At age 13 Helena Bonham Carter decided to pursue an acting career, and by 16 she had landed a role in a television commercial, playing William Shakespeare’s Juliet in an advertisement for a stereo system, which proved to be an indication of Bonham Carter’s future career. In 1983 she landed a role in the made-for-TV movie A Pattern of Roses (1983), which subsequently led to her casting in A Room with a View (1985) and Lady Jane (1986). Bonham Carter continued to appear in period roles in Hamlet (1990), Howards End (1992) and Frankenstein (1994).
Often referred to as the “corset queen” or “English rose” because of her early work, Bonham Carter was deeply uncomfortable with this image and began to break away from these roles with her portrayals of Margaret in Margaret’s Museum (1995) and of a high-strung wife in Mighty Aphrodite (1995). Bonham Carter surprised audiences with two magnificent performances in The Wings of the Dove (1997) and Fight Club (1999). Her acclaimed performance in The Wings of the Dove (1997) earned her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe Best Actress nomination, a BAFTA Best Actress nomination, and a SAG Awards Best Actress nomination.
Take a look back at the actress when she was young in the 1990s through 18 stunning vintage portraits:
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