“It was a pollutant”: Harry Potter Star Had to Go Against Own Mother’s Wishes to Accept ‘Repulsive’ $101M Brad Pitt Movie That She Didn’t Clearly Understand

Brad Pitt has continued to reign in Hollywood which started as a struggle in the late 1980s. However, in the next decade, he accelerated his pace to rise to the top. In that timeline, he became the face of renowned projects that gained cult status after all these years. One such film was his David Fincher directed, Fight Club. 

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It is one of the highlight movies of the 1990s era which featured a notable cast including Harry Potter star, Helena Bonham Carter. She plays Marla Singer, the mysterious love interest of the Narrator (Edward Norton). Carter is undoubtedly the perfect fit for the role but one might not know that she had to go against her mother’s wishes to accept the film. 

Helena Bonham Carter’s Mother Dispproved Fight Club Script

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Helena Bonham Carter gained global stardom by supporting Voldemort through her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the last four movies of the Harry Potter franchise. However, she was already making an impact in the industry with her complex roles, with one being Fight Club‘s Marla Singer. However, acquiring this role was not easy since her mother was highly concerned about the role she was offered. 

“Mum put the script outside her bedroom because it was a pollutant!” she said. “I didn’t get it when I first read it, either. I thought, ‘This is weird. Is this message particularly life-enhancing?’ ”

Elsewhere, the film director mentioned,

“I think her mother had read the script and just thought it was awful and I think that’s partly why she was ambivalent about it. Actually, ambivalent may be giving the material the benefit of the doubt. She may have been repulsed by it.”

However, she decided to give that script a chance and decided to meet with the director to understand their approach. She eventually convinced herself to feature alongside Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. What might be more surprising is the fact that her co-star had a significant role in getting her into this project. 

Helena Bonham Carter’s Association With Fight Club is Linked to Brad Pitt

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Fans might be aware of the fact that Carter was not the first choice to play the iconic role. Film director, David Fincher was considering casting Courtney Love who “totally understood the character.” However, she was romantically involved with The Incredible Hulk actor at the time. 

He shared, 

“I felt their personal stuff would get in the way of the work. And there was a lot of work.”

It is when the Bullet Train actor urged Fincher to watch Carter’s Oscar-nominated performance in The Wings Of The Dove. The director was incredibly impressed and decided to offer her the role. 

Meanwhile, the film gained cult-classic status grossing over $101 million worldwide. Fight Club is available to stream on Roku. 

Source: The Ringer