The 1990s TV series Johnny Depp called “one of the most brilliant things in any world”
Despite being one of the more laid-back and reserved characters in Hollywood, one thing you can count on is that Johnny Depp will always have a good story to tell.
It makes sense given that he has rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s biggest legends, from quirky historic figures like Hunter S Thompson to some of the biggest names in music, like Jeff Beck and the late, great Shane MacGowan.
In fact, Depp’s famous band of brothers is one of the most interesting things about him, not least because with it often comes a whole host of hilarious anecdotes that seem too far-out to be true but also because it sheds light on the type of character Depp is, and how that in-turn impacts his approach to art, or the nuances he leans into whenever he plays a new character on screen.
As he once explained to CNN, the art of acting is all about being the observer. “I’m fascinated – I like to watch people,” said Depp. “And that’s the one sort of thing, you know, as an actor in terms of job necessity, is the ability to be able to watch people, to observe, to be the observer. And it’s one of my favourite things, to sort of pick apart various traits.”
One of Depp’s best anecdotes was the first time he ever met Hunter S Thompson. Recalling the strange incident on an episode of The Graham Norton Show, the actor explained how the pair met in a bar in Colorado and ended up building a bomb together in the journalist’s back garden. Someone more introverted, as Depp appeared to be, might have backed away and run in the other direction. Instead, he saw something that resonated and later spent $3 for Thompson’s ashes to be fired out of a cannon.
The point is that, although Depp sometimes paints himself as a harmless observer, he’s usually as strange and unusual as the other party involved, and often willingly gets swept up in the all fun, if he hasn’t initiated it himself. In fact, to the unsuspecting eye, Depp might appear to be quite sensible and to prefer to keep to himself, but the more you know, the more you realise that he’s actually a pretty weird guy.
For instance, there are countless stories of Depp joining in on pranks in various scenarios or starting them himself (like pranking Marlon Brando with a fart machine), or moments when he’s recalling stories about others where his distinctive sense of humour gives him away. Once, he sat outside writer-actor Paul Whitehouse’s window with a mask on just because he wanted the part in one of his shows that badly.
“The Fast Show might have been one of the most brilliant things in any world – television, theatre, whatever. It was a brilliant show,” said Depp. “When it was mentioned as a possibility, I actively pursued it. I went after [Paul] Whitehouse. I stalked him. I was sitting in a tree outside his bedroom window with a funny mask on, and that’s how I got the job.”
Depp later said that landing the minor role was “one of my proudest achievements”. Most actors dream of one day making it big and starring in a major blockbuster on the big screen. But Depp’s goals (and taste in friends) seem to have always followed a trend, and that is that if he relates to someone or something on a deeper, more authentic level, then it’s a worthy addition to his already chaotic life.
