There are those rare few times in a star’s life when they truly feel like they need to be part of a certain project in the industry, and to get it, they are willing to go to any lengths. While these cases are few and far between, stars like Helena Bonham Carter are those few actresses who are drawn to the roles they think they could pull off if they put their minds to it.

Helena Bonham Carter

To prove her abilities, she has never once disappointed the audience with her performances in the roles she has undertaken in her career. Therefore, when she truly felt that she could excel as the lead female protagonist in then-partner Tim Burton’s musical horror film, she wanted it more than anything, and if not given the chance, she would’ve divorced him.

Helena Bonham Carter Would’ve Divorced Tim Burton If She Wasn’t Chosen In Sweeney Todd

Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett in a still from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Known for her off-base and uniquely eerie character portrayals throughout most of her career, it was a perfect choice for Tim Burton, who specializes in eccentric horror films, to choose his then-partner Helena Bonham Carter for the role of Mrs.

Lovett in his then-upcoming horror/musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to star alongside Johnny Depp as the titular protagonist. But He chose to take the more orthodox route instead and conduct an audition for the lead female protagonist’s role.

But when the Harry Potter star was told about the film, and she went through the script, she was instantly hooked on the lead supporting character and wanted the role for herself. She even asked Burton, who was her boyfriend back then if she could have it, to which he replied by asking her to audition for it.

And sure enough, her audition won the hearts of the executives, and she was finally selected. In a past interview, she jokingly said that if she hadn’t gotten it, then she would’ve divorced him back then, saying:

“I auditioned for my role – although I’d have divorced divorced Tim if I hadn’t got it. In fact, we’re not even married, but I’d have still divorced him,”
And sure enough, with the well-written script mixed with exceptional performances by the cast, the film was able to make an amazing box office collection of $153 Million.

What Was Sweeney Todd About?

A still from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

In classic Burton fashion, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a horror musical that tells the tale of an unjustly sentenced man framed by an evil judge named Turpin and is sent to jail for his nonexistent crimes to 15 years in Australia.

When he returns, he has gone completely deranged and named himself Sweeney Todd. He opens a barber shop at Fleet Street, where he murders his customers by slitting their throats with his razor, and continues it until his hands can reach Turpin’s neck.