Bonham Carter has not received any formal training in acting. In 1979 she won a national writing contest and used the prize money to pay for her entry into the actors directory 'Spotlight'. She made her first appearance at the age of 16 in a television commercial. She also had a minor part in a TV movie, "A Pattern of Roses" in 1983. Her first starring role was in "Lady Jane" in 1984, which received mix reviews. She played the Queen of England when she was cast as Anne Boleyn in the ITV1 mini-series, "Henry VIII". She was restricted in acting since she was pregnant with her first child at the time of filming.