Helena Bonham Carter talks Oscars fashion, red carpet 'bitchfest'

02/13/2011 by Corinne Heller

Helena Bonham Carter, known for her eccentric outfits and film roles, jokes that the red carpet of an awards show is "an open bitchfest" when it comes to fashion, as she prepares to attend the 2011 Oscars later this month.

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The 44-year-old British actress is nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the movie "The King's Speech," which stars Colin Firth as the stuttering UK monarch King George VI. Bonham Carter raised eyebrows when she showed up at the Golden Globes in mismatched shoes - one red and one green.

"I like dressing up, as you can tell, and just pretend to be other people," Bonham Carter told OnTheRedCarpet.com. "It is an open bitchfest - as soon as you walk onto that red carpet, it's a free-for-all. And I kind of feel like, 'They're going to bitch about me anyway, so I might as well give them something to bitch about - you know, the shoes."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," she added. "In a way, it's kind of a relief. But if I die and when I get to Heaven and I'm in mismatched shoes and they'll be like, 'Nu uh,' then I'll be proven wrong."

"The King's Speech" marks Bonham Carter's second Oscar nomination. She received an Academy Award nod for her part in the 1997 movie "The Wings of the Dove."

She is also known for playing eccentric characters in movies such as "Fight Club," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and life partner Tim Burton's animated film "Alice in Wonderland," which featured her as the Red Queen.

Bonham Carter has never appeared bothered by negative commentary over her looks or lifestyle. She and Tim Burton, the father of their children Billy Ray, 7, and Nell, 3, live in adjoining homes, each decorated to suit their individual tastes, in the London suburb of Hampstead and reportedly tend to sleep in separate beds.

This year's Oscar ceremony is set to air live on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2011. Check out a full list of Oscar nominations.

OnTheRedCarpet.com is your news source for Oscars coverage. Live coverage from the Oscar red carpet begins at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT). "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" broadcasts LIVE in many markets (check your local TV listings). We're also streaming the show online and on our free On The Red Carpet iPad app, available now in iTunes.

When the last awards have been given out, watch continuing coverage of the Governor's Ball and all the Oscar night parties as "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" broadcasts LIVE on many west coast stations (check your local TV listings). We're also streaming the show online and on our iPad app.

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