Helena Bonham Carter reveals the best character of her career: “She was a trailblazer”
In both blockbuster movies and independent cinema, Helena Bonham Carter has established herself as one of British film’s most enduring icons. With two Academy Award nominations to her name and countless memorable performances over the years, the London-born actor is certainly well-admired by her peers.
After coming through the ranks with efforts in A Room with a View and Lady Jane, one might have thought that Carter would be permanently cast in the “English rose” archetype, but in the following years, she proved through turns in the Harry Potter movies, Ocean’s 8, Fight Club and The King’s Speech her endless versatility.
With such legendary movies to her name, it’s interesting to think of what Carter’s favourite role might be, and the actor once revealed all when in discussion with Lorraine Kelly. Carter divulged a surprising choice in that her top choice role actually came on television in the three-part biographical miniseries Nolly.
Created by Russell T Davies, Nolly tells of the success achieved by the Crossroads star Noele Gordon and the subsequent betrayal that led to her being fired from the show. Crossroads is a British soap opera that ran from 1964 to 1988, with a later revival taking place between 2001 and 2003.
Under a low budget, Crossroads told of a motel in the Midlands, which was one of the most popular shows on British TV at the time of its original airing. Discussing the impact that Crossroad made, Carter noted, “It was loved, and people loved to criticise it. But nevertheless, 15 million people watched it every night.”
In playing Gordon, Carter found her favourite role thus far in her career. “Within the first page, it carried on getting better and better,” she said of Davies, who also wrote for the 2000s revival of Doctor Who. “I mean, not that it needed to get better, it’s brilliant. But it kept getting more and more brilliant.”
Gordon played Meg Mortimer in Crossroads from 1964 to 1981, at which point she was sacked from the show. In 1981, the show started being handled by a new company that largely wanted to abandon it. The idea was that by sacking Gordon – the show’s most popular cast member – audiences would stop watching, allowing for a justified end.
According to Carter, Gordon had been angered by the fact that she had been mistreated by the head of the TV company, stating, “I love the fact that she never apologised for any of it. Other people might have been slightly embarrassed or felt like they’d done something slightly wrong, but no, she knew when she had been treated badly.
Even before Crossroads, Gordon was a “trailblazer” who was sent to America to learn more about broadcasting, leading to her presenting the daily live entertainment show Lunchbox. Continuing to express Gordon’s disdain at being dismissed from Crossroads, Carter said, “They really wanted to get rid of her, and that’s why I think she took it so personally.”
Still, the actor was “such a phenomenal woman,” while Carter was blown away with Davies’ treatment of her story, noting, “It was just beautifully written.” Carter had hoped that some of Gordon would “rub off” on her when she first read the script, and Gordon ended up being a character role that she would always remember.