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Helena Bonham Carter discusses her film The Young and Prodigious T.S Spivet 2015 in which she plays an entomologist with a genius son. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who is known for his BAFTA winning film Amelie. Carter loved his aesthetic. She loved the 3D animation that made the film look so fresh and produced an original and exciting way of looking inside the head of someone and seeing how their mind works - a very innovative approach. Carter goes on to talk about the process of developing her own characters through writing prolific notes and making scrap books for each character. She reflects that the research stage is a gift, a kind of free education. A Room with a View 1985 is one of Carter's first films, a period piece set in Florence, Italy - starring acting legends Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. Carter admits to being quite self critical of herself at the beginning of her career but has since let this go. She is not a classically trained actor and sees herself as a character actor. A film version of Hamlet 1990 where Carter plays Ophelia opposite Mel Gibson's Hamlet. Carter talks of how liberating it was to actually film a Shakespeare play rather than act on the stage. The Wings of a Dove 1997 another hugely successful period piece set in Venice, Italy. Carter says it was difficult to film because you had to film either very early in the morning or last thing at night to avoid the tourists. Fight Club 1999 in which Carter plays Marla, a film that was booed at The Venice Film Festival but was ultimately a success and has subsequently gained cult status. Planet of the Apes 2001 directed by Tim Burton who cast Carter as Ari. Carter embracing her skills as a character actor went to Ape School to learn how to move like a chimpanzee. Burton and Carter made several films together but her favourite partly down to sheer demand, challenge and satisfaction was her character Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Carter counts Meryl Streep and Judy Davis as her acting heroes. Following this is The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit 2005 the Aardman Animation classic which achieved global success, Carter plays Lady Tottington who she still loves, as a big hearted character. She enjoys doing voice-overs because you are not restricted by how you look physically. Harry Potter where Carter appeared as Bellatrix Lastrange in four of the Potter films, Carter discusses the size of the sets and initially feeling intimidated by the enormity of the success of the earlier films in the franchise. The child stars on set were so professional and fun, they put her at ease. Regarding longevity in this career you have to just hope for the best that a film is successful, an awful lot of luck comes into it. The Kings Speech 2010 is the last film discussed where Carter plays the Queen Mother, a beautifully written film that was hugely successful and won four Oscars including Best Picture. Carter said the Queen Mother was modest and humble but was a woman that knew her own mind.

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