It’s hard to believe that the actress in the image above is Helena Bonham Carter and not in fact the real Elizabeth Taylor.
The Lone Ranger actress is not the first, or even the second, name that comes to mind when you think about Elizabeth Taylor look alike. Yet, in previews of the film released this week, the actress is every bit the spitting image of the movie icon she is set to play.
The 46-year-old British actress, better known for her eccentric roles and sense of fashion, has polished up her look to reprise the role of the late Ms Taylor.
Alongside her, The Wire actor Dominic West, 43, will play love interest Richard Burton in the film about Taylor and Burton’s infamous fiery relationship.
Produced by BBC America, Burton and Taylor, will delve into the much-publicised professional ‘reunion’ which saw a middle-aged Elizabeth Taylor perform alongside ex-husband Richard Burton for a Broadway play.
The ‘troubled’ production of Private Lives, produced by Noel Coward, in 1983 saw the twice-married, twice-divorced Hollywood couple astonishingly play a couple who used to be married.
The show was the last time the two stars shared the stage before Burton’s death the following year. Though it originally drew formidable star power – with many speculating about the state of the celebrity relationship – but only lasted for 63 performances.
The BBC film follows hot on the heels of another lifetime movie about Elizabeth Taylor starring troubled actress Lindsay Lohan late last year.
Not only does Carter look the part for her latest film, she also shares an on-set romance of her own. The King’s Speech actress has been involved with her director husband, Tim Burton, since they met while filming Planet of the Apes.
“My Burton is the best Burton. He makes me laugh, but also he’s adorable. He’s kind, and he’s true, and he’s honest. He helps me hugely in life because, in many ways, he’s the opposite of me. I flit around and over analyze, and he is very instinctive and very steady. He’s my anchor – really, truly – and I feel lucky every single day to have found him.” Carter said of her husband in a recent interview with British Vogue.
The couple, who share a daughter and son, have also been quite open about their personal struggles – sharing their struggles with fertility and conception with local media.