Bonham Carter risked wrath of Potter bosses by starring in ‘King’s Speech’

Helena Bonham Carter has revealed that she risked the wrath of Harry Potter bosses by signing on to star in ‘The King’s Speech’.

The actress plays the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI, opposite Colin Firth as the stuttering monarch in the acclaimed new film, which has already been tipped for success at the upcoming 2011 Oscars.

Bonham Carter revealed that she initially turned down the part because she was still bound to the Potter movies in her role as Bellatrix Lestrange but director Tom Hooper eventually persuaded her to sign up for the film.

And she took a massive “risk” by agreeing to the work, because she could have been called away to shoot more scenes for the Harry Potter movies at any time.

“Tom asked me to do it… but I did have other obligations and duties, because I was doing Harry Potter at the same time, so I did say, ”No”… I kept saying ”No”. In fact, I don”t think I said ”Yes” but I ended up on the set, dressed as the Queen Mum,” the Daily Express quoted her as telling Comingsoon.net.

“You know what they did? It was completely illegal and really quite risky. In fact, fantastically risky. Harry Potter never released me. They said ”Even if you work on weekends, we get first choice”, so potentially, I could have brought down The King”s Speech,” she said.