Helena Bonham Carter Quotes

I have to struggle to change people's perceptions of me. I grew very frustrated with the perception that I'm this shy, retiring, inhibited aristocratic creature when I'm absolutely not like that at all. I think I'm much more outgoing and exuberant than my image.

- Helena Bonham Carter

I Think, Outgoing, Very, Aristocratic

I think I've still got a bit of a sado-masochistic streak in me, because if I'm not going to be restricted by corsets and covered in lace, then I still wind up wearing an ape-mask over my face. I do wonder how I get myself in these situations!

- Helena Bonham Carter

I Think, Got, Bit, Streak

Most of my relationships were people in the business. Having said that, me and Tim don't really talk that much about work. He comes into my bit of the house every so often to vent but we don't really have very high, cultured conversations.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Very, Vent, About, Cultured

Journalists are always calling my features Edwardian or Victorian, whatever that means. I am small, and people were smaller in those times. I'm pale and sickly-looking. I look fragile-like a doll. But sometimes I just wish I had less of a particular look, one that was more versatile.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Small, Sometimes, Smaller, Versatile

It was weird because I was pregnant, throughout that so it was weird being a pregnant witch. I was in a really bad mood but luckily, because I sleep with the director, he just sort of scheduled me so I only had to do it two nights.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Bad, Mood, Director, Witch

I was reading William Shawcross's biography of the Queen Mother, dressed in my witch outfit! And you know what? It was a really good mix; it was a therapeutic mix.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Queen, Reading, Dressed, Witch

I was a mixture of being incredibly old for my age and incredibly backwards. I was born quite old, but then I stopped growing. I lived with my mum and dad till I was 30.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Stopped, Till, Mum, Mum And Dad

The problems come when your personal life and relationships come under scrutiny in the press and often very uncomplimentary things are printed about you.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Come, Very, About, Printed

Not only was it nearly impossible to hear because of these huge rubber ears we had to wear, but we also had these huge furry hands which were absolutely useless, especially if you had to scratch yourself.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Hands, Which, Nearly, Scratch

Tim also has enough confidence so that it always looks like a Tim Burton film, but it really is collaborative. You're allowed to do it your way but of course he's always going to choose his way.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Always, Like, Going, None

I loved doing all those costume dramas. I didn't think, 'Ooh I've got to avoid being typecast' - you can't ever be dictated to by what other people think. I just do things because I fancy the parts and the directors.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Doing, Fancy, Other, Dramas

You become very angry and depressed that you keep getting offered only these exceedingly demure and repressed roles. They're so not me. That's why films like Fight Club were so important to me because I think I confounded certain stereotypes and limited perceptions of what I could do as an actress.

- Helena Bonham Carter

I Think, Very, Confounded, Perceptions

I drink booze, I smoke, and I'm hooked on caffeine. I actually have been known to swear at times and belch and even raise my voice when provoked. And I'm not physically repressed!

- Helena Bonham Carter

Voice, Been, Provoked, Repressed

I'm not dead and I don't have blue hair but some people say there are similarities. It is usually intolerable to watch myself onscreen but this time it's fine. I think it's beautiful and a real work of art.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Dead, Some, I Think, Intolerable

It was a challenge to be able to create a character without being able to use one's normal set of expressions. All the rubber and makeup attached to your face left you with only a modest range of facial movements.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Makeup, Normal, Set, Expressions

Usually I'm frustrated when I look at my films and I don't believe that I've made a real transformation beyond my usual sets of gestures and expressions. I still have this nagging feeling that it's me, that I didn't create a unique character.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Believe, Beyond, Frustrated, Expressions

If you're a queen, you're powerless, so I'd probably demote myself and go shopping.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Myself, Queen, Go, Powerless

I also get fed up with the fact that casting agents and directors have this impression of me as being frail and petite. I find it very patronizing. I'm quite beefy and strong. I was a gymnast in school and I have lots of muscles.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Strong, Very, Gymnast, Casting

Famous people come up to me, but I don't know who they are because my sight is so bad. It's always at the pool of the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills when I don't have my lenses in and my glasses are in my room.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Glasses, Beverly Hills, Bad, Hills

There is no normality in life.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Life, Normality

It took me so many years to move out. I'm definitely a bit of a Peter Pan, reluctant to grow up. It all seemed really nice at home-why change it? Part of me would prefer not to have any responsibility whatsoever.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Part, Prefer, So Many Years, Pan

I love witches and magic and dress-up and make-believe.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Love, Magic, I Love, Witches

No matter how many modern parts I do, people still refer to me as Mrs. Costume Drama. Fight Club is a studio pic, and I've done very few of those. I've got a feeling it's going to change things for me.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Matter, Studio, Very, Refer

J.K. Rowling said Bellatrix's role was going to be significant in the last one, when I showed some reluctance in playing a tiny bit part. Up front, they said, 'You're very significant in the last one.' But significant could mean a lot of things. That could just mean a significant plot point. Doesn't necessarily equal big part.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Big, Some, Very, Reluctance

I'm always attracted to lower budget, not because it's lower budget, but because they tend to be better scripts.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Better, Always, Tend, Scripts

I'm always attracted to lower budget, not because it's lower budget, but because they tend to be better scripts. It's the scripts that tend to be the small arthouse film that tend to be more actor-led and character driven.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Small, More, Always, Scripts

Mothers are the heart of any household. I try to spend as much time with my children as I possibly can while also fulfilling my professional duties. It is tricky, but I think I manage it.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Think, I Think, Also, Manage

I don't think kids have a problem with death. It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Death, Think, Nearer, Frightened

Very early on, you figure out that you put your self-esteem in the hands of strangers. There's a different commodity. There's the Helena Bonham Carter that everyone thinks they know, who really has nothing to do with me. But you just have to let that go.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Self-Esteem, Very, Commodity, Helena

The animators are absolutely extraordinary. It's mind-boggling.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Extraordinary, Animators, Mind-Boggling

I'm often criticised for what I wear. That's my main label in the press now: disastrous dresser!

- Helena Bonham Carter

Wear, Often, Main, Dresser

When I was young I had so many inferiority complexes. I had an inferiority complex because I didn't go to university. I had an inferiority complex because I didn't train. Then it gets tiring. And you do get bored of it.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Young, Go, University, Train

Everybody has an inferiority complex when they step into a room. But then when you have children and you get older, it doesn't really matter. When I was young I had so many inferiority complexes. I had an inferiority complex because I didn't go to university. I had an inferiority complex because I didn't train.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Young, University, Everybody, Train

A film actor is just a victim of directors and editors.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Actor, Victim, Directors, Editors

You learn to rely on a few basic movements and use your voice to the greatest extent possible to convey your emotions. So there was a technical challenge there and a responsibility to create a character from behind the mask.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Voice, Behind, Extent, Mask

It's easy for me to go back to being a kid. You know how kids can be like savages before they get civilized? There's that sadist quality. Y'know, like boys who like to pick apart an insect for the sake of it.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Kid, Before, Civilized, Insect

People have lots of misconceptions about me. My mum, who is half French and half Spanish, gets outraged when I'm called quintessentially English. I owe my looks to my mum-which was 90 percent of getting my first job. And, some people would argue, 90 percent of my entire career.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Career, Some, Half, Misconceptions

All the ancient classic fairy tales have always been scary and dark.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Classic, Always, Been, Tales

I would pretend to be the French lieutenant's woman. I was always a romantic. I still am, actually.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Always, Still, Actually, French

You can actually have a pitch button, you know, to get people on pitch.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Know, Get, Actually, Button

I was like one of those nauseatingly nice children. I was very, very well behaved and boring.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Boring, Like, Very, Behaved

She looks like a warrior. I mean, Bellatrix does mean warrior. And she's also a bit of a fatale. She's the right hand of Voldemort, and the only woman death eater.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Death, Woman, Like, Eater

What I loved about playing the corpse is that obviously somebody else got to do the physical part. It appeals to the part of me that likes playing character parts and getting the chance to get away from my own physicality.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Own, Away, Part, Appeals

When you're up for an Oscar, you just get offered everything. It's fantastic, but a lot of it you're completely inappropriate for.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Oscar, Lot, Offered, Inappropriate

I think my mouth just opens and I spontaneously say things that occur to me.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Think, Mouth, Spontaneously, Opens

I'm a late developer. I only moved out of home when I was 30.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Late, Only, Moved, Developer

People say, 'You're still breast-feeding, that's so generous.' Generous, no! It gives me boobs and it takes my thighs away! It's sort of like natural liposuction. I'd carry on breast-feeding for the rest of my life if I could.

- Helena Bonham Carter

My Life, Away, Thighs, Boobs

I just went and got an agent because I thought I can create my own world - you can't right your own life, but you can escape to a world where you can have control.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Thought, My Own, Agent, Escape

Well, at least I'm not too thin. I eat.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Well, Too, Least, Thin

I should get a few ribs taken out, because I'll be in a corset for the rest of my life.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Life, Rest, My Life, Corset

I'm a very good sleeper.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Good, Very, Sleeper

It didn't matter what you look like. You don't have to get up at 5:30 in the morning and there's a lot to be said for that. Corpse Bride can just play all my parts from now on and I'll just do the voice.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Voice, Bride, Play, Corpse

I was sad that Corpse Bride was so short. I would've liked to have had her around for way longer. She doesn't actually have that many scenes.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Bride, Had, Many, Corpse

Wearing corsets all the time was completely incapacitating, as far as digestion goes.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Goes, Wearing, Far, As Far As

That's the thing with animated films - I often feel that puppets get the better parts compared to us normal actresses.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Normal, Puppets, Films, Animated

But it's often been the case, I've done so many countless small, independent films that really 3.2 people have seen, so you never know. You do it for the joy of the part and not necessarily expect anyone to see the final product.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Small, Independent, Been, Countless

I hate this image of me as a prim Edwardian. I want to shock everyone.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Want, Everyone, Image, Edwardian

No, I can never rely on Tim to make me pretty.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Never, Pretty, Rely, Tim

It's different when you're an actor and playing a part, but when it's just you, you feel immensely vulnerable have strangers prodding and prying.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Feel, Part, Immensely, Prying

It would be nice to really shed the corsets.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Be Nice, Shed, Would, Corsets

I've never had white teeth. To be honest, I've never been told to do any of those horrible things - get your teeth whitened or your nose straightened.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Nose, Been, Horrible Things, To Be Honest

My mom being a psychotherapist, I've been brought up with that whole psychoanalytical terrain.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Mom, Been, Brought, Terrain

The parenting bit is much harder than the acting bit. You just never know what to do.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Never, Know, Than, Harder

I'm drawn to emotionally damaged characters because there is more to unlock.

- Helena Bonham Carter

More, Unlock, Characters, Damaged

When you write for very young children what they want is something familiar and safe and stereotyped.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Children, Young, Very, Young Children

I enjoy those small chats you have when people come up and talk to you about your work. It only involves a few seconds of effort to be nice to those people, and I am very grateful for the kind words that people have taken the trouble to express to me in person.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Small, Very, About, Seconds

I just do things because I fancy the parts and the directors.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Fancy, Things, Directors, Parts

My life had been very work-orientated, and all in close-up. Once I had the family, it went into sudden widescreen.

- Helena Bonham Carter

My Life, Been, Very, Close-Up

You can't ever put your self-definition in the hands of somebody who meets you for 15 minutes.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Hands, Minutes, 15 Minutes, Meets

My father fell really chronically ill when I was 13 and that's when I phoned up an agent and started to act.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Father, Agent, Ill, Chronically

I look completely like my mum. She's very foreign, very Jewish.

- Helena Bonham Carter

She, Very, Mum, Foreign

I think smells, like sounds, can be so much immediately affecting.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Think, I Think, Smells, Affecting

Because I sleep with him he asked me to audition, you know?

- Helena Bonham Carter

Sleep, Me, Audition, Asked

I remember I did think, 'Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. Right moved in next door?'

- Helena Bonham Carter

Door, Think, Next, Be Nice

I personally never got the gist of Facebook and Twitter.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Never, Personally, Twitter

I never really wanted to grow up. I grew up really young. I moved out when I was 13 - that's when I started acting.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Grow, Young, Moved, Grow Up

It took me ages to grow into being a woman, into being happy with it.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Woman, Grow, Took, Ages

As everyone, you do end up becoming your mother, but also as you're acting, I find out you become every member of your family, bits come out without you really wanting them to come out.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Everyone, Wanting, Becoming, Member

Fairytales have always got to have that scary quality, as long as you make them laugh.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Always, Got, Them, Scary

A lot of times in this business, it's so transitory - it's just 10 weeks here or there on a movie and then it's over - but to see the same people over all that time, a decade, makes you feel really safe and secure.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Here, Decade, Weeks, Safe

I was weird right from the start. It's just that you can't ever expect people to get you. And I do think that really did mess with my head, being well-known young, when you really don't know who you are.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Young, Head, Mess, Well-Known

I love changing what I look like because I always feel super strange whenever I do watch something that I'm in.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Love, Always, Like, Strange

I liked pretending to be other people: I could reinvent myself, reinvent my own reality.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Pretending, Reinvent, Other, Reality

I've got Tourette's, practically. I'll tell anyone anything.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Tell, Got, Anyone, Practically

I'm the kind of actor who has ventured into escaping from me.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Me, Kind, Escaping, Actor

I don't think I dress eccentrically. I'm just not conservative, I guess - I dress according to what like. And I'm not a mannequin, as you can tell.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Think, Conservative, Like, Dress

With the number of people I ignore, I'm lucky I work at all in this town.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Lucky, Number, Town, Ignore

In any relationship, after the first year is over, you can't help but want your own space.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Relationship, Want, Over, Year

I don't think any actor wants their children to follow them into the profession.

- Helena Bonham Carter

Children, Think, Actor, Profession

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