Johnny Depp picks the funniest movie he’s ever seen: “No film has ever made me laugh more”
Before his recent controversy, Johnny Depp was famed for his eclectic and transformative roles in cinema, able to nimbly traverse all genres with grace and ease. As an actor who has demonstrated an exceptional funny bone, turning in several iconic comedy performances, including Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, he holds a particular comedy in high esteem – even deeming it the funniest of all time.
In 2017, Depp was asked to curate films for Glastonbury Festival’s cinema tent, blending classics with more obscure cult favourites to create a cinematic feast for attendees. Amongst them was Withnail & I, a British black comedy, which Depp justified his choice by asserting it to be “the funniest fucking film I have ever seen!”
Following unemployed actors Withnail and “I” (Marwood), played by Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, Withnail & I detailed their escapades from a squalid apartment and encounters with a ‘Camberwell Carrot’ to an ill-fated holiday – providing not only gut-wrenching laughs but a melancholic look at a lost era.
Made in 1987, the British movie has since gone on to achieve a fervent cult following unrivalled by any other. Elsewhere, Depp confessed: “No film has ever made me laugh more, or filled me with so much joy… and dread, than Withnail & I! For me, this is perfect cinema. Genius.”
Acknowledging the enduring, decades-old impact that Robinson’s movie had on cinema culture and the specific merit of the director, the Edward Scissorhands actor decreed: “No other film in history is as quoted or has inspired such cult-like loyalty. Bruce Robinson. There’s another genius right there.” It’s clear Depp not only found the film enthralling but also acknowledged its enduring legacy and impact on film culture – and, as we’d find out later, his professional life.
When asked by Shortlist if Withnail & I inspired his Pirates of the Caribbean character, Captain Jack Sparrow, the actor replied: “Oh yeah, definitely. But Withnail, for me, is as good as cinema gets. It has every aspect you want. It’s hysterically funny, immensely quotable, and there’s a great gravity to it as well. It’s a very poetic film. For me, it’s in the top three of all time.”
This admiration would eventually culminate in an actual creative collaboration: when it came to The Rum Diary, based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, Depp was determined to have Robinson, who hadn’t directed a film for 19 years, at the helm. Despite Robinson’s initial reluctance, he was so committed to this vision that he persisted.
Depp was relentless, understanding of the director’s distaste for “the cinema game” yet firm in his belief that Robinson was the dream director for the project. “I had to pursue him until he kicked me in the midsection,” Depp remarked. Despite the resistance, he ultimately got the “genius” director of his favourite comedy to direct him in his own alcohol-fuelled romp – although with significantly less impressive results.
