FANFARE June 2014 | Page 30

“ If there’s any message to my work, it is ultimately that it’s OK to be different, that it’s good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgment on someone who looks different, ” behaves different, talks different, is a different colour Sidewinder … as a young man, Johnny Depp relished ripping people off as a dodgy salesman Scissorhands, a gothic horror fantasy about, not surprisingly, a man with scissors for hands. The film was the very antithesis of his teen heartthrob persona, and Depp revealed masterclass acting aptitude that was a game-changer. It proved the start of acting career that brought roles far different from the usual Hollywood roles of Central Casting, aka, the Richard Gere School of Acting. Throughout the 90s Depp continued to appear in what could be described as ‘kooky’ roles. In 1995, in the Nick of Time he tried his hand at being the action hero. But this was as much of a fit as parading a camel in the Arctic. Following Nick of Time Depp starred in Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate and in 1999 he joined Tim Burton again for slow-burner hit Sleepy Hollow. Depp was on a rollercoaster ride far removed from his troubled early life. But it was in 2003 that Johnny Depp finally metamophosed into the role that firmly established him as a stratospheric A-lister . His portrayal of Capt Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise cemented his status as a global superstar. Since the early days of the 21st century, Johnny Depp has starred in another three Pirates films as well as appearing in more collaborations with Tim Burton, such as 2005’s Alice in Wonderland and kooky non-commercial projects involving 30•FAN FA R E JUNE 2 0 1 4 Bloodthirsty work … Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins in the comedy horror flick Dark Shadows other directors, in such films as 2011’s gonzo update Rum Diary. So where to now? What else is there left to achieve ? Well, for Depp, it seems that the years of fame have led to possible thoughts of setting the pirate ship’s sails on a fair wind toward the land of retirement at just 50. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Depp recently confessed: “I can’t say that I’d want to be doing this for another 10 years.” When pushed for more depth, he responded: “At a certain point, just take it down to the bare minimum and concentrate on, I guess, living life; really living life. And going somewhere where you don’t have to be on the run, or sneak in through the kitchen or the underground labyrinth of the hotel.” The rebel without a cause, the James Dean of his early years and the epitome of cool, Depp at 50 is separated from his partner of over 10 years, Vanessa Paradis and is now dating a young starlet half his age, 27-year-old Amber Heard. With a very full lifetime crammed into 50 years, Depp may have burned out, but the ashes of his talent remain, ready, like the phoenix, to be brought back to life from the flames. For the rebel, now turned elder statesman, it could be said that the transition is satisfyingly complete.