From Ophelia to Bellatrix Lestrange, actress Helena Bonham Carter’s film roles are often rooted in literature. She’s famous for portraying characters created by English heavyweights (William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens), beloved children’s authors (Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl) and contemporary icons (J.K. Rowling, Chuck Palahniuk). And with dozens of book-related roles to her credit, Bonham Carter has proven that she’s just as comfortable playing a chimp advocating for human rights as she is a fairy godmother.
To celebrate Bonham Carter’s reprisal of her role as the Red Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass, we assembled a gallery highlighting every film she’s acted in based on a book.*
*Or a Shakespearean play.
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A Pattern of Roses
Based on:
A Pattern of Roses by K.M. Peyton
Role: Netty
Year Released: 1983 (TV Movie)
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A Room with a View
Based on:
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Role: Lucy Honeychurch, a young English woman on holiday in Italy
Year Released: 1985
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Maurice
Based on:
Maurice by E.M. Forster
Role: Lady at Cricket Match
Year Released: 1987
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A Hazard of Hearts
Based on:
Hazard of Hearts by Barbara Cartland
Role: Serena Staverley, a woman whose hand in marriage is gambled away by her father
Year Released: 1987 (TV Movie)
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Francesco
Based on:
Francesco d'Assisi by Hermann Hesse
Role: Chiara, a noblewoman who leaves her life of privilege after hearing Francesco (later St. Francis of Assisi) preach
Year Released: 1989
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Hamlet
Based on:
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare
Role: Ophelia, a young noblewoman and Hamlet's potential wife
Year Released: 1990
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Where Angels Fear to Tread
Based on:
Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
Role: Caroline Abbott, a woman who tries to help her recently widowed friend
Year Released: 1991
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Howard's End
Based on:
Howard's End by E.M. Forster
Role: Helen Schlegel, a woman in Edwardian England embroiled in family and class drama
Year Released: 1992
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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Based on:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Role: Elizabeth, Victor Frankenstein's adopted sister
Year Released: 1994
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A Dark-Adapted Eye
Based on:
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell
Role: Faith Severn, a woman who recounts chilling memories of her aunt
Year Released: 1994 (TV Movie)