On Working With Danny Elfman on the “Tears to Shed” Song: “I loved it because I’ve always wanted to be in a musical and no one would let me up till now. And so I had these two verses and I’ve always been an admirer of Danny and his music. I just think he has genius but he’s such a nice [guy]. He’s a real modest man and also he’s a great teacher. And he’s a singer. I mean, I think he’s not given enough credit. His number ‘Bonejangles’ in this thing – he’s got such a terrific voice and you forget he was in Oingo Boingo. But he’s such a great singer himself so we just went and did a couple of sessions in the recording thing. He taught some really good things like, ‘Stop thinking about the notes. You’re being too reverential about the notes. Just act it, think it.’
We tried all different ways. He swears he didn’t have to twiddle too many knobs for me. He didn’t have to do the… Because you can actually have a pitch button, you know, to get people on pitch. He also said I had exactly the same range as Marlene Dietrich. But then having said that maybe I don’t have the legs to play her. (Laughing) But he said, ‘You’d make a great Marlene if anyone…' You know, vocally - maybe in stop-motion.”
On Frequently Collaborating with Partner Tim Burton: Bonham’s sense of humor and quick wit was apparent throughout the press conference, no more so than when Carter spoke about getting cast in Burton’s films. “I hope I don’t just [get cast] because I sleep with a guy he gives me a part. But you know what? Actually it’s quite the opposite. Because I sleep with him he asked me to audition, you know? So it obviously doesn’t work for me.”
Helena Bonham Carter on Working with the Same Director Multiple Times: “I definitely like working with the same person twice – and three times and four times – particularly if they’re Tim, because he’s pretty good. And also, like on a film it takes a few months, or a couple of months or even weeks. So by the end of the - and it goes with not only the director but everybody involved - it takes such a long time just to get to know somebody and trust someone and work out how they communicate and what they want and dah, dah, dah, and feel safe with them. It’s you have to start right back at the beginning with a new job, you know what I mean? Why does Johnny [Depp] and Tim work and Danny [Elfman] and the whole lot of us seem to be just a bit too bordering the incestuous. It’s like, ‘oh, god, it’s the same shebang again.’ But for all of them it feels like you’re never going to be able to repeat yourself because everybody wants something different. You all grow together and evolve together and they all feel safe together. Plus it’s fun. You get to see each other.
I’m glad I was in ‘Charlie’ and in ‘Corpse Bride’ – apart from personal reasons – the parts themselves. I don’t think I’d ever do anything, and Tim would never ask me to do anything – he’d never ask me if it was inappropriate.”
Helena Bonham Carter Doesn’t Think Tim Burton’s Stories are Dark: “You know I argue that, and may be that I’ve lived with him too long, but I wouldn’t say it’s that dark, you know? I mean, it’s about death but actually it’s an immensely hopeful outlook. Because all the people in the land of the dead have a great [time]. They’re colorful; they’re having fun. And the end is very poetic and hopeful and beautiful. He’s got a black sense of humor and an un-politically correct sense of humor.
Put it this way – I’m just so glad he gets it out of his system. Sometimes I look at his little notepad and he just jots around and sketches incessantly. And then sometimes I go like, ‘Oooh, a bit dark…’ You’re right, he has a bit of a dark thing going on but it’s always funny.”
