Helena Bonham Carter (born on May 26, 1966) is an English actress renowned for her portrayal of pre and early 20th century characters, particularly in Merchant Ivory films. She was born in Golders Green, in London, and educated at Westminster School.
Her father came from a famous British political and theatrical family; she is the great-granddaughter of the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Herbert Henry Asquith. Her first starring role to be filmed was in Lady Jane, which was eventually released to somewhat mixed reviews. Her breakthrough was A Room with a View, which was filmed later but released earlier. These films led to her being typecast as a "corset queen", an "English rose" in costume dramas, but eventually she expanded her range.
For a few years she was in a relationship with Kenneth Branagh (costing Branagh his own marriage to Emma Thompson) and they appeared in a number of films together, but they split up. Since 2001 she has been engaged to Tim Burton whom she met while filming Planet of the Apes. They have one son, Billy-Ray Burton.