Helena Bonham Carter thinks Tim Burton has made her cool.

The 46-year-old actress - who has two children, Billy, eight, and Nell, four, with her partner of 11 years - likes being labelled ''mystical'' and credits the 'Frankenweenie' director with making her seem more eccentric and exciting.

Helena said: ''Being called mystical is nice. But I think we have also had a hell of a lot of other things said about us like messy, badly dressed, that sort of thing. I remember they put me on a cover once and there was this whole article about how uncool and unhip I was!

''But that was before I met Tim. Obviously now he has showered me with coolness. Together we are the 'slightly bonkers couple'.''

The couple met while filming 'Planet of the Apes' together in 2001 and although it wasn't love at first sight for Helena she soon fell for his quirky mind and honest personality.

In an interview with the UK edition of OK! magazine, she joked: ''Our relationship started when filming finished. He hardly said a thing to me as we made it - well, nothing that wasn't film related. He snores. He's very creative with a certain sort of mad exterior to him, but behind all that he's intensely efficient. Very practical and very sane. Very honest, very dedicated and a thrill to be with.''