What is the name of Tim Burton's wife. Gothic fairy tale. The love story of Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter. By mutual desire

Looking at the heights reached by Hollywood stars, you involuntarily want to be in their place at least for a minute. However, each of them has to sacrifice a lot for the sake of fame and recognition. And first of all, relationships, spouses and children suffer.

Not so long ago it became known that another star couple announced a break in relations. This time, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton broke up, who lived in a civil marriage for thirteen years. Having acquired two children, the couple did not dare to legalize their relationship.

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter love story

The hereditary aristocrat and the director met in 2001 during the filming of the film Planet of the Apes. Helena immediately attracted the attention of Burton with her bright and extraordinary persona. The British actress had a rebellious nature, which, combined with a sullen gothic image, was ideally suited for the performance of the main character of the film.

A spark between two slightly strange people slipped at the moment they met. Building a romantic relationship with Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Burton's legal wife was Lisa Burton, with whom he lived for 10 years.

After the director divorced his wife, the lovers did not dare to live under the same roof. Their houses were nearby, and both of them were quite happy with it. In addition, the girl could not decide on a permanent place of residence, rushing between two countries - England and the USA.

After two years of their life together, the couple had their first child, son Billy. And four years later, Helena gave birth to a daughter, Nell. And then the happy parents decided that it was enough for them to wander around different countries. After selling their homes in Los Angeles, the large family moved to live in London.

All this time, Helena was for Burton not only a lover, but also a muse, who starred in many of his paintings. However, in every family there are discords. And even such an "unearthly" family of freaks was at the center of a scandalous story.

The reason for the separation of the star couple

In 2014, there were rumors that one of the strongest families in Hollywood was on the verge of breaking. One of the alleged reasons for such gossip was the famous director. Tim Burton was caught by the paparazzi with a certain stranger, with whom he kissed at 12 o'clock in the morning. Before that, the actress actively fought for her family happiness, but to no avail. What actually influenced their decision remains a mystery. The actress herself said that she could write a dissertation about this. So, apparently, there was a reason, and not one.

However, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton remained good friends. Instead of sorting out the relationship, they are engaged in their personal lives and the upbringing of common children.

As it became known, the couple discussed the moment of parting with each other for a long time. Moreover, it is already known that each of them has a new relationship. So, Tim meets with a certain Berenice Percival, who is 17 years younger than the director. Helena's chosen one is still unknown, but they say that he is also younger than the actress.

long engagement

Tim Burton expressed his desire to marry a British aristocratic actress almost immediately after the start of their romance in 2001. Given the popularity of the couple, their union has attracted close attention from many fans around the world. However, we did not wait for the announcement of the wedding ceremony. From a legal point of view, Tim Burton's wife remained a cohabitant.

Eccentrics in life and in movies

In fact, the relationship between Tim and Helena has become a kind of standard for a successful marriage. Extremely calm, sympathetic and understanding, they lived in perfect harmony for more than ten years. True, this couple could not be called traditional, because the press constantly flashed references to their so-called “guest marriage”. There is an opinion that the duration and strength of their relationship is due to separation: Tim Burton's wife and the director settled in neighboring houses, and not together.

Tim and Helen's children

In a civil marriage and Helena Bonham Carter, two children were born. The eldest son was born in 2003, in October. Tim Burton's wife agreed to name him Bill after Tim's grandfather. Four years later, in December 2007, the director became a father for the second time. The baby girl was named Nell.

Tim has no other children. Despite the breakup with Helena, he still spends time with his son and daughter.

By the way, Tim Burton's ex-civil wife is also present during these walks. Photos of the family constantly flash on the pages of magazines.

Tim and Helena's Special Relationship

On the eve of her fiftieth birthday, Helena Bonham Carter shows no hint of age anxiety. She still acts in films, participates in photo shoots and gives interviews. Naturally, the lion's share of journalists' questions concerns her broken marriage. She calmly and with dignity talks about how important friendship is to her, which has replaced marriage ties.

According to her, their relationship with Tim has always been unusual and special. This did not change their mutual decision to part. She argues that there is no point in worrying about what cannot be changed. Helena is extremely pleased with the fruitfulness and effectiveness of their union with Tim. After all, he brought them joint children and a lot of experience.

True aristocrat

The persistent and hardy character of Helena was tempered from childhood. When she was a teenager, her father was paralyzed in a failed operation. Despite the fact that the family could afford a whole staff of servants, including nurses, Helena was constantly near her father, supporting and encouraging him.

Strong attachment to her parents did not allow her to leave her father's house until the age of 30. But even then she bought a house nearby so that she could visit her mother and father more often.

Being a descendant of real British aristocrats, she received a brilliant upbringing. Studying at Westminster School, as well as a serious passion for theatrical art, turned her into a true lady. Helena received her first fame as a leading lady in classical productions on the theater stage. She was also invited to such "corset" roles at the beginning of her film career.

Today, Helena Bonham Carter is most often associated with her role as the evil Death Eater Belatrice Lestrange from the Harry Potter films.

Life anew

Apparently, Tim Burton also refers to the gap calmly and wisely, because he was seen in the company of Eva Green. Maybe this is the beginning of a new era, and we can hope for her appearance in the director's next films? After all, he always found roles for his wives.

It is worth mentioning the name of Tim Burton's wife, who became his first muse and appeared in several famous films: Lisa May. She had an extremely great influence on his formation as a person. Many biographical articles on Tim refer to his first marriage as "the Lisa May period".

First a dancer, then an artist and an actress, she provided Tim with significant support at critical moments and was there during periods of success. During their long marriage, the most outstanding films were shot: "Edward Scissorhands", "Sleepy Hollow", "Batman" and others. After the director became interested in Helena Bonham Carter, he divorced Lisa May, paying her more than five million dollars by court order. She later applied to the courts for additional compensation, but she was refused.

Every week HELLO.RU talks about what celebrity children wear. Last time we got acquainted with the style of the daughter of actor Channing Tatum and actress Jenna Dewan - Everly, and today the heroes of the column are Billy and Nell - the son and daughter of director Tim Burton and actress Helena Bonham Carter, who recently announced their separation.

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter with their children, November 2014

Roman director Tim Burton and actress Helena Bonham Carter began in 2001 during the filming of the film Planet of the Apes. On October 4, 2003, the couple had their first child - son Billy Raymond Burton, whose godfather, at the request of Helena, was actor and family friend Johnny Depp. When the baby was four years old, his mother "gave" him a sister - on December 15, 2007, the daughter of Burton and Bonham Carter was born.

Everyone is very happy for Helena. This is the best Christmas present ever! Mom and daughter are doing well

The representative of the actress announced that day. Burton would not be Burton if he congratulated his civil wife on the birth of a daughter with a standard bouquet of flowers. The director gave Helena four pairs of rough boots with thick soles, telling the press: "I already know how to please her."

The baby remained without a name for 8 months, because Burton was busy filming. Only in August 2008 it became known that the girl was named Nell. First, Helena, while pregnant, played Mrs. Nellie Lovett in the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by Burton. Secondly, women in the aristocratic family of Bonham Carter were called Helen-derived names.

Helena Bonham Carter with little Billy in LondonHelena Bonham Carter with little Nell in MalibuHelena Bonham Carter and Nell in MalibuHelena Bonham Carter with daughter Nell

After the birth of their second child, Helena and Tim finally moved to London, selling their homes in Los Angeles. The children of the couple began to be charged with the energy of foggy Albion, but, of course, their parents had the main influence on them. When your dad is called "the strangest director of our time", and your mother is called "city crazy" for her love of strange clothes, you a priori cannot become an ordinary child! So Billy and Nell grew up as unusual kids from childhood - from the grimaces that they showed to the paparazzi, ending with original outfits.

Speaking of outfits: when Billy and Nell were very young, their mother Helena tried to dress them in her own way. Although the actress is often included in the ratings of the most badly dressed stars, her statuses do not care about her, but, on the contrary, amuse. The actress passed on this positive attitude to clothes to her children. So, in their wardrobe there were a lot of bright red knitted sweaters, strange caps, voluminous overalls and sundresses of all colors of the rainbow. Billy loved to wear wide cropped trousers and bright raincoats, Nell often wore layered dresses and fluffy coats, reminiscent of her mother.

Tim Burton with son BillyHelena Bonham Carter and Nell in LondonBilly and Nell BurtonHelena Bonham Carter with son Billy in London
Helena Bonham Carter and Nell celebrate Halloween

When Billy grew up, his images became more restrained and "adult". Like his dad Tim, the boy began to wear strict black coats and gray trousers, but did not lose his love for experiments. T-shirts with skulls, bright sneakers, "gothic" parkas and other unusual items of clothing have not left his wardrobe. He's Burton, after all.

As for Nell, she has also begun to wear "ordinary people" clothes more often, but each of her looks is not without a twist. If a girl chose classic trousers and a coat, then expect bright sneakers or boots with different laces. If she dressed like a real princess, then Nell's head will certainly be decorated with strange bows and pigtails. Her mother, even at the age of 48, does not want to part with her childhood, so she tries to turn her life and the lives of loved ones into a fantastic fairy tale.

It is a pity that the actress and director did not have a chance to be at the altar. But who knows if their fairy tale is over? Ahead of Tim Burton is the premiere of the film "Big Eyes" with Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz (in Russia, the picture can be seen from January 15), and perhaps the director will appear on the red carpet along with Bonham Carter. We sincerely hope that this "crazy" family will reunite!

Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter with childrenHelena Bonham Carter with son Billy in MalibuHelena Bonham Carter with son Billy in New YorkTim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter with son Billy at the premiere of "Alice in Wonderland"Helena Bonham Carter with son Billy

Tim Burton is an American director who has also proved himself as an animator. He often writes scripts for his films, and also acts as a producer. Burton is characterized by the gloominess of the presentation of the material with the addition of specific humor. They say about him: he managed to “rediscover” Gothic.

early years

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank on August 25, 1958. His father, Bill, was a former baseball player who, after retiring, joined the state division responsible for the city's parks and recreation areas. Jean's mom ran a shop that sold cat supplies.

Socialization at school was mixed: Tim did not really want to study and communicate, however, he liked water polo, and he became a member of the local team. Being a loner by nature, Burton preferred to spend his free time in theaters or developing his own film projects.

It is believed that the future director began shooting short films in his yard at the age of 8. Virtually none of that material has survived. There was a cemetery near the house, which probably also left its mark on Burton's vision of the world.

In 1976, Tim entered the California Institute of the Arts, where he learned the basics of animation. Three years later, he got a job at Disney Studios. His career in the company can hardly be called smooth, different things happened: misunderstandings with superiors, promotions and transfers to other departments. Under the auspices of Disney, Burton released the animated short Vincent (1982). Even then, many noted how different the style of Tim and employers is.

The story of Frankenweenie (1984) pushed both sides to end the relationship. The management of Disney considered the cartoon about the corpse of a dog come to life too scary for children. Many years later, the animated short was developed into a full-fledged cartoon.

Career

There was also a positive side to the break with Disney. Paul Reubens, then a well-known comedian, took a liking to the young talent after watching his short films and offered to shoot the family comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).

After finishing work on his debut, Tim took on Beetlejuice (1988) and cast Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton in the lead roles. The initial version of the script was distinguished not only by the traditional gloominess for the director, but also by a serious immersion in the topic. Not wanting to complicate the plot, Burton abandoned a number of lines and turns, making the picture easier to understand. As a result, the director received the first nomination for a major award, but the statuette of the Saturn Award went to Robert Zemeckis. The film also won an Oscar for Best Makeup.

According to Burton, the option to take on comics and direct Batman (1989) came as a surprise. The cast of the tape is impressive, which is worth the names of Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton. If Tim's method of work is discussed in an interview, he often agrees with many of the features attributed to him, but separates this tape from the rest. The director believes that in comparison with the current stories about the Dark Knight, his interpretation is a "children's party", in terms of gloom and escalation of everything strange. Be that as it may, the tape was the next step towards the development of superhero cinema.

The film "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) not only finally approved Burton's style, but also allowed his duet with Johnny Depp to form for many years. The trust between the director and the actor is so great that the latter signed contracts for shooting in the films of a friend, either without reading the script at all, or at a time when work on the text was still underway.

Interestingly, initially Depp's candidacy did not seem so obvious to Burton for the role of a "cyborg" with scissor hands. He could easily have been replaced by Jim Carrey or Robert Downey Jr. who were also among the candidates.

In 1992, Tim again took up the man-bat and his universe. Michael Keaton donned a superhero costume for the second time for Batman Returns (1992). The environment of his character has changed, hence the reshuffling of the cast: Michelle Pfeiffer reincarnated as Catwoman, and Danny DeVito as Penguin.

Due to his busy schedule, Burton was unable to direct The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) himself, although the original story came from his pen. The cartoon was initially received rather coolly, but subsequently acquired cult status.

The director wanted to slightly shift the focus in the work and expand the horizons. He chose the story of Hollywood's "worst director" as his next target. This is how "Ed Wood" (1994) appeared, not very popular with the audience, but noted in various categories at leading awards and festivals. Especially critics and colleagues liked the game of Martin Landau.

After talking on serious topics in his usual manner, Tim plunged into comedic fiction - "Mars is attacking!" (1996). For the first time the director used computer graphics. He invited many actors with whom he had previously worked to act, but there were also star "newcomers" like Pierce Brosnan.

The director moved from comedy to horror with the release of Sleepy Hollow (1999). Johnny Depp was again in the forefront, and Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken helped him scare and amaze the audience. An entire village was built as a set - at that time Britain did not know such a scale during the filming.

Since Burton has always loved the primate-swapped-humans franchise, he gladly accepted the request to take the helm of the new Planet of the Apes (2001). On the site, where Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Paul Giamatti also worked, the director began an affair with Helena Bonham Carter, who became Burton's beloved woman and muse for many years.

Tim changed fiction to "Big Fish" (2003) - according to many amateurs and pros, his best feature film. This fantasy-style parable is a hoax that includes many sub-themes: the relationship of fathers and children, love, acceptance of truth and fiction. Ewan McGregor, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Lange helped Burton get his message across to audiences and fit perfectly into Daniel Wallace's adaptation of the novel.

The next tape of the director "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) turned out to be fabulous. Johnny Depp was noted in the image of the eccentric manufacturer Willy Wonka, and the then very young Freddie Highmore got another leading role. The process of creating the picture turned out to be incredibly time-consuming, as much attention was paid to details. For example, for a small scene, 40 squirrels had to be trained, and Deep Roy played many characters at once, because of which he repeated the text like a broken record. Apparently, the director was so tired that he wanted to take a break from big movies and switch to animation.

Tim received his first Oscar nomination in 2006 for Corpse Bride (2005). It fully corresponded to the direction once chosen by the animator: from the drawing of characters to the general oppressive atmosphere.

How Tim Burton Films

A year passed, and Burton was already receiving the Golden Lion in Venice for his contribution to cinema. By this time, he had just completed Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). There were newly familiar faces in the frame, including Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as a favorite way of talking about death as something everyday, and a habit of adding color to it.

Who else but Burton should have taken over as director of Alice in Wonderland (2010)? He was given a huge budget, allowed to fully run the custom and was not limited at all during the production process. The fees exceeded a billion, and the film itself tried to convey the sweet craziness and folly of the book.

After the premiere, Burton willingly gave interviews, from which it followed that he was assigned to Maleficent. At that time, Angelina Jolie was only looking at the project. As a result, they, who expressed sympathy to each other through the media, did not manage to cooperate: the film was released in 2014, and Robert Stromberg got the director's place in it.

Burton's Dark Shadows (2012) reminded many of The Addams Family (1991). From time to time there are rumors that when this series is restarted, it is Tim who will lead the process, so perhaps some of the similarities are partly a hint. The fees did not cover the huge budget of 150 million, and not only the director, but also Johnny Depp, the leading actor, was criticized.

Almost thirty years later, the director returned to one of his first and favorite characters, whom he considered underestimated. He released a new version, now full-length, of the cartoon "Frankenweenie" (2012). The plot turned out to be different from the original, and Burton explained this quite simply: he would not work with the same material and repeat himself. The animated film was nominated for a number of awards, including an Oscar.

Trailer for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie

In the same year, Tim acted as a producer for Timur Bekmambetov's film "President Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" (2012). The project did not pay off and showed itself worst of all in the cinemas of America - in the market to which it was oriented.

Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov in the Evening Urgant program

Burton then chose another biography, wanting to tell it in cinematic language. Not the director's most typical film, Big Eyes (2014), starring Amy Adams, sheds light on the life of a real-life artist facing injustice and fighting for recognition.

With the film adaptation of "Miss Peregrine's House for Peculiar Children" (2016), some difficulties arose even at the stage of writing the script. The plot of the book was largely based on the photographs found by the hero of Asa Butterfield. Their description and other details associated with the pictures did not fit into the film format. I had to look for original moves and adapt the original text of the young playwright Ransom Riggs in all available ways.

Either lack of time or other reasons affected Burton's decision to give up the director's chair to James Bobin in Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) and remain only among the producers. A long break after the release of the original tape did not prevent the authors from retaining the main cast. The colorful company was also joined by the colorful Sacha Baron Cohen. The film has been called a failure in many respects. It was not even close to the success of the first part.

Tim Burton's personal life

Officially, Tim was married only once: his marriage to the German artist Lena Gieseke lasted from 1987 to 1991.

After that, the director had a relationship with model and actress Lisa Marie for 13 years. They even got engaged, and Tim filmed his beloved in episodic roles. The couple put an end to it in 2001, and the separation was accompanied by financial claims from Lisa. She received about five and a half million, she wanted to increase compensation, but the court dismissed the claim. Mary organized an auction in 2005, exhibiting Tim's personal belongings. He was angry and upset, but there was nothing he could do.

Preparations for the new film of the Planet of the Apes franchise (2001) were marked by the beginning of an affair with actress Helena Bonham Carter. She gave birth to son Billy in 2003 and daughter Nell in 2007. Johnny Depp, a longtime friend of Burton, baptized both children, the number of common films with which is confidently striving for a dozen. Rumors circulated in the press about the imminent wedding of the director and actress. The ringing of bells did not happen: the common-law spouses announced that they had parted and remained friends in 2014.

Tim Burton now

As soon as the director does not appear in public for some time, all sorts of rumors about his potential projects arise.

Tim's work on Dumbo (2019) is known for certain. In addition to Dani DeVito, Michael Keaton and Colin Farrell, Eva Green also takes part in the creation of the picture. Burton considers the actress the embodiment of the style of "old Hollywood", so he is glad to return to cooperation again and again.

Trailer for Tim Burton's Dumbo

Among the unconfirmed information, you can find news about the filming of the project for Netflix.

Thirteen-year union of American director Tim Burton and English actress Helena Bonham Carter ended with a "friendly parting". “They remain friends and will jointly fulfill their parental responsibilities in relation to their two children” - this statement, made by the actress's press agent on the eve of Christmas, pretty much dumbfounded the Hollywood party, and the incident has already been called a Christmas nightmare.

Fans of the most eccentric couple in the world of American show business are grieving not only about the breakup of another family, but also about the fact that they, apparently, will forever have to forget about the brilliant creative union of Tim and Helena. Burton shot his civil wife in seven films, and it was no coincidence that she was called his muse. But it seems that the relationship in their strange family kingdom has cracked for a long time. Helena last played in Burton's Dark Shadows in 2012. At the same time, the actress, with her peculiar humor, doubted their further cooperation: “Tima seems to be sick of me on the set.” And the director himself admitted that he no longer wants to shoot Helena, that he needs “new blood”. For inspiration. But unexpectedly, studio bosses intervened in the seemingly family history. They told Tim to keep shooting his wife and not fool them. Business is business - because it was largely thanks to the participation of Bonham Carter that Burton's previous projects earned so much money! The director's self-esteem was seriously damaged, and this did not improve the climate in the family.

Johnny Depp, the godfather of Tim and Helena's children, starred in nine Burton films. Depp with Bonham Carter in Burton's Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. 2007 Photo: wenn/all over press

And now, in October 2013, photographers spot Burton with some unknown blonde. This photo was all over the tabloids. True, Helena immediately rushed to Tim's defense. Her representative published a statement by the actress, where she categorically denies the fact of her husband's infidelity. Like, they were at that party together, and in parting, Tim gave a friendly kiss and hugged one of the ladies present there. But as you know, there is no smoke without fire. For the next year, the couple did not appear anywhere together. Only recently, friends found Helena and Tim at a party at the house of the current Prime Minister of Great Britain, where they are traditionally invited by his wife Samantha Cameron. It was difficult even for such a beautiful actress to hide her bad mood and sadness ... Why did Helena endure for so long and only on Christmas Eve decided to voice the gap? In all likelihood, the reason is as old as the world: the actress hoped to the last that Tim would change his mind and with her help - without scenes and screams - he would be able to overcome the crisis of men of a certain age, namely those over fifty. But, alas, the hopes were not justified. It's a pity, because Helena Bonham Carter's path to happiness in family life did not at all resemble a carpet strewn with rose petals ...

Until the age of 30, Helena did not think about her personal life at all. Moreover, she was born into an aristocratic family of a wealthy London banker. Her family tree includes more than one English peer (and above this title only persons of the royal family) and a Spanish baron (on the mother's side). Her great-grandfather Herbert Henry Asquith was at one time Prime Minister of Great Britain. And the cousin of the father, Lady Violet Bonham Carter, was known as a close friend of Churchill. It so happened that the mother of the future actress fell out of reality for some time, simply speaking, she had a clouding of her mind. But she managed to recover, and this miracle prompted her to become a very successful psychotherapist. True, in the process of mastering the intricacies of such a delicate profession, Elena often used her daughter as a guinea pig. When Helena was 13 years old, her beloved father was paralyzed after an unsuccessful operation, and the girl, along with her brothers and sisters, helped her mother cope with the misfortune. There was no need to look after him - a solid bank account allowed him to hire a dozen nurses. But this brilliant erudite and love of life, who found himself in a wheelchair, needed moral support and communication very much. At the school where Carter studied, her friends were completely carried away by the theater. And Helena, for whom the lessons of maternal psychoanalysis were not in vain, realized that the theater would help her cope with the oppressive atmosphere of misfortune that settled in their house. "Replacement" - that's how it is called in the language of professionals. The mother had nothing to say. The father was very upset, because he dreamed that his daughter would go to Cambridge without any problems. And instead, Helena began to get roles in the movies. And at the age of 18, she played one of her many queens for the first time in the film Lady Jane. The replacement was a success - the young actress played many historical, "corset" roles, playing the roles of heroines of the Edwardian and Victorian eras. Once she said: “Now I just have to remove a couple of my ribs so that the corset fits even better.” But Hollywood came to the rescue in the person of Brad Pitt. He personally persuaded her to star in David Fincher's "Fight Club" - and Helena did an excellent job of playing a drug addict and tearing Marla. The audience was struck by the explicit love scenes with Pitt, and the film became a cult classic.