A marital skit of how I got into Dark Shadows by Helena Bonham Carter from Harper’s Bazaar magazine interview
December 2010:
Location: our bathroom while giving the kids a bath
Tim Burton: I think we should take a break and not work together on this film.
Me (Helena Bonham Carter): Whatever you feel is right for the project. I get it. By this point I hadn’t read the script of seen any of the original TV series so I presumed there were no good parts for women anyway
Three weeks later:
Location: our kitchen
Tim: Um, would you mind reading it?
Me: Of course! I’d love to know what you’re working on even if I’m not going to be in it. I read it and discover it’s riddled with fantastic women’s parts. I pictured myself particularly in the lead as the sexy, vampy, hilarious witch Angelique
Location: my house
Tim (very serious tone): I need to talk to you.
Me: Of course
Tim (almost funereal tone): Theres something I need to say.
Me (thinks): OMG, he’s going to propose or he’s leaving me.
Tim: This is very hard for me because I’m changing my mind but, I would like you to consider being in Dark Shadows. There’s a part I think you are so right for.
Me: Oh baby! Angelique right?
Tim: No! No way! Dr.Hoffman.
This sends echoes down the corridors of my memory to our very first conversation ever, over the phone, when I was in Australia on a night shoot and he was in LA in 2000 and his opening line to me was, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way but you are the person I thought of to play the lead chimpanzee.’ So in 10 years I’ve graduated from chimp to alcoholic phychiatrist.
