful, but her odd hunched posture was distracting and weird)
AstroBoy
So she lives in a world of her own just by living with Burton, choosing whaever roles she wishes for herself with the freedom to have fun, what esle would you want out of life? Living fantasy and reality all the way, i´m jealous. And even in her older roles she has a twisted quality that few can muster.
Can´t wait to see Alice...
Cinghiale
She's best cast as an over-the-top character, since those roles are the only ones that can accomadate her awful overacting. She's like a car that can only go at one speed. She's terrible.
magicmary
I would gladly trade my normal boring job to be exactly the same kind of freak. Way to go Helena - what a fun life! And what a brilliant weirdo!
AgathaX
I loved "A Room with a View." Perhaps by the time she's in her 50s or 60s she'll appreciate a bit more subtlety.
TK798999
"akcita
Interesting double standard. Johnny Depp plays the freakiest roles on the planet and he is a genius, but poor Helen is a freak?
What drivel."
I agree with the above post.
Sexist double standards rule, unfortunately even from female writers.
Siouxie921
What about "Fight Club?" She was fantastic in that, and I believe that role redefined her as an actress.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.