A few weeks ago, as Johnny Depp was promoting the hell out of Public Enemies, he got a question about his dream role. Johnny’s answer was hilarious, and probably very honest: he wants to star in a song-and-dance-filled biopic of Carol Channing. Channing is 88 years old, and best known for her multiple Tony Award-winning roles on Broadway, as well as her many films. Her signature role was the playing Lorelei Lee in the stage production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Later, in the film version, that role solidified Marilyn Monroe’s superstar status. Carol Channing is a pretty awesome lady, and I could totally see Johnny Depp playing her. As it turns out, so could Carol:
Johnny Depp says his dream role is to play Broadway legend Carol Channing in a biopic — and now Channing has offered her blessing.
“It is not a new concept to me,” Channing said. “Not at all. Men have been imitating me for as long as I can remember. In fact, most of the impersonations I have seen have had a five-o’clock shadow.”
“I imagine, when or if Johnny should portray me, he will succeed. Because a true artist, such as himself, is one who loves his or her creation and therefore represents their honest view of that which they are creating.”
“I think he is a gifted performer and I would be very proud, as well as interested in seeing what his vision of me would be. Johnny is someone I would very much like to help me and my foundation (ChanningARTS.org) to bring the arts back into the public school system in America.”
Depp said in an interview last week that he would love to play Channing. “I love her, I really do, she’s amazing. With all the digital technology these days, I could probably pull it off!”
[From The Advocate]
Carol is a class act! Wouldn’t you love to see this? As I was looking at some current photos of Carol, I was struck by something – it seems like Johnny may have used Carol as some kind of visual inspiration for his role as Willy Wonka. I wonder if that’s true? As for whether any of this will really happen, I don’t know. Obviously, he’s been a big fan or hers, and she’s a cool lady. But I’m not sure if Hollywood producers could justify the budget for a biopic on Carol Channing. You know what would be an excellent compromise though? Johnny doing a one-man Broadway show: “An Evening With Carol Channing”.
Carol Channing is shown on 7/9/09 and 11/15/08. Johnny Depp is shown on 7/2/09. Credit: WENN.com
oh I’m in!
This could be great!
do what you gonna do…cause your good at it….whatever it could be…lol
-smiley
How old is this woman 120?
That’s so cool.
I personally, am one for not letting one’s role in a film be limited by their gender. Why not let a man play the role of a woman, and vice versa?
Hieronymous… I thought more of you. It’s in the third sentence. You better hope you don’t live to see 88, if you’re that nasty about the natural process of aging.
I LOVE Depp — but no one on this planet does a better impersonation of Carol Channing than Ryan Stiles (“Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”)
I hope to be rocking that lipstick while closing in on 90.
To me, she will always be The White Queen.
maybe he should be in “grey gardens” as little edie?!
i’m with Trillion.
@rbsesq, too bad Johnny couldn’t have gotten her a bit part in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. And no, I don’t hum “Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday…” to myself AT ALL. EVER.
Hey, Kais, did you know that Carol Channing is supposedly biracial. Her life story is a good read.
Ummm I don’t think it’s possible for someone to just be supposedly biracial when they in fact have a white mother and a black father. That pretty much denotes that they are biracial.