Helena Bonham Carter says her entry into the showbiz industry was ‘all a blag’

Helena Bonham Carter says the start of her career and entry into the industry as a teenager was “all a blag”.

The Hollywood star, known for roles in Harry Potter, Fight Club and Sweeney Todd, said that at an early age she “decided to be confident” and was “much wiser than I am now”.

Speaking to Caitlin Moran in an interview for The Times, the actress discussed all manner of subjects including public perception, handwriting and dogs, as well as her upcoming ITV series Nolly.

The show, written by Russell T Davies, explores the story of Crossroads star Noele Gordon, who was infamously and controversially sacked from the show at the age of 61.

Bonham Carter, 56, was catapulted to international fame at the age of 19, following her performance in A Room With A View, in which she starred opposite Julian Sands.

The actress’s mother suffered a mental breakdown when she was young and her father had a stroke when she was 13.

Speaking about her teenage years and introduction to the creative industry, she said: “It was all a blag.”

“Dad was ill, and I just had this moment of realising, ‘Ok, a terrible thing has happened. I’m mistress of my own destiny now.’ I was very serious at 13.”

Bonham Carter said that after somewhat disingenuously winning a high school writing competition, she had used the money to get headshot photos done and called an agent.

“(I said) ‘I want to act. Please help me! I’d be interested in going to auditions.’ I had decided to be confident,” she said.

“I was very underconfident at 11. So when I went to senior school, I thought, ‘This is the time you can reinvent yourself – and if you project a different self, people will believe in that’.”

She added: “I was quite wise then. I promise you: I was much, much wiser then than I am now.”

The full interview with Helena Bonham Carter can be found in The Times.