Johnny Depp

This is a fun interview from “Access Hollywood,” where Johnny talks about Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” Johnny talks about Keith Richards-his first meeting with Keith, and how great Johnny thinks he is-and how Keith took the news when Johnny told him that the character of Captain Jack Sparrow was partially “borrowed” from Keith!

He talks about the possibility of playing Captain Jack again, and how he’d love to do it. He also covers the subject of doing more movies aimed at kids, giving the opinion that “sometimes kids’ stories, themselves, are scarier than more adult themes.” (Definitely true! Have you ever read the original versions of Grimms’ Fairy Tales?)

He talks about the rumors that Keira Knightley was ready to walk away from films to pursue a normal life. He says that if she did decide to walk away, he would applaud her for doing what made her happy. Asked if he has ever thought about quitting acting, he says “probably every 11 minutes for the last 20 years!”

One of the really great things about this interview is when Johnny talks about playing Barbies with his daughter, Lily-Rose. According to Johnny, he’s “had some very good situations as different Barbies!”
He also says it’s “essentially one of the only things I’m good at!” Now, that’s a devoted and loving dad!

In the last bit, he discusses his upcoming movie, Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton. A great interview but, of course, any interview with Johnny is great! Enjoy!

For other Friday Film interviews, go to:

Sept. 21
Sept. 14

Johnny Depp, Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd, Keira Knightley, Lily-Rose Depp, Keith Richards

Here’s a list of the Johnny Depp movies on TV in the coming week, according to IMDb. Times and channels are included. Times listed are Eastern time.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Monday, Oct. 1 8:00AM HBO

The Man Who Cried Monday, Oct. 1 9:30AM AMC

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Monday, Oct. 1 4:30PM HBO

Once Upon A Time In Mexico Wed., Oct. 3 1:00AM TBS

It’s always amazing watching Johnny as Willy Wonka. I find this particular performance to be one of the most unusual of his career (so far!). Young Freddie Hightower’s performance as Charlie is also one not to miss. And don’t forget Helena Bonham Carter!

“The Man Who Cried” was Johnny’s second film with Christina Ricci. Those two make an interesting pair. Other notable names here include Cate Blanchett, Harry Dean Stanton, and John Turturro (who also appeared with Johnny in “Secret Window”).

Johnny’s turn as corrupt CIA Agent Sands in “Once Upon A Time In Mexico” is lots of fun! I love the totally deadpan delivery of such lines as “Are you a Mexi-CAN or a Mexi-CAN’T?” I’m sure other actors could have pulled this off, but none of them with Johnny’s style!

Grab some popcorn and your remote and have fun this week!

For info on some of your other favorite actors, see:
Tom Cruise Watch, and
Brad Pitt Watch

Johnny Depp, Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Helena Bonham Carter, The Man Who Cried, Christina Ricci, One Upon A Time In Mexico, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt

Reuter’s news service recently interviewed Tim Burton, following his receiving the lifetime Golden Lion Achievement Award at the Venice Film Festival. Here’s a portion of that interview:

Q: Your next movie is based on the story of Sweeney Todd. What is it about the story that makes it so popular, with a series of revivals and adaptations recently hitting stages around the world?

A: “I don’t know if it was that popular in terms of just mass culture as a musical … It’s probably my favourite musical just because of all the different elements — the horror, the humour, the drama and the beauty of the music all juxtaposed in there. I just felt like on stage the one thing that they don’t have the opportunities to see (is) the actors’ faces and eyes, so this is a case where we almost felt like we were making a silent movie with music.”

Q: Although many of your films feature music, this is your first proper musical. Why do it?

“This is the first pure (musical) and this musical is even different from most in the sense that there’s a lot of music in it. This one is almost musical throughout. That was an extra challenge that I got excited about, really.”

Q: Johnny Depp has been quoted as likening his singing voice to “the mating call of a rutting stag”. I don’t know if he said that, but having directed him in a musical, do you agree?

A: “That sounds like him! No I don’t. He’s great. When I asked him to do it I had no idea if he could sing or not. I know he’s in a band and all that, but then when he said yes, I knew that he wouldn’t say yes unless he himself knew he could do it. That’s the great thing about him, he’s always up for a challenge and I think he’ll surprise people. I think he sounds amazing.

Q: You regularly work with Depp. Would you have considered making this movie with anyone else in the lead?

A: “I was involved with Sweeney Todd about 10 years ago. It just never happened. He (Depp) would have been too young for it at that point. Things have a weird way of working themselves out. On stage they always portray them (Todd and partner in crime Mrs. Lovett) as old, like in their 50s or whatever. But it just felt more passionate somehow to have them younger than that in the movie, sort of in their 40s. In some ways it’s kind of a luck thing where yeah, I might have made it with somebody else but I’m glad I didn’t, because I think he’s amazing in it.”

Q: Helena Bonham Carter also stars in this film. Is it ever a problem directing your partner?

A: “Yes! The good thing is that she was really right for the role and (that) sort of supersedes anything, and we’re still together and that’s a positive side. A few rocky moments. But when somebody’s right for a role that kind of takes the edge off a bit.”

Q: Why is this Golden Lion award important to you?

A: “I’ve been to this festival a few times, and each time I’ve come here I’ve just had this very special feeling about it. You grow up in Hollywood and that whole scenario and what you feel here is that there is just passion about movies. So that’s what makes it special to me — it’s not about business, it’s not about finance, it’s about just the love of movies. And so to get this at this point in my life I just think is an inspiration and I can always remember it and hopefully use that as an inspiration to keep going.”

Johnny Depp, Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd, Venice Film Festival

As promised, here’s the second part of the Johnny Depp interview from David Letterman, which aired in July, 2006. In this part of the interview, Johnny talks briefly about life with his kids. Letterman also touches on the fact that Johnny’s still wearing Captain Jack’s gold teeth, and how he cool he is with them! Then, there’s discussion of the island that Johnny bought in the Bahamas, and how much he loves it there.

There’s also a very funny clip from “Deadman’s Chest!” So, watch and enjoy!

Johnny Depp, Depp, David Letterman, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp interview

To celebrate National Talk Like A Pirate Day (which was yesterday, and I missed posting on it!), website AfterElton.com has chosen a list of “swishbucklers”-gay pirates in film. Noting that pirate characterizations tend toward the flamboyant, the site does say that we don’t actually know if they’re gay, since their orientations are not much discussed. It’s a fun list! Click on the link above to see all pictures.

1. Errol Flynn as “Captain Blood”
2. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
3. Robert DeNiro as Captain Shakespeare(Stardust)
4. Kevin Kline in “Pirates of Penzance”
5. Any portrayal of Captain Hook

Although the site has Johnny at number two, they acknowledge that he has pretty much “set the gold standard.” Something tells me he’s probably happy about that!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Captain Jac Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean, Errol Flynn, Robert DeNiro, Stardust, Kevin Kline, pirates

GQ has named the “50 Most Stylish Men Of The Last 50 Years” and, not surprisingly, Johnny is among them. Here’s GQ’s take on Johnny’s style:

After almost a quarter century in front of the camera, Johnny Depp has shown us everything but himself. Not an easy task when you’ve got those cheekbones, that tousled hair, and an unmitigated youthfulness, which Depp has worked hard to cloak by playing reclusive savants and rock ’n’ roll pirates. But we keep searching, trying to nail down his hobo chic—a style that derives from a life spent kicking around the dusty South and the French countryside. “I don’t think he’s remotely interested in fashion. He’s a complete instigator of fashion,” says Penny Rose, the costume designer who collaborated with the actor to create Pirates of the Caribbean’s randy Jack Sparrow. “His look is always eye-stopping, clever, and completely individual.” Or, like the last two drags on one of his hand-rolled cigarettes, raw and unapologetically gratifying.

What more is there to say about Johnny’s style, except what I’ve already said here before: He makes any piece of clothing he puts on look great!

Johnny Depp, Depp, GQ, Gentleman’s Quarterly

Here’s a script review of Sweeney Todd from Michael Vaal at IESB.net.

The Shortest Script “Review” I’ve Ever Done

The script, for all intents and purposes, is just an edited down version of the original playbook by Hugh Wheeler based on a play by Christopher Bond, which in turn was inspired by the legend of Sweeney Todd and the pulp horror fictions of the late 19th century. Screenwriter John Logan kept the best songs and the critical action and it seems that they haven’t had to cut much to make it work – no doubt thanks to the fact that the material was from a play and was nearly perfectly staged.

It’s still set in London and all the characters are here and represented faithfully, so there isn’t much to dwell on regarding the script except to say, “thank god it wasn’t turned into a roaring 20’s gay Chicago gangster musical.” You never know with Hollywood these days…

So, What Might Go Wrong?

While I’m a huge fan of Tim Burton, the director, and of Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) and Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), there are a few lingering questions.

Can Tim Burton direct real drama? We’ve seen him deftly handle comedic roles and all manner of oddness very well over the years. But this isn’t THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (which he co-directed with an animation legend) or EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (the closest anyone has come to crying for a Burton directed character at the end). SWEENEY TODD is serious work. Can he make us FEEL the tragedy and pathos of Sweeney? If that doesn’t come through, the ending of the movie won’t move people the way the stage musical has for almost three decades.

Can Johnny Depp sing, let alone deep enough that the walls of theater resonate in a way you’ve never heard before? Because that’s what Sweeney calls for. To be blunt, there are very few professional singers who can pull off the role of Sweeney vocally, let alone act to a level that transforms the role from the big theater stage to the small theater screen. This is clearly his toughest and most challenging role to date. And I do not envy him here at all.

Helena Bonham Carter is less of a worry due to the nature and range of the songs Mrs. Lovett sings. Whether she can take the crown away from Angela Lansbury isn’t as important as whether she can get the audience laughing at the right moments. Mrs. Lovett is devious and clueless, naïvely romantic and heartless as it suits her. Fortunately, this is material that the director is well versed in.

I’m sure the sets, production values, etc. etc. will be top drawer. This is Dreamworks and Warner Brothers after all. I guess my only concern here is that Burton has a habit of making EVERYTHING he does look the same as those cartoony sketches he originally drew for THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS when he was an animator at Disney. I’d like to see SWEENEY TODD pick up from where Burton went with the live action bookends of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY or a more realistic, grittier version of his already rather gritty work on SLEEPY HOLLOW. To be honest, if I see another BEETLEJUICE “Burton tree” in one of his movies, I think I’m gonna puke.

So everything rests on the director and the leads. They have amazing material in hand, which has remained remarkably and pleasantly true to the original masterpiece. Soon we will know if Tim Burton and Johnny Depp can bring to this role not only the wonderful music and dark comedy they are both known for, but also the tragic pathos of one of the greatest anti-heroes in modern fiction.

Of course, those of us who are Johnny Depp fans have no doubt that this material is in the best hands possible! If Johnny can’t pull off this role, then there’s no one out there who can!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Sweeney Todd, Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter

Johnny was recently named one of the coolest celebrities in a survey of 15-24 year olds in the Persian Gulf region. The survey, carried out in August by Dubai-based youth marketing agency Out of Bounds. asked 500 males and females to name the coolest and least-cool celebrities. Coming out on top were Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and George Clooney.

In fourth place was Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. Among the least cool celebrities, Britney Spears took top ‘honors,’ followed by runner-up, Victoria Beckham.

These people know cool!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I’m starting a new feature today called “Friday Film.” On Fridays, from now on, I’ll be featuring video clips of Johnny-interviews, film clips, even some made of clips set to music. There’s so much good film of Johnny out there, and I thought it would be great to share some with you.

I’m starting off with Part I of an interview with David Letterman, which aired on “Late Night” July 27, 2006. In this first part, Johnny talks with Dave about how studio executives first felt about his portrayl of Captain Jack Sparrow. There’s also a very funny story about his defacing a billboard of himself from his “21 Jump Street” days. And, as usual, his clothes are unusual and uniquely Johnny! Hope you enjoy!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean, David Letterman, Late Night, 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp interview

Johnny has been named to People magazine’s list of the Best-Dressed celebrities for 2007. Following is a partial list of some of the best and worst dressed:

People’s Best Dressed Women:

Beyoncé Knowles - The Showstopper, Cameron Diaz - The Legs, Katie Holmes - The Classic, Penélope Cruz - The Continental, Jessica Biel - The All-American, Drew Barrymore - The Chameleon, Jennifer Lopez - The Glamour Girl, Reese Witherspoon - The Celeb Next Door, Gwen Stefani - The Trendsetter, Ali Larter - The Newcomer,

Best Dressed Men:

David Beckham, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Terrence Howard, Brad Pitt

Best Dressed Couples

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, Gabriel Aubry & Halle Berry, Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale, Tony Parker & Eva Longoria

World’s Worst Dresser

Eva Green

Most Shocking Fashion Moments

Britney Spears shaves her head, Sanjaya Malakar’s faux-hawk, Kidnapped British sailors in oversized Iranian suits, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s cleavage, Naomi Campbell’s dress-up for community service, Paris Hilton’s get-out-of-jail get-up

Just Plain Wrong

Sienna Miller in black tights, Avril Lavigne’s combat boots & pink frilly dress

I can definitely see where Johnny fits in. Who else on this list or anywhere can make anything look good! With Johnny, it’s not a case of “clothes making the man,” but “the man making the clothes!”

Johnny Depp, Depp, Beyonce Knowles, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Terrence Howard

According to Playbill, Nonesuch Records will release the soundtrack for the Sweeney Todd film. Nonesuch also produced the cast recording for the recent revival of Sweeney Todd. The film is slated to be released December 21. There is no release date yet for the soundtrack.

It has also been announced that all cast members will do their own singing from Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics. A great chance to hear Johnny singing! This’ll definitely go on my Christmas list!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Sweeney Todd, Nonesuch Records, Playbill, Sweeney Todd cast

Here’s two great videos of Johnny at the Venice Film Festival. Clips of his arrival, and his presentation of Tim Burton’s award, as well as clips from Tim’s and Johnny’s movies. Johnny always looks fabulous! Enjoy!

Johnny Depp, Depp, Tim Burton, Venice Film Festival, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands

Gorgeous as usual is the best way I can describe Johnny’s appearance at the Venice Film Festival yesterday! Johnny was there to present collaborator and friend, Tim Burton, with the career Golden Lion award, and they both looked fabulous, as did Tim’s girlfriend, Helena Bonham Carter.

Johnny wore a white tuxedo, with cream shoes, and Tim was in a black suit, while pregnant Helena wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder gown. Johnny was his usual outgoing self, signing autographs, chatting with fans, and posing for photographers outside for more than ten minutes, before going in to present Tim with the award.

Tim was very appreciative of his award, saying, “I am charmed by this award, which will serve as an inspiration for me forever.” He also joked that it was better than an Oscar, saying the award looked better than “a bald, naked man.”

(more…)

Canada.com has published the results of an online survey by Grohe, a manufacturer of bath, shower, and kitchen products. The survey reveals just what Americans and Canadians do while in the shower.

In addition to singing, people admit that they’ve made some of the biggest decisions of their lives while soaping up-things like moving, changing jobs, getting married or divorced, having kids, etc. North Americans report multi-tasking, such as having sex in the shower, or cleaning the shower while they’re cleaning themselves! Now, if only we could get those two groups together!

Then, the discussion gets around to the celebs we’d most like to have in the shower with us! Naturally, Johnny tops the list of males, along with George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Favorite females were Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, and Pamela Anderson.

Now, I could go along with having Johnny in my shower-and not just ’cause my back needs scrubbing! How about the rest of you out there?

(Apologies and all due respect to Vanessa Paradis!)

Johnny Depp, Depp, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Vanessa Paradis, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Pamela Anderson

Here are a few of the Johnny Depp-related books slated to be released, and currently available for pre-order on Amazon. It’s a great line-up. Every one of them should be fantastic!

Johnny Depp enjoys a fan base quite unlike any other modern-day star — grown women sigh over his sexiness, children adore him as Willy Wonka, hipsters relate to his subversive streak. The Johnny Depp Photo Album documents its subject’s unstoppable rise via a wealth of film stills and candid shots away from the set. It chronicles every step of Depp’s career: cult films like Benny and Joon; current releases like the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sweeney Todd; his drunken, bad-boy period; and his affairs with Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. It also reveals Depp’s life away from the madness of Hollywood — there are rare glimpses of his life partner, Vanessa Paradis, and their two children, whom he aggressively shields from the media spotlight. Through its irresistible array of color and black and white images, this strikingly designed tribute reveals the family man who just happens to be the greatest screen star on the planet.

This one doesn’t have a book description yet, but it’s a companion book to the movie. It’s a 160-page hardcover from Titan Books, scheduled for release on Dec. 4, 2007. The forward is by Tim Burton, and there are extensive photos and interviews with cast and crew.

Originally published in 1997, this book is scheduled for reissue on November 1, 2007. It’s a 151-page paperback from Anova books.

Johnny Depp, Depp, Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Johnny Depp Photo Album, Tim Burton, Vanessa Paradis