London Academy of Media Film & TV

EARLY LIFE

Paul James Michael O’Grady was born on 14^th June, 1955, in Birkenhead. He was educated at St. Joseph’s Catholic primary school and, subsequently, a private school called Redcourt, the Blessed Edward Campion R.C. Secondary Modern and Corpus Christi High School.

Paul was a massive fan of both the ‘Batman’ and the  ‘Avengers’ television series’. He was an altar boy at church but was dismissed for laughing during a funeral.

Paul O'Grady

FIRST JOBS

Paul’s first job was a paper round. Leaving school, he worked for the DHSS and part-time in a bar. He joined the Carlton Players, an amateur dramatics society.

Paul left the DHSS and moved to Surrey. Returning to Birkenhead, he became involved in the Liverpudlian gay scene and worked in bars.

Paul considered himself to be bisexual and formed a relationship with a friend called Diane. O’Grady’s mother suffered a heart attack when he was 18 and, consequently, his father suffered one some hours later. His mother recovered but his father died.

Paul’s life became tougher when he discovered Diane was pregnant with their daughter.

He worked as assistant clerk at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court and in bars but could not support his daughter on his wages so he moved to London. He mixed with drag queens but soon returned to Birkenhead. He was accountant for an abattoir before working 3 years at Conny Home in West Kirby, caring for abused and disabled children.

He busked in Camden Town, had a job as a physiotherapist’s assistant and worked at a gay club called the Showplace. He befriended a Portuguese lesbian called Theresa Fernandes and they married in 1977 to prevent her deportation. After leaving the Showplace, he did not see her again and they divorced in 2005.

He put together a drag act using his mother’s maiden name. Lily Savage’s debut was in 1978 at the Black Cap Pub.

Paul O'Grady as "Lily Savage"

‘Lily’ performed all over Europe. At the Goldsmith’s Tavern, New Cross, he was the warm-up act for ‘Vic Reeves Big Night Out’. He spent 8 years at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern and also appeared at The Edinburgh Festival.

TELEVISION AT LAST

He appeared in ‘The Bill’ from 1988 to 1990 and was the ‘on the bed’ presenter for ‘The Big Breakfast’. Lily even became host of ‘Blankety Blank’.

In 2000, Paul started working as himself including ‘Paul O’Grady’s Orient’ and ‘Paul O’Grady’s America’. In 2002, he hosted ‘Outtake TV’ and in 2003, was in the BBC sitcom ‘Eyes Down’

In 2004, O’Grady retired Lily. She re-appeared in 2010 for the pantomime ‘Aladdin’ at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton.

‘The Paul O’Grady Show’ aired at teatime on from 2004 until 2009. It was successful but he switched from ITV to Channel 4 after 3 series due to a disagreement.

Paul agreed to an £8 million contract with ITV to host a Friday night chat show to rival ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’.

Paul O'Grady

Paul debuted on Radio 2 in 2003 covering for Jonathan Ross. He presented Bank Holiday ‘one-offs’ including covering for Elaine Paige. In 2009, he started his own show, ‘Paul O’Grady On The Wireless’, each Sunday.

BOOKS

In 2008, Paul published the first part of his autobiography, ‘At My Mother’s Knee……And Other Low Joints’. Two years later, part two was published, ‘The Devil Rides Out: The Second Coming’. O’Grady has said there will be a third part.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

Paul’s partner of 20 years and business partner, Brendan Frank Murphy, died in 2005. O’Grady has a farm in Kent and became a grandfather in 2006 when Sharyn, his daughter, gave birth to a son, Abel.

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The Long Goodbye, the film directed by Javier Ideami with the collaboration of London Academy of Media, Film & TV, has been chosen for the official selection of the International Dubai Gulf Film Festival in United Arab Emirates from April 14 to 20, 2011. This is another success for the Long Goodbye which already won the best song award at the international music film festival in Ubeda, Spain.
Javier Ideami has also been the tutor of very successful Photography masterclasses at the London Academy during the last years.

The Long goodbye deals with the emotions we go through when we have to say good bye to a loved one. the film contains two music pieces and is set in the beautiful indonesian island of Bali.
London Academy was involved in the film from its pre-production stage collaborating with Javier Ideami at the pre-production and production stages.

You can watch the film online visiting the page: http://www.ideami.com/filmmaking/the-long-goodbye

The Long Goodbye by Javier Ideami

Another film directed by Javier Ideami in Bali with the collaboration of London Academy is called Erase Love. Erase Love which was released before The Long Goodbye, has already won 3 international awards and been featured in the official selection of over 13 international film festivals.

Javier Ideami is an award winning multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur who has been blending art and technology for years.  Some of his works can be seen online at: http://www.ideami.com.

Join London Academy film courses at: http://media-courses.com/film-training-courses/film-school.htm

The Long goodbye by Javier Ideami

The Long goodbye by Javier Ideami

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London Academy of Media Film & TV

Chris Moyles

Christopher David Moyles was born on 22^nd February 1974 in Leeds. He attended the Mount St. Mary’s Catholic High School in the city. Chris was still at school when he started his broadcasting career with Hospital Radio. This took place at WBHS (Wakefield’s Broadcast to Hospitals Service).

FIRST JOB IN RADIO

He managed to get a job as an assistant at Aire FM, his local commercial radio station in Leeds. Whilst at Aire FM, he also presented for Radio Top Shop in Leeds.

EARLY SUCCESS

Chris was given his own Saturday evening show on Aire FM and occasionally stood in for other presenters. In 1992, he joined Radio Luxembourg as a Presenter and stayed there until the station closed.

It was 1993 when Moyles secured a job at The Pulse of West Yorkshire where he hosted the evening show. He was dismissed in 1994 for comments he made about the station’s previous Programme Controller. His next job came at Signal 1 in Stoke-on-Trent where he presented ‘The Evening Bit’ between 7-10pm.

Moyles’ moved south to the Chiltern Radio Network, initially presenting the evening show and then the late show which was also broadcast on Horizon Radio, Chiltern Radio, Severn Sound and Northants 96.

INTO THE CAPITAL

1996 saw Chris join Capital Radio where he hosted a Friday and Saturday evening show as well as standing-in for other presenters.

Moyles turned down an offer to host the breakfast show on Kiss 100 and turned instead to BBC Radio 1 which he joined in July 1997.

RADIO 1

Chris Moyles

Chris hosted his first show on BBC Radio 1 28^th July 1997, setting his alarm clock to present ‘The Early Breakfast Show’.

In May 1998, he was awarded a Silver Sony Award for ‘DJ of the year’. Moyles moved to the Saturday breakfast show and, subsequently, the Saturday morning show from 10am-1pm.

Chris was a regular stand-in for Zoe Ball and Kevin Greening on the breakfast show and then, in October 1998, he was moved to the weekday drivetime show.

Moyles spent five years on the drivetime show and then, on 5^th January 2004, he started presenting the breakfast show on a permanent basis and claiming he was the ‘saviour of Radio 1’.  He managed to increase the audience figures for the show and, at the end of his first year on breakfast, readers of The Sun newspaper voted him ‘DJ of the year’. Audiences continued to swell and he won a Gold Sony Radio Award for ‘best entertainment show’ in 2006.

In 2008, the breakfast show was awarded its second Gold Sony Award for the best breakfast show.

TELEVISION

The early years of the decade saw Chris occasionally present Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’, ‘Big Brother’s Big Mouth’ as well as editions of ‘Top Of The Pops’.

In 2002, Moyles hosted ‘Live With Chris Moyles’ which aired five times a week and for a run of 13 weeks before he was replaced by Christian O’Connell.

In 2009, the ‘Chris Moyles’ Quiz Night’ launched on Channel 4 – a show featuring celebrity contestants

COMIC RELIEF

Chris was one of several people, including Cheryl Cole, Fearne Cotton, Alesha Dixon, Gary Barlow, Ronan Keating, Ben Shephard and Denis Van Outen, who climbed Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief in 2009.

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London Academy of Media Film & TV

John Humphreys

Desmond John Humphrys was born on 17^th August 1943 in Splott, Cardiff. His mother, Winifred, was a hairdresser and his father, Edward, was a French polisher. He passed the ‘11 plus’ exam and entered Cardiff High School.

FIRST JOB

Leaving school at the age of 15, he became a reporter with the Penarth Times before moving on to the Western Mail.

FROM NEWSPAPERS TO TELEVISION

Humphrys moved on to TWW (Television Wales and the West) which was based in Cardiff.

In 1966, he joined the BBC as a reporter based in Liverpool. After a spell as northern industrial correspondent, he covered Northern Ireland before making the jump to foreign correspondent with the India – Pakistan war being one of his first assignments overseas.

Initially, he would leave his family for periods of up to 9 months but he took his whole family with him when he was sent to the USA and South Africa.

John seemed to be in the right place at the right time in terms of journalism because he covered the Watergate affair and subsequent resignation of Richard Nixon as well as the change from Rhodesia into Zimbabwe.

In 1980, he returned from South Africa to take up a post as a diplomatic correspondent and, a year later, he became a presenter on the BBC’s ‘Nine O’clock News’.

GETTING UP EARLY FOR BBC RADIO 4

In January 1987, following the retirement of John Timpson, he joined Brian Redhead to present the ‘Today’ programme on BBC Radio 4.

During the 1990s, Humphrys still occasionally presented news bulletins on TV. From 1993, he hosted the political show ‘On The Record‘ until the programme ended its run in 2002. He has also presented ‘Panorama’.

As well as working on the ‘Today’ programme, John presents ‘On The Ropes’ for BBC Radio 4. He also took over the revamped ‘Mastermind’ show on BBC 2.

John has written a number of books including ‘Devil’s Advocate’, ‘The Great Food Gamble’, ‘In God We Doubt – Confessions Of A Failed Atheist’, ‘Beyond Words’ and ‘Lost For Words’ in which he comments on the misuse of English.

He has been criticised for his interviewing style with many politicians fearing on-air encounters with him. He has also brought criticism on himself for his sometimes outspoken views.

AWARDS

Humphrys was named ‘Journalist Of The Year’ in 2000, he won the Gold Sony Radio Award in 2003 and he was awarded a silver platter for ‘Crystal Clear Broadcasting’ by the Plain English Campaign.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

John married Edna Wilding in 1964 and that marriage produced a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Catherine. The marriage fell apart during the late-1980s.

Humphrys married again and, at the age of 56, he and his second wife, Valerie Sanderson had son named Owen James.

He is now in a relationship with journalist Catherine Bennett.

He formed the ‘Kitchen Table Charities Trust’ in 2005 which seeks to assist poor people around the world.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

Chris Evans

EARLY LIFE

Christopher James Evans was born on 1^st April 1966 in Warrington. His father died in 1979 when Chris was 13. Around this time, he worked part-time at a newsagent’s in Woolston. After leaving school, he worked in a number of jobs including a private detective agency and as a ‘Tarzan-o-gram’

FIRST JOB

Chris’ radio career began in 1983 at Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio where he had worked as a schoolboy. Evans assisted Timmy Mallett as well as working as a DJ in pubs while still getting up early to work at the newsagent’s.

RADIO

In 1984, Evans worked full time at Piccadilly where his duties included going to listeners’ houses in the radio car. He also worked as a producer and presented shows.

Chris moved to Richard Branson’s ‘The Superstation’ working on material for Jonathan Ross. He progressed to BBC GLR in London as a producer on Emma Freud’s morning show and Danny Baker’s ‘Weekend Breakfast’. In 1990, Evans presented Saturday afternoon shows on GLR followed by a Monday to Thursday weekday evening show called ‘The Greenhouse’.

In 1991, Chris presented his first TV show called the ‘Power Up’ breakfast show on the Power station on BSB. Evans continued working in radio presenting ‘Round At Chris’s’ every Saturday morning until 1993.

In March 1992, he made his debut at BBC Radio 1 replacing Phillip Schofield on Sunday afternoons. The show was called ‘Too Much Gravy’ but his career at Radio 1 was short-lived.

In April 1993, Evans decided to leave BBC GLR and began hosting ‘The Nescafe Big Red Mug Show’ on Saturday mornings on the new Virgin Radio.

TELEVISION

In September 1992, Chris and Gaby Roslin presented Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’. The show was a success but, after two years, he left the show and formed his own production company called Ginger Productions. Its first major production was ‘Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush’

which aired between 1994 and 1995.

RADIO……AGAIN

Evans returned to Radio 1 in 1995 to host the weekday breakfast show. Given a free rein, the listening figures peaked at £7.5 million.

From 1996, Chris presented ‘TFI Friday’ on Channel 4. It was around this time that some say Evans began to think he was indispensable at Radio 1, making the headlines on several occasions regarding his private life. In January 1997, Evans left Radio 1 when some of his demands were not met by management.

In October 1997, he joined Richard Branson’s Virgin Radio as breakfast show presenter. Sir Richard was hoping to sell Virgin to Capital Radio. Evans was not happy about working for Capital so he used his Ginger Productions company to buy Virgin Radio for £85 million.

In 2000, Evans sold Ginger Media Group for £225 million and he lasted until June 2001 on Virgin Radio before being dismissed.

RETURN TO RADIO

Evans returned to radio in 2005 hosting the breakfast slot on UK Radio Aid which aired on many commercial radio stations. He also started presenting ‘one-off’ shows for BBC Radio 2 which developed into a regular Saturday afternoon show. In 2006, he took over from Johnnie Walker on Radio 2’s Drivetime show and, upon Terry Wogan’s retirement from the breakfast show in 2009, Chris was lined up to replace him.

Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans and his wife Natasha Shishmanian

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

Evans has a daughter, Jade, born in 1986 and a son, Noah, born in 2009. He is married to Natasha Shishmanian. He is a fan of fast cars and golf.

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London Academy of Media Film and TV

Academy Award

Golden Globe Awards

History

In 1943, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was formed by the Hollywood based correspondent of Britain’s Daily Mail. The members of the association were Hollywood based journalists from around the world. This legacy has not changed. The association recognises and acknowledges film and television, as a universal art form. As representatives of the world press, the members felt a responsibility to voice their opinions on productions.  They created the Golden Globe, an award that acknowledges excellence in every aspect of film and television, from the script and actors to the overall film, which are presented at a lavish ceremony. The first Golden Globe awards ceremony was in 1947, at the 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles. It has since been held at various locations, including the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Jennifer Jones was the first to win the, Golden Globe for Best Actress in a film for her performance in, ‘The Song of Bernadette’, which also won best film. Paul Lukas was the first actor to win best actor in a film, for his performance in, ‘Watch on the Rhine’.  There have been many landmarks in the history of the Golden Globes. The most significant was in 1951, the association branched out to include drama and musical or comedy, to acknowledge all genres of film and television.  In 1952, the association created the Cecil B. DeMille Award to especially acknowledge outstanding contribution to the entertainment field. It was named after the first recipient, Cecil B. DeMille. Today the Golden Globes accredits achievements in 25 categories; 14 in film and 11 in television. The association represents 55 countries including, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In order to determine nominees in each category of the Golden Globes, the association interview more than 400 actors, writers, directors and producers and watch over 300 films and attend international film festivals.

The Recent Golden Globe Awards

The 68^th Golden Globe awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, California, on 16th January 2011. It was hosted by the British comedian, Ricky Gervais, making it his second consecutive year as host. He received criticism from the media and celebrities that attended the awards for his borderline insulting jokes, directed at the celebrities and president of HFPA, Philip Berk. Robert Downing Junior described him as ‘mean spirited with mildly sinister undertones’. After his opening monologue, that shocked more than amused the audience, he disappeared for an hour. His ‘disappearing act’ left the audience to assume he was told to tone down his jokes, when he returned subdued. The most controversial joke was about the Scientology faith and homosexuality. Referring to the film, ‘I Love You, Philip Morris’, Ricky remarked: ‘it’s about two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay, the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists’. However Ricky’s unconventional hosting did not deduct from the award ceremony. The film, ‘The Social Network’, was the star of the ceremony winning four out of the 6 categories it was nominated for; Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. Despite the historical film, ‘The Kings Speech’, leading the awards with seven nominations, it received one award, Best Actor in a Motion Picture, which went to Colin Firth. Among the winners were; Natalie Portman, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, for her role in; ‘Black Swan’. Christian Bale won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, for his role in, ‘The Fighter’.  Robert De Niro won the Cecil B. DeMille, Lifetime Achievement Award, for his exceptional contributions to the film industry. The television show, ‘Glee’ won the most Golden Globes in the television categories. The Golden Globe ceremony is one of the major events of the entertainment industry and one of the three most watched awards shows on television and is broadcast live to 150 countries.

Winning is a great feeling, you too can win – try acting today at London Academy

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Geoffrey Rush

London Academy of Media Film and TV

Academy nominated actors

Australian Actor Geoffrey Rush

Early Life and Acting Beginnings

Geoffrey Roy Rush is one of Australia’s most accomplished actors.  He was born on July 6^th 1951, in Toowoomba, Queensland. His parents, Merle Kiehne, a retail sales assistant and Roy Baden Rush, accountant for the Royal Australian Air Force divorced when Geoffrey was 5 years old. Consequently Geoffrey moved to Brisbane with his mother, where he attended Everton Park State High School. He continued his education to University level, earning a degree in art, from the University of Queensland. While at university Geoffrey was scouted by Queensland Theatre Company (QTC).

Stage Career

In 1971, 20 year old Geoffrey made his stage acting debut in, the Queensland Theatre Company’s production of, ‘Wrong Side of the Moon’. In 1975, Geoffrey moved to Paris to study mime, movement and theatre at the L’École Internationale de Théatre Jacques Lecoq. He then returned to Australia and continued his stage career with QTC. Geoffrey collaborated with the QTC for 4 years, in which he demonstrated his versatile acting range. His most notable productions are; ‘June and the Paycock’, ‘Godspell’, ‘Present Laughter’ and The Rivals’. In the 1980s, Geoffrey joined the State Theatre Company of South Australia and continued to showcase his acting range, from pantomime; ‘Hamlet on Ice’ and ‘Aladdin’ to Shakespeare plays; ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and ‘Troilus and Cressida’. He also starred in Oscar Wilde’s, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, as John Worthing (Ernest), alongside his actress wife, Jane Menelaus and co-starred with former roommate, Mel Gibson, in the Australian production of ‘Waiting for Godot’. Geoffrey became renowned for playing ‘marginalised eccentrics’. In 2009, Geoffrey made his Broadway debut in the restaging of ‘Exit the King’.  His performance won many prestigious theatre awards, most notably; Tony Award for Best Performance by a leading actor in a play and Drama Desk Award.  This production cemented Geoffrey’s prestige in the theatre.

Film Career

In 1981 Geoffrey made his film debut in the Australian film ‘Hoodwink’.  In 1992, he suffered a nervous breakdown due to work pressures. His plight inspired his portrayal of David Helfgott, an eccentric pianist struggling with mental illness, in the biopic ‘Shine’ (1996).  Geoffrey won an Oscar for this performance, making him the first Australian actor to win this prestigious award. This set the foundations for his future success. In 1998, Geoffrey received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, for his role as Philip Henslowe in, ‘Shakespeare in Love’, starring Gwyneth Paltrow. He also won a BAFTA for his performance as, Sir Francis Walsingham, ‘the mysterious master of spies’, in the historical film, ‘Elizabeth’. Geoffrey’s knack for portraying quirky characters led him to star in independent films; the critically acclaimed, ‘Lantana’ (2001), as John Knox and one of Frida Kahlo’s lovers, the legendary Leon Trotsky, in the biopic ‘Frida’ (2002). In 2004, Geoffrey dabbled in television film starring in the biopic, ‘The Life and Death of Peter Sellers’, for which he won his second Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award and SAG Award, for best actor in a television movie. Geoffrey’s recent film Tom Hooper’s, ‘The Kings Speech’ (2010), based on the true story of King George IV, accumulated the highest nominations for prestigious film awards this year, with 14 BAFTA nominations, 5 British Independent Film Awards and it has generated more Oscar buzz than any other film this year, with 12 Oscar nominations. It has been critically acclaimed as a ‘further testament to the extraordinary achievements of the British film industry’. Geoffrey is nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role as, Lionel Logue, an unconventional, Australian Speech therapist to Prince Albert. Geoffrey is one of 25 people to have won the Triple Crown of Acting.  His unique ability to portray intricate characters in an engaging and accessible way has made Geoffrey Rush, one of the most successful actors of our time.

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Daniel Radcliffe

London Academy of Media Film and TV

Top 100 UK Actors

English Actor Daniel Radcliffe

Early Life

The English actor Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23^rd 1989, in Hammersmith, London.  He is the only child of Alan George Radcliffe, a literary agent, and Marcia Jeannine Gresham (formerly Marcia Gresham Jacobson), a casting agent mainly involved in BBC productions.  Daniel is of Israeli and Northern Irish descent.

Education

Daniel attended 2 independent day schools for boys; Sussex House school, Chelsea, London. In 2006, Daniel  attended, The City of London school, where he achieved 3 A grades in his A Levels. Daniel decided to pursue an acting career instead of continuing his education at University.

TV and Film Career

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Daniel caught the acting bug at the age of 5. Although his parents disapproved of an acting career, his persistence soon won out and Daniel convinced his mother to let him audition for BBC’s TV film, ‘David Copperfield’, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. In 1999, 10 year old, Daniel made his acting debut as the young David Copperfield in the film.

Daniel’s big break came in the year 2000, when he auditioned for the role of Harry Potter, for the book adaptation of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  In August that year, after several auditions, Daniel was cast as Harry Potter.  J.K Rowling herself approved of this casting, stating:  ‘I don’t think Christopher Columbus could have found a better Harry’. Daniel Radcliffe became a household name and international superstar as Harry Potter, the brave wizard. Daniel starred in the 7 book adaptations; ‘ Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’ (2001), ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002), ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ ( 2004), ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005), ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007), ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009), ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ (2010), ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ (2011, November  release date). They were all universal  blockbuster hits and received critical acclaim and positive reviews from the fans of the books.  In 2006, at the age of 16, Daniel shed his child star status and took on more mature roles to establish himself as an adult actor. His first venture was the Australian drama, ‘December Boys’.  In the summer of 2007, Daniel starred as Jack Kipling, a World War 1 soldier in ‘My Boy Jack’, based on the death of Rudyard Kipling’s son, in World War 1.  This film was released in Remembrance Day in the U.K in homage to all the soldiers that lost their lives in World War 1.

Stage Career

Daniel also embarked on a theatre career, debuting in the West End in February 2007, in a revival of Peter Shaffer’s play ‘Equus’. In which Daniel starred as Alan Strang, a stable boy obsessed with horses. Daniel appears nude in one of the scenes. His performance was critically acclaimed and the production moved to Broadway, New York, in 2008. On March 27^th 2011, Daniel is set to star as J. Pierrepont Finch, in the Broadway revival of the musical, ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying’.

Interests and Charity Work

Daniel is an advocator of Demelza House Children’s Hospice, in Sittingbourne, Kent. Prompting  his fans to donate to this charity instead of birthday presents. In 2005, he also participated in the Tsunami Clothes Auction that raised money for, Rebuilding Sri Lanka Organization. He auctioned his ‘Hogwarts crew’ t-shirt, that were exclusively issued to the cast and crew of the films.  It raised £520.

It has been reported that Daniel has an estimated worth of £28.5 million, making him wealthier than Prince Harry and William.

Acting in London, courses in Screen Acting

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Helena Bonham Carter

London Academy of  Media Film and TV

U.K Actors

English Actress Helena Bonham Carter

Early Life and Family Associations

Quirky English actress Helena Bonham Carter was born on May 26^th 1966, in Golders Green, London. Her heritage is of aristocratic calibre. Helena’s great grandfather, Lord H. H. Asquith was the British Prime Minister (1908-1916). Her father, Raymond Bonham Carter was a merchant banker and the representative of the Bank of England at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. (1960s). Helena’s mother Elena Bonham Carter (formerly Propper de Callejón) became a psychotherapist after 3 years of therapy, helped her overcome a serious nervous breakdown. Helena’s blue blood family also includes, diplomats, barons and baronesses and her great uncle the legendary director Anthony Asquith. Helena is the youngest of three children, she has two brothers, Edward and Thomas, and is a distant cousin of actor Crispin Bonham Carter.

Education

Helena Bonham Carter has no formal training in acting; she was educated in the independent girls’ school, South Hampstead High School, London and later at Westminster School, a co-educational independent school. Despite her adequate grades, Helena was denied admission to King’s College, Cambridge. The academic officials were sceptical that Helena’s passion for acting would enable her to finish university. Consequently the rejection of Cambridge led Helena to pursue acting as a full time occupation.

Career

In 1979 at the age of 13 Helena entered a national writing competition and used her cash prize to pay for her profile to feature in the actors’ directory ‘Spotlight’. At 16 years old Helena landed her first agent and professional acting debut in a television advertisement. Helena’s first starring role was as Lady Jane Grey in the film ‘Lady Jane’ (1986). Her breakthrough role was Lucy Honeychurch in ‘A Room with a View’ (1985), which was filmed after ‘Lady Jane’ but released prior.

Helena’s earlier roles established her as a period drama actress, labelled the ‘Corset Queen’ and ‘English Rose’. Since then Helena has been described as Tim Burton’s, ‘Black Orchid’, due to her numerous collaborations with the director. Burton cast Helena in diverse roles that demonstrate her chameleon quality and varied skill set as an actress. In the films: ‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001) in which Helena transformed into Dr. Zira, a chimpanzee psychologist and veterinarian. Burton’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (2005) , brought out Helena’s maternal side, as Charlie’s mother, Mrs. Bucket. In the musical ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007), Helena debuted her singing ability as Mrs. Lovett, the accomplice of the vengeful Sweeney Todd. Helena was the epitome of Burton’s image of the Red Queen in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010). She also stars in another renowned book adaptation; ‘The Harry Potter’ series (2007- 2011), as Bellatrix Lestrange, Lord Voldemort’s most loyal Death Eater. In her most recent film, ‘The Kings Speech’ (2010), Helena draws upon her aristocratic background to personify Queen Elizabeth. She has also lent her voice to Burton’s animation film, ‘The Corpse Bride’ (2005) and ‘Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit‘ (2005) . Helena also speaks fluent French, as demonstrated in the film ‘Portraits chinois’ (1996). Helena has dabbled in most film genres, from period dramas, fantasy, animation and sci fi, making her the most diverse and eclectic actress of our time.

Personal Life

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton

Helena is married to the director Tim Burton. They met in 2001, while filming ‘Planet of The Apes’. They have a son Billy Ray and daughter Nell, named in homage to all the Helen’s in her family. Johnny Depp is a close mutual friend and God father to their children. They live in London, in separate but adjoining houses, which enables them to simultaneously spend time as a family and have their own space.

In 2008 Helena became a benefactor of the charity Action Duchenne, which supports people who suffer from the disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

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Life-changing experience at London Academy of Media Film TV

I took the 4 week Production Management course in March 2010, as I felt this would be a good introduction to the business of film-making, and a natural start for me as I’m a born organiser!  The course was very informative and inspiring, and really helped me to learn what I needed to know to get started in the industry.  As the course progressed I began to see which areas I was most drawn to and which I was less keen to pursue, both of which are equally helpful to find out!

With the help of the course tutor Charles Brescia I managed to get work experience within about 2 weeks of finishing the course, which was great.  I have now worked on 2 short films – one as a Production Assistant and one as Production Manager – and am about to start my third.  I’m really enjoying putting everything I’ve learnt into practice and I’m gradually building up a network of contacts and learning lots about the different roles people play.

I now watch films in a different way, and have a deeper appreciation for the effort each person has put into creating the finished work.  I hope to make my own short film soon… something I would never have dreamed I could do until the course tutor suggested it.

I’ve learnt that it’s best to take small steps towards your dream, rather than waiting ages for big opportunities to come your way.  For example, if someone you know inspires you – get out your camera and interview them about it.  If a story you hear sparks your imagination, grab the nearest piece of paper and write a quick script.  If someone you meet says, “Can you help me find a load of props for no money?”, rise to the challenge and beg, steal, make or borrow whatever you can!  You never know where any of these things may lead.

I’m excited to see what the future holds, and I know that the Production Management course gave me a great start.

Written by London Academy student Alison Carpenter

London Academy of Media Film and Television

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