How did George W. Bush inspire Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka?
Since beginning his career in the 1980s, making his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny Depp has secured his place in Hollywood history as one of the most diverse actors of his generation. Even when embroiled in a significant domestic abuse court scandal, the actor was supported by thousands of dedicated fans regardless, proving his status as one of cinema’s most popular actors.
Depp starred in a series of iconic movies during the 1990s, including John Waters’ Cry Baby, Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco and Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Through a mixture of popular films and eccentric productions, Depp cemented himself as an unforgettable on-screen presence.
In the 2000s, the actor began his tenure as the kooky pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp’s character remains one of his most beloved, and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else embodying the quirky swashbuckler. He also continued his collaborations with Burton, featuring in movies like Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Alice in Wonderland.
However, one of his most iconic Burton collaborations came in 2005 when he starred in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, which was first adapted in 1971 as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Mel Stuart, Burton’s movie saw Depp play the offbeat titular character. Depp had the mammoth task of taking over the role from Gene Wilder, who gave a career-defining performance as the ambitious chocolatier decades prior.
Whether you prefer Depp’s Wonka or Wilder’s is a personal choice, although it’s hard to deny that Depp didn’t do a great job interpreting the unique character. Depp once stated, “Regardless of what one thinks of that film, Gene Wilder’s persona, his character, stands out. It was brilliant but subtle. So that scares the crap out of you. Those are big shoes. So the only way to go is back to the book and try to figure out what Roald Dahl had in his head, and then make a series of left turns. And those left turns were to go as far away from Gene Wilder’s interpretation as possible.”
To master his performance to the best of his ability, Depp revealed an unusual source of inspiration for Wonka. While he looked to “children’s show hosts,” he soon got to thinking, “What’s the next layer of this?”
He continued, “I thought, what would George W. Bush sound like, not stoned but incredibly stoned? So the combination of these talk show hosts and George Bush stoned turned into that guy.”
Depp revealed that Burton was stunned when he showed up on set speaking in his signature Wonka style, with the director telling him, “Wow, you’re really onto something here.”
