Why I Adore: Johnny Depp

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re going to look at people that I absolutely adore and why I adore them. They can be anyone who is famous for being in film such as: actors and actresses, directors and producers, composers etc. We’re going to be looking at my childhood heroes, people I have discovered recently and people that I have yet to look entirely into. We’ll take a bit of a look at how I discovered them, what I think of them and why I think this way about them. Hopefully, we can gain a common ground, you can discover some new people or, via the email address in my bio, you can email me with any new people I don’t know about that you think I would like based on what you’ve seen. These are supposed to be positive articles and made to brighten your day and mine. So, let’s take a wild ride into my childhood, my teen years and what I absolutely adore about the film industry because it is alive and kicking (and if it isn’t, hell I might be out of a job…). Let’s go!

Johnny Depp

I was incredibly young the first time I ever saw a film with Johnny Depp starring in it. I like to believe that it was probably Pirates of the Caribbean, which came out in the first instalment when I was about seven or eight years’ old. But in reality, it was more likely to be “Edward Scissorhands”, a film that was on a lot when I was young and was practically loved and adored by everyone I knew as a young child. All the adults loved that film and it was just magical. I remember it coming on at Christmas time on television when I was very young and then, I wouldn’t see it again for almost another eight years after. After the Pirates of the Caribbean instalments began coming out, I was watching almost every film Johnny Depp was in by the time I was about twelve - so that was everything before “Public Enemies” (which I watched in the cinemas). I got to watch many of the Pirates of the Caribbean films in the cinemas and I also watched “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” in the cinemas as well. I had bought the Rolling Stone Magazine edition of Johnny Depp’s interview about doing the musical “Sweeney Todd” and how he felt about singing. I must have read that interview some ten to fifteen times, I still remember it so well and yet, this was almost thirteen years’ ago now.

I went to see “Alice in Wonderland” in the cinemas in 2010 and that was the same year I dragged everyone to watch “Inception” as well. I have to say, “Alice in Wonderland” is so much better in the cinema with a cheese sandwich. My favourite film with Johnny Depp in the starring role though will always be “Ed Wood”. And I have no idea why.

It came out in 1994 and included Sarah Jessica Parker, being directed by Tim Burton and based on the life of the man who was named ‘the worst director in all of cinematic history.’ Martin Landau portrayed Bela Lugosi (and really well to be honest), Bill Murray was in it and so was Patricia Arquette. It was an excellent movie and always makes me laugh when I watch it. It’s one of those films that even though it’s a biopic, it doesn’t take itself too seriously or claim to be better than it is. It just comes and goes. It’s a brilliant epic laugh and yet, a touching sentiment to filmmaking. Johnny Depp was so good in the role as Ed Wood as well, that you really couldn’t imagine absolutely anyone else playing the man.

Johnny Depp isn’t an actor who is typecast into certain roles - instead he is one of those actors where you aren’t quite sure what he really looks like. That is really how often he seems to evolve. I mean, you could never really guess that the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland”, Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and Ed Wood from the eponymous movie were the same person playing all three without being told, would you? My point exactly. I don’t really think I need to say anything else about Johnny Depp except for the fact that I grew up watching his movies, I’ve pretty much seen all of his movies and I don’t think I’ll ever stop watching his movies. He is a brilliant and highly underrated actor - one of the greatest of his generation.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me, I'll start posting this article again soon but for now, I need a break!