Summary

• Helena Bonham Carter's diverse roles show her range as an actress, from the unhinged Bellatrix Lestrange to the conniving Madame Thénardier.
• In "A Room With A View," Carter's emotional depth at a young age launched her career into superstardom with her free-spirited portrayal of Lucy.
• "The Wings of the Dove" showcased Carter's ability to portray complex characters, earning her critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for her role as Kate.

Iconic actress Helena Bonham Carter has starred in many of the world's biggest movies, giving the world of cinema some incredible characters along the way. The acclaimed actress started her career in the 1980s, with her first role being Lady Jane Grey in Lady Jane, but over time became known for portraying some eccentric and wacky personas. She famously also had a relationship with director Tim Burton, who is also the father of her children.

Although several Tim Burton movies with Helena Bonham Carter were her best, not all of them were. Even though the pair were, and still continue to be, associated with one another, Carter also gave some incredible performances in other films. In particular, she made a name for herself in period drama TV shows and movies, especially in the early days of her career. However, despite Hollywood's attempts to categorize her, she proved that she's a diverse actress with a wide range of talents, which has resulted in some incredible movies from Helena Bonham Carter.

10 Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Role: The Red Queen

Tim Burton’s biggest box office success, Alice in Wonderland, saw Carter cast as the iconic Red Queen. Carter gave a stellar performance as Alice's (Mia Wasikowska) greatest tormentor, but this role was also memorable because of how the Red Queen was designed. Throughout the film, Carter sported a ridiculously large head, symbolic of the Red Queen's attitude and ego, which was added in with visual effects in post-production. The contrast in the size of her head and body allowed for some hilarious moments throughout the film, although this made her purpose as a villain less impactful at times.

However, Carter's portrayal of the Red Queen was also very strong because of how much depth she brought to the character.

However, Carter's portrayal of the Red Queen was also very strong because of how much depth she brought to the character. The actress proved that one of her strongest abilities as a performer was her use of facial expressions and gestures, especially during the Red Queen's exaggerated rants and outbursts. Carter reprised her role in the sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and improved upon an already powerful performance.

9 A Room With A View (1985)

Role: Lucy Honeychurch

Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View was Carter's breakthrough role, and she did a beautiful job as the vacationer who struggled with choosing between her new love interest, George (Julian Sands), and her fiance back in England. Adapted from the E.M. Forster novel by the same name, Carter's way of presenting Lucy's free spirit in an Edwardian setting made her stand out among A Room with a View's cast, especially because she took the original source material and made it even better. Playing Lucy Honeychurch, rightfully so, launched Carter's career into superstardom.

Considering Carter was only 19 years old in A Room with a View, her giving such an emotionally deep performance was even more impressive.

Considering Carter was only 19 years old in A Room with a View, her giving such an emotionally deep performance was even more impressive. Carter's chemistry with Julian Sands was praised throughout, and the glaringly obvious differences between Lucy and George were brilliantly highlighted in their performance together. Although this role, as well as other early performances from Carter, were very different compared to the kind of characters she has since become known for, playing Lucy also showed how diverse an actress she was and has continued to be.

8 Fight Club (1999)

Role: Marla Singer