The actor Johnny Depp called “the perfect example of what a man should be”
Despite being born and raised in the United States and becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars when his career reached its highest point, Johnny Depp has always been a vocal fan of some unsung performers hailing from the United Kingdom.
Close friend and industry titan Marlon Brando may have been his favourite actor, but Depp has been known to place The Fast Show favourite Paul Whitehouse as among his most cherished stars, which led to him making a cameo appearance in the sketch comedy’s series finale.
Paul Bettany is another personal and professional acquaintance he doesn’t think gets the recognition they deserve, and much the same can be said of the person he branded as “the perfect example of what a man should be.” They enjoyed a hugely successful career no doubt, but didn’t quite attain a level of international stardom befitting of their natural talent.
That’s not to say Robbie Coltrane was an unknown by any stretch of the imagination, but as it applied to mainstream American cinema, his most prominent and well-known roles came when he lent support in major blockbusters like the Harry Potter franchise, James Bond entries GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough, and heist sequel Ocean’s Twelve.
Over on home soil, though, Coltrane was a respected and distinguished veteran of stage, screen, film, and television, with three Baftas to his name for his small-screen exploits. He only worked with Depp once on 2001’s middling period-set murder mystery thriller and graphic novel adaptation From Hell, but that was more than enough to leave a lasting impression on the leading man.
“He’s a great man, a loyal man, he’s a great actor, a great comedian, a beautiful friend, a beautiful father,” Depp said of Coltrane to Capital FM. I’m going to call him ‘Bafta Coltrane’ from now on. I’m sure he’ll clean up at the Academy Awards.”
Sadly, Coltrane didn’t clear up at the Academy Awards, and he never secured so much as a single nomination. ‘Bafta Coltrane’ is definitely more accurate, though, with the star securing three more nominations from the British industry’s most prestigious ceremony over the years to go along with his trio of wins.
Even though they shared the screen in a solitary and very underwhelming reinvention of the Jack the Ripper mythos, the appreciation Depp and Coltrane had for each other was evident in their on-screen chemistry, with the former’s investigator Frederick Abberline and the latter’s assistant Peter Godley comfortably generating From Hell‘s most memorable dynamic.
Of course, Coltrane was never anything less than reliable over the course of a career that spanned more than 40 years, and the impression he made on Depp speaks volumes to his character.
