HELENA BONHAM CARTER’s Rules When Working With TIM BURTON.

‘Harry Potter‘ star Helena Bonham Carter laid down some ground rules while working with her partner Tim Burton on ‘Alice In Wonderland‘, because their relationship suffered on the set of a previous collaboration.

The pair has worked together ever since falling in love on the set of Burton‘s ‘Planet of the Apes‘ remake in 2001, and he hired her to star alongside Johnny Depp in horror musical ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street‘ in 2007. Did someone mention the word favouritism? 

But Bonham Carter was left furious with her partner during takes because he failed to compliment her performance to avoid accusations of favouritism.

And when they re-teamed for 3-D adventure ‘Alice In Wonderland‘ last year (09), Carter put down a set of rules to ensure their professional relationship ran smoothly.

She tells The Hollywood Reporter:

“We went through a really bad time on Sweeney Todd. He really had this whole thing, like he didn’t want to seem as if he was favouring me… I was pregnant too so I wasn’t on my caffeine I usually need to act with; I felt pretty sick.

“I just remembered that I couldn’t irritate the hell out of him. I couldn’t just walk on and assume we have the same relationship we have in the house. Basically at home I’m chief. On set obviously he is.

“On Alice I said there were going to be rules. That’s what I did. I listed Ten Commandments of how to work together. (They include) I have to think before I speak, which would help me with every area of my life. He has to compliment me. He can’t take me for granted. He’s got to give me a good compliment, which isn’t, ‘Oh, that was good. That was fine.’ I need to have a bit of a compliment like he does to everyone’. He’s really wonderful to work with if you don’t have two children with him. He’s very respectful.”

There will always be accusations of favouritism, especially when you’re an actress trying to find high-profile work and your boyfriend happens to be a well-respected director.

Obviously I’m not directly referring to this lovely couple! 🙂