Cinephiles who don’t have an opportunity to see movies come to life on set can appreciate the sanctity that goes into how our favorite actors prepare for their roles. But that doesn’t mean we can’t – or don’t – revel in the occasional wild story, from the shocking (Christian Bale’s drastic ping-ponging weight fluctuations) to the bizarre (Nic Cage preparing for a sex scene by pouring hot yogurt on his toes) to the utterly vile (Jared Leto sending used condoms to his “Suicide Squad” costars). That being said, Helena Bonham Carter may have just outdone them all.
According to The Guardian, the “Fight Club” and ‘Harry Potter‘ actress was attending at literature festival in the United Kingdom where she discussed readying to play Princess Margaret in the upcoming season of Netflix’s Emmy-winning drama, “The Crown” by talking with the real-life royal lady —even though the princess died 17 years ago.
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Yeah, you read that right.
Apparently, the actress consulted a psychic to seek approval from the late royal to step into her shoes for the small screen. I mean, why not. Right?
“So I asked her, ‘Are you OK with me playing you?’” Bonham Carter said. “And she said, ‘You’re better than the other actress’…that they were thinking of. They will not admit who it was. It was me and somebody else.”
She apparently also got tips from Princess Margaret, throwing traditional role research out the window in the process.
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“She said, ‘But you’re going to have to brush up and be groomed and neater.’ Then she said, ‘Get the smoking right. I smoked in a very particular way. Remember that – this is a big note – the cigarette holder was as much a weapon for expression as it was for smoking,’” Bonham Carter said.
The report goes on to say that Bonham Carter also went to some of Princess Margaret’s close relatives and friends to learn more about her. You know, just for due diligence. But as for that supernatural communication from beyond the grave—eat your heart out, Leto.
“The Crown” returns with its third season on Netflix on November 17.
