Born into an important political family, British actor Helena Bonham Carter endured a difficult childhood, having to cope with her parents’ ill health. Her debut movie ‘Lady Jane’ and her subsequent roles in the Merchant-Ivory productions, such as ‘A Room with a View’ and ‘Howards End,’ cemented her place in the film industry. Critic Richard Corliss referred to her as “a modern antique goddess.” Wanting to avoid being typecast, the actor began working with commercially successful, but artistically respected filmmakers like Tim Burton, who went on to become her partner. Her relationship with Burton helped her personally and professionally. She worked in many of Burton’s films, such as ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Big Fish,’ ‘Sweeny Todd,’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Apart from these Burton films, she played the mad witch ‘Bellatrix’ in several ‘Harry Potter’ films. She also played the innkeeper ‘Madame Thénardier’ in the big-budget musical ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘Miss Havisham’ in ‘Great Expectations.’ Three of her standout performances came in the films, ‘Wings of the Dove,’ where she played the manipulative ‘Kate Croy,’ ‘The King's Speech,’ where she played ‘Queen Elizabeth,’ and ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.’ As an actor, she has proved her versatility, playing important roles in several movies of various genres.