….When Amber Heard’s face says it all…
Johnny Depp is still hustling a little bit for Black Mass. It’s not that he hopes Black Mass will get him an Oscar (he’s said he doesn’t want the Oscar, ever), but I’m guessing that he does want to be part of the Best Actor Oscar conversation, and he would be happy with a nomination. Black Mass continues to make its way through some of the film festivals, and it got a premiere/screening at the AFI Fest. It was at the AFI Fest that Depp chatted with People Magazine and other outlets about his most celebrated (??) role, Captain Jack Sparrow.
It’s difficult for the young’uns to remember, but before Pirates of the Caribbean, Scarfy Depp was an art-house actor. When he hooked up with Captain Jack, he went corporate, cashed enormous checks, bought himself a private island and traded in Vanessa Paradis for Amber Heard. It’s also interesting to remember that no one really knew what to expect when Disney decided to place this enormous franchise on Johnny Depp’s be-scarved shoulders. Here’s what Depp had to say:
“They wanted to fire me,” Depp recalled while speaking at AFI Fest 2015, saying that studio executives didn’t quite understand the version of the character he had created. “I remember it trickled back to me that [former Disney CEO] Michael Eisner went on some sort of vent about how, ‘Goddammit, Johnny Depp’s ruining the film. What is it? What is that thing? Is it drunk? Is it gay?’ So I fully expected to be fired.”
When another executive called Depp to ask him about the character, the actor had the perfect response.
“I said, well, didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?” he explained. “I was really expecting to be fired. But they wouldn’t for some reason. They were actually going to subtitle my character – they couldn’t understand Captain Jack,” he says of the role, which eventually nabbed Depp his first Best Actor Oscar nomination.
OMG, I totally forgot that Depp got nominated for an Oscar for Pirates of Caribbean. That’s so weird!! Jesus. That 2004 Oscar season was not particularly strong, if memory serves. As for Michael Eisner not “understanding” Scarfy… I can see it. It was a weirdly effective performance, at least in the first film. As for “well, didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?”… Scarfy is so insouciant, so rebellious, so contrarian. Such a rock star. *Amber Heard eye roll*
Amber’s face is saying it all in this photo too.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
If I picture those two having sex I feel the urge to get a shower.
Maaaan they’re so very mismatched together.
The eww factor is too strong to ignore.
Maybe you should stop looking at pictures of them and imagining them having sex, then. They are not mismatched at all. They have a lot in common.
Watch them in motion or on Overhaulin’if you want to see their chemistry.
you’re kidding right????? you thought they had chemistry on that show?? She treated him the same as her Dad when she wasn’t flat out ignoring him, which she mostly was. And Johnny looked so desperate to make someone jealous at the end by literally forcing her into a hug and that peck of a “kiss.” That was the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen! It was so unnatural, all of it.
@Liz You make it sound way overdramatic. She thought her car was stolen so of course she didn’t pay much attention to anything else.
As for the hug/kiss, he didn’t force her, he pulled her and she looked into it. I don’t think you’ve seen much if that was the creepiest thing you’ve ever seen.
I actually enjoyed the first scarf-monster performance in the franchise …it’s just that it got boring as they made 79 movies and he piled on the scarves to try and absorb the smell from the fact that he stopped showering
They only made three movies..
Well, Pirates WAS fun. And the character was brilliant, because instead of making the film feel schmaltzy, it made the viewers feel like they were in on the joke. And it lightened the tone considerably, while the young star crossed lovers romance gave it heart. I am curious how much of the final product was the script and how much was Johnny – did he ad lib? Because if those were the lines he was given, then he captured the personality really well. Even more kudos if he strayed off script and Jack as we know him is his creation.
But…. The problem is that since then, everything he does comes across as Jack. (No, not watching Black Mass) I am not saying he wants it that way – part of it is that the character is so unique you can’t get him out of your head, and part of it is JD reinforcing it in real life and some roles (Tonto?) too much with the scarves, hats, rings, etc.
I am not even sure what he wants at this point, other than to keep the money train rolling. And I still can’t stand smug Amber, who is beautiful but lacking any talent and accomplishment other than “I married JD.”
He did ad lib some of the lines. I can’t remember which ones but they point them out in the commentary on the DVD.
I watched Black Mass and I have to admit that it was the first time in a long time where I’ve seen Johnny playing a character without the caricature-esque angle he loves so much. But I agree with you, apart from this part I only think of him playing the Jack Sparrow character or the one in Tim Burton’s movie.
Maybe this is a new beginning.
It was brilliant, wasn’t it? And you summed it up wonderfully.
How did he come across as Jack Sparrow to you in Finding Neverland, Secret Window, The Libertine, Sweeney Todd, Public Enemies, The Rum Diary, etc. ? If you don’t want to watch Black Mass (which is one his best performances ever) then there is no problem. Stop complaining about him. There’s nothing wrong with his personal life and career.
Doing whatever interests him and developing projects he’s passionate about is what he wants at this point. But if you’re not even watching his movies, of course you wouldn’t care.
This. He’s made some real bad movies of late, but he really isn’t just playing the same character over and over. If anyone saw even a hint of Captain Jack in say, Finding Neverland or Public Enemies, I’d say that’s on them.
Even his Tim Burton characters are all very different. Yes he puts on a costume and a ton of makeup each time, but they’re all totally different roles. If you see Edward Scissorhands in Sweeney Todd, again, I think the problem is your perception.
@vauvert – you nailed it! + 100
Surprisingly I like that gold jumpsuit Amber is wearing…looks good on her.
I love it too.
Me three. Anybody got an ID on it? It’s so fab.
It’s by Temperley London
Other Best Actor nominees that year were Ben Kingsley for House of Sand and Fog, Bill Murray for Lost in Translation, Jude Law for Cold Mountain, and the winner was Sean Penn for Mystic River.
Ok that was a strong year. I think that first Captain Jack was a pretty brave performance and the Academy appreciated that. Besides, some may not know this, but Depp was by then long over due for his nomination. He was THE most surprisingly never nominated actor of that generation, and the Pirates nomination was in some ways a mea culpa from the Academy.
Bill Murray should’ve scooped that one. Mystic River was dire, and the human ham hock’s performance was nothing impressive. Not sure why he won.
In the last picture, Amber seems to be smelling something gross! Maybe it’s that thing standing next to her!
Not really. She loves “that thing” so much that she married it after years of being together. Photographs are taken in a matter of seconds, you know?
Is that because he plays the same character in every movie?
Yeah, because Whitey Bulger, Mad Hatter, Edward Scissorshands, John Dillinger, Don Juan DeMarco, Donnie Brasco, Roux, Will Caster, Charlie Mortdecai, James Barrie, Sweeney Todd, etc. are all the same character! Please..
He said that to Disney executive producers who thought he was acting “gay” as Jack Sparrow. What are you talking about? How does he play the same character in every movie? Have you seen enough of his movies? Have you seen Black Mass?
stop making other screen names! smh you look like a fool!! and yes stinky depp plays the same sh$t over and over again
@Heather What are you talking about? This is my only “screen name.” And Depp, who always smells amazing according to people who have met him, always does something different. His performance in Black Mass is nothing like any of his past performances.
all of his characters are gay except cry baby, edward scissorhands, benny, gilbert grape, don juan demarco, donnie brasco, hunter s thompson (both in the rum diaries AND fear and loathing) , guy in the 9th gate who screwed the dragon lady, roux in chocolat, george jung, sweeney todd, detective in from hell, john dillinger, barnabas collins, ichabod crane…
he has become the saddest joke – just like his idol marlon brando.
Lizzie, wow, that list is such a strong reminder of how great he used to be. Some of those roles were the parts of a lifetime, and he did so many of them.
Don’t forget he also did the wild thing with Green Eyes (9th Gate).
he wasn’t talking seriously. He said it because he want to upset the executives of Disney
@lizzie I think he was joking about the gay thing.
Spot on Lizzie
He was recalling an old story and JOKING. He is a great man and a legend, always will be.
Great, but Edward Scissorhands wasn’t.
I think at this point he’s smoked/snorted/drank himself into idiocy. I don’t really take anything he says seriously. It seems so long ago, but for a Disney budget Hollywood production the first Pirates movie really was quite good. I recall forcing my teenage boyfriend, who refused to watch anything other than Freddy and Jason movies, to go see it with me, and even he liked it.
I’m not sure you are supposed to take a joke he said seriously, but I’m sure you would take some of the interesting things he says seriously. Not the overblown jokes turned into headlines.
He was joking about that one executive producer being homophobic..
And he was nominated for Pirates 1 in a very strong year, actually. His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow was groundbreaking at the time, he deserved to win.
Didn’t he say Jack Sparrow was based on Keith Richards?
That and Pepe le Pew.
yeah and that’s the only movie I can tolerate his sticky a$$ in
You mean that’s the only movie you’ve seen with him. And he is amazing in it, just like he is in his latest movie which earned him rave reviews.
I really must disagree. We are all entitled to our opinions but all the roles I’ve seen him in have been diverse. I think he is a very skilled actor. All the movies people have listed here. I haven’t seen Public Enemy listed. He was great there as Dilenger.
Last time I checked, he broke up with Vanessa 9 years after he hooked up with Captain Jack. Easy on the dude.
She looks high AF.
Love him.