The Oscar nominee joked that Tim “drew me into existence,” which felt especially true when she was cast to play Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (2007) opposite Johnny Depp. The role required her to “audition back to front, upside down singing” and needed approval from the musical’s original creator Stephen Sondheim. And the moment her casting was greenlit was an emotional one for both Helena and Tim.
“Tim burst into tears,” Helena recounted. “Pretty much the only time when he has, actually.”
“He came through to my side of the house. We had, famously, two houses next door to each other, but it was basically one house,” Helena shared. “He said, ‘Stephen Sondheim wants you.’ And then he burst into tears, because we did put ourselves and our relationship and everything under a lot of pressure by me going up for that. But it was worth every moment.”
The duo collaborated onscreen several more times, with films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factor (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Dark Shadows (2012) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
Through all of it, Helena recalled that Tim was always sketching something.
“He literally draws his way through life,” she said. “Even if he’s with you, he would be sketching. Even through momentous occasions. I’d be having a child. He would still sketch. Literally giving birth. We’ve got our whole lives sketched.”
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