“
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.