We love Bellatrix Lestrange. The Harry Potter movie gave the character plenty of chance to shine, but how much do you know about the woman herself? Here are some things about Bellatrix that may surprise you…
1. She’s not just a villain in the Harry Potter movies
As well as being one of the most feared and powerful Death Eaters, Bellatrix was also the cousin of Sirius Black, and second cousin to Narcissa Malfoy. In addition, Bellatrix is also the aunt of Draco Malfoy and great-aunt of his son Scorpius Malfoy. That makes her related to nearly every central character in Harry Potter!
2. Her name means “Warrior Princess” in Spanish
Bellatrix’s full name is Bellatrix Lestrange, which translates from Latin as “Warrior Princess”. The name is one of the reasons why she is such a fan-favourite, though it has often been interpreted as “Beautiful Straggler”.
The Harry Potter movie gave the character plenty of chance to shine, but how much do you know about the woman herself?
2. Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Bellatrix has been praised by JK Rowling
JK Rowling herself praised Helena Bonham Carter for her portrayal of the most unhinged Death Eater, describing her as “flawless”. Following the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, she wrote on her website: ” For me, Bellatrix Lestrange is one of my favourite characters in the whole series — if not THE favourite — and she is one of my favourite people to write. I think Helen has captured all that I have written about Bellatrix very well. She’s perfect.
3. JK Rowling revealed what happened to Bellatrix’s wand after Voldemort’s death
During a Q&A with The New York Times, JK Rowling was asked what happened to Bellatrix’s wand after Voldemort’s death. She responded: “I took it back! I’m keeping it safe at Hogwarts in a display case in Dumbledore’s office, beside the Deluminator.”
4. The actress based her performance on Jack Nicholson
Helena Bonham Carter has said that she based
The Harry Potter series is an absolute wonder, and while many of the actors and actresses involved were already established when they started working on the movies, there were plenty of new faces brought in to fill out the cast. And whether it was acting alongside professional actors or being introduced to acting as a whole, these newbies rose to the challenge beautifully.
Of course, not everyone got a chance to shine in the same way. While some characters had more screen time than others, one actress stood out from the crowd – Helena Bonham Carter. She brought Bellatrix Lestrange to life in such a way that it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role now.
But how much do you know about this iconic character? Here are 12 surprising things about Bellatrix Lestrange.
To say Bellatrix Lestrange is one of the most memorable characters in the Harry Potter series is an understatement. Her presence on-screen is terrifying, and it’s easy to see why she’s considered one of the most dangerous Death Eaters in Voldemort’s inner circle. She was a formidable opponent to Harry, Ron and Hermione throughout the series, but how much do you know about the woman who portrayed her?
We’ve delved into Bellatrix’s history and found some surprising details about the character that even die-hard fans may not know. And if you’re wondering what Helena Bonham Carter has been up to since filming the final movie, we’ve got all that information too!
1. She Had A Dark Past
When looking at what makes Bellatrix Lestrange tick, it’s important to look at her past. While she grew up in a wealthy and highly respected family, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Bella. For example, she was once engaged to Sirius Black before he ran away from the family due to his dislike of their beliefs.
But this isn’t where her dark side began; Bellatrix was actually trained by Lord Voldemort himself during her teenage years! She proved herself loyal to him, and when he was defeated
Focusing on the Harry Potter movies, Bellatrix is a character that was introduced in The Order of the Phoenix and really shone in The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows, where her role became more prominent. In fact, she might be one of the strongest characters across the whole franchise. That being said, there’s a lot many don’t know about this powerful witch.
In this video we’re going to discuss some of the lesser known facts about Bellatrix Lestrange, including her most powerful spells, why she was so loyal to Voldemort and a few other interesting things that you may not have known about this villain from the Harry Potter universe.
Bellatrix was born into the pureblood Black family, and during her time at Hogwarts, she was sorted into Slytherin. She would later marry Rodolphus Lestrange and have a daughter together, Delphini. However, it’s her relationship with Lord Voldemort that is most important to her story.
In the film series, she is played by Helena Bonham Carter, who had already worked with director David Yates on 2005’s The Girl In The Cafe. She was 25 years old when she landed the role of Bellatrix in 2007’s Order Of The Phoenix, but she quickly became one of the breakout stars of the movie.
However, Bonham Carter wasn’t supposed to play Bellatrix in that film – instead that role was set to go to Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange). But the two were filming different movies at the same time – Swinton starred in Michael Clayton for Warner Bros., while Bonham Carter appeared in Sweeney Todd for DreamWorks – and scheduling conflicts meant that Swinton had to drop out. Potter author JK Rowling then requested Bonham Carter instead.
In recent years, Bonham Carter has been known for playing Queen Elizabeth in The Crown and Princess Margaret in The Crown. She also appears as Fairy Godmother in
1. Her full name is Bellatrix Black Lestrange. Bellatrix is a Latin word that means female warrior, and the surname Lestrange comes from the French word l’étranger which means “the stranger” or “the foreigner.”
2. She’s related to both Sirius and Regulus Black, but she also has ties to Voldemort through her marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange, a Death Eater who was a contemporary of Harry’s father at Hogwarts. Rodolphus was a friend of Barty Crouch Jr., who impersonated Alastor Moody in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
3. Not much is said about her childhood, but we know she was born in 1951 and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1962 to 1969. She was sorted into Slytherin House, along with Rodolphus, who became her husband sometime after graduation.
4. Bellatrix was known for being an extremely talented witch — some would even say she was one of the best Dark Arts practitioners of her time. She also excelled at flying on broomsticks and dueling, as we saw in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when she single-handedly took on half a dozen members of Dumbledore
