The actor Helena Bonham Carter compared to Jean Seberg: “She was amazing”
Helena Bonham Carter is undoubtedly a mother figure to many, passing down her wisdom to younger generations, both actors and not. Having been acting since childhood herself, there’s plenty Bonham Carter can share, and those she has picked out of a crowd will undoubtedly be stars of the future – especially those exploring the weird and wonderful side of film and TV.
She’s worked with plenty of big names over the years, and her more recent foray into streaming saw her take on the role of Eudora Holmes, mother of the eponymous Enola Holmes, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Of course, Bonham Carter was literally playing Brown’s mother, but there’s an air of passing down a persona to the young actor, much like the generation-spanning women in the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – from Catherine O’Hara to Winona Ryder, to Jenna Ortega.
As such, following the release of Enola Holmes, Bonham Carter spoke about her admiration for Brown. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Bonham Carter said she had seen Stranger Things and “thought she was amazing; she was like Jean Seberg.”
For those who aren’t aware, Jean Seberg was considered an icon of the French new wave in the 1960s. The legendary Jean-Luc Godard cast her as the main role in his iconic film Breathless. Seberg was undoubtedly a Hollywood and European star and was openly anti-war, which caused her some issues, but she was ultimately an icon.
Acting opposite Warren Beatty and Michel Poiccard, Seberg made her feature film debut in Saint Joan when she was a teenager, which is perhaps where Bonham Carter sees a striking parallel between Seberg and Brown. Seberg also had her fair share of unsuccessful projects, which Brown has also suffered at a young age and has had plenty of ridicule from the public—but seems to have come out the other side.
The mother-daughter similarities in Enola Holmes didn’t stop at Bonham Carter’s admiration and pride for Brown. Through working together, she also noticed that the 16-year-old actress “bore a little resemblance to my daughter, who is a bit younger than Millie, so it wasn’t very difficult for me to relate to this daughter of mine, you know, as Eudoria.”
For Brown, this must be a pretty big confidence boost, not that she needs it, having made her own success. This resemblance could have made the experience easier for both women, acting as parts of a family that make sense. Brown’s turn as Eleven in Stranger Things is not over yet, with the final season slated for 2025, so perhaps if she starts to speak French or dress in 1960s attire, there’ll be even more of a Jean Seberg thing going on.
