Helena Bonham Carter has claimed the acting industry is “still old-fashioned and women are taking the brunt of it”.
However, the 56-year-old actress – who appeared on The Graham Norton Show on Friday – admitted Hollywood “has gotten better at men who call the shots.”
She said: “It gets better. We have a lot of female producers and more women making the decisions, but I think it’s still age related and women are taking the brunt of it.
Unfair: Helena Bonham Carter has claimed the acting industry is ‘still old and women are getting the brunt of it’
She was joined by Russell T Davies to discuss her latest project, Nolly, which depicts the life of Crossroads star Noele Gordon and is due for release later this year.
Russell said of the legendary soap opera, “The first thing I ever wrote was a screenplay for Crossroads. I sent it off and they invited me to Birmingham.
“I was so excited to be there because I loved it so much, but I could see the fear in their eyes when they realized I’m a super fan.
“I went off and wrote a real script and sent it off. The show was canceled five days later. I’ve waited 40 years and finally got to write it, so I’m finally here!’
Getting better: The 56-year-old actress, who appeared on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, admitted that Hollywood has “got better at men who call the shots”.
Exciting: She was joined by Russell T Davies to discuss her latest project Nolly, which depicts the life of Crossroads star Noele Gordon
Helena added: “The person who would love it the most is Noele Gordon. She was a wonderful woman. I wasn’t exactly aware of who she was but when I read the script it was a gift, a love letter to her and to every actor.
“It was beautiful and fun. She had courage and was so gallant and told things exactly as they were. The show is “Me Too” without the sex because it took on the bullies. Everyone needs a Nolly in their life.”
Helena plays the late Crossroads star Noele, who was axed without ceremony, warning or explanation in 1981 at the height of the show’s success.
She gushed about her role, according to The Mirror: “When I read the script, it was like a gift. A dream. It’s like meeting someone and falling in love.
What?! Helena plays the late Crossroads star Noele, who was axed without ceremony, warning or explanation in 1981 at the height of the show’s success
“I’ve seen Crossroads. So I knew Noele Gordon as a character, but I hadn’t really taken the dismissal on board. Mark added that it was “a pleasure” to film his role.
The three-part miniseries penned by Russell will explore the almighty reign and downfall of the inimitable Noele, who died in 1985.
Declared ‘Queen of the Midlands’ thanks to her legendary role as Meg Mortimer in ‘Crossroads’, Noele was the darling of the establishment until it turned against her.
Playing the red-haired widow Meg on the long-running soap opera Crossroads, Noele became one of Britain’s most famous people.
Then, in 1981, at the height of the show’s success and the height of its fame, it was axed without ceremony, without warning, and without explanation, and the soap finally ended two years later.
With the boss’s words “all good things must come to an end” ringing in her ears, Noele was kicked off the show that was her life for over 18 years.
A love letter to a TV legend and to the wacky soap opera she starred in, Nolly will be an entertaining journey through Noele’s most turbulent years and a insightful, loving and heartbreaking portrait of a forgotten icon.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 20 January at 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
Eerie: The BAFTA winner said: “When I read the script, it was like a gift. A dream. It’s like meeting someone and falling in love’ (pictured left of character. Stock photo of Meg, right)