Johnny Depp explains what he finds “sickening” about other actors
Though the Hollywood star Johnny Depp may be best known for his turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, the actor is also an esteemed dramatic performer. Having been nominated for three Academy Awards over the years, Depp has had the chance to collaborate with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time, including Tim Burton, Jim Jarmusch, Terry Gilliam, Wes Craven, John Waters and countless others.
A genuine talent who can do more than the movie caricatures he is now famed for, Depp earned critical acclaim for his performance in Marc Forster’s biographical drama Finding Neverland, as well as in Tim Burton’s horror musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Whilst thriving in such roles, Depp has had the chance to work with the likes of Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Alan Rickman, developing a dislike for one specific thing some actors choose to do with their careers.
Speaking at the Berlin Film Festival back in 2015 whilst promoting his forgettable spy comedy Mortdecai, Depp criticised actors who used their Hollywood stature to pursue a career in music. In conversation with the Sydney Morning Herald, Depp, who has long played the guitar, spoke about his love for music and his dislike of people who choose a career in music after Hollywood, calling the decision “sickening”.
“That whole idea for me is a sickening thing, it’s always just made me sick,” the actor stated. “I’ve been very lucky to play on friends’ records, and it’s still going. Music is still part of my life. But you won’t be hearing The Johnny Depp Band. That won’t ever exist”.
Continuing, Depp adds: “I hate the idea, ‘Come see me play the guitar because you’ve seen me in 12 movies’. It shouldn’t be (that way). You want the people who are listening to the music to only be interested in the music”.
So, who exactly is Depp talking about here? Is it Jared Leto, who followed up his early career success by forming the band 30 Seconds to Mars? Jamie Foxx, who released a number of R&B albums after his Oscar-winning turn in 2004’s Ray? Surely not Michael Cera, who joined the Sub Pop group Mister Heavenly in 2010 during his dominance in the indie film scene? One thing we do know for sure is that Depp shouldn’t really throw stones when he lives in a delicate glass house.
At the start of 2023, Depp announced a tour with Hollywood Vampires and even took to TikTok to thank his fans in video format for their presence at his gigs with Jeff Beck. “To all of my most treasured, loyal and unwavering supporters. We’ve been everywhere together, we have seen everything together. We have walked the same road together. We did the right thing together, all because you cared. And now, we will all move forward together,” he stated in a passionate speech.
Take a look at a clip of Johnny Depp on stage below.
