‘The Libertine’: the movie Johnny Depp said was “exhausting on every level”
Having grossed more than a whopping $8billion worldwide through his movies, it’s fair to say that Johnny Depp is one of the most financially lucrative stars in American cinema. Any director or producer looking for a healthy box office would be wise to consider Depp for a role in their film, who is pretty much a guarantee of success.
Of course, Depp isn’t merely a numbers man; he also possesses the talent to deliver a rousing performance. With the likes of Platoon, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Dead Man, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Donnie Brasco to his name, Depp has clearly contributed to some of the film industry’s most brilliant moments.
Like any actor, Depp has worked on productions that sailed by with ease and those that he has had to put every ounce of his work ethic and talent into, and concerning the latter, it appears that Depp worked himself to the bone when appearing the 2005 period drama film The Libertine, directed by Laurence Dunmore.
Depp played the poet and courtier of the Restoration court during the reign of King Charles II, John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, in the film alongside the likes of Samantha Morton, John Malkovich and Rosamund Pike, which focuses on the decadent life of Wilmot, known for his rakish lifestyle.
In an interview with the BBC, Deep admitted that making The Libertine was an “amazing experience” but conceded that it took its toll on him. “It was exhausting on every level,” the actor admitted. “We were given a limited amount of time to shoot the film, and the screenplay itself is an epic biography of the guy in a very short period of time.”
There was a definite intensity during the production of The Libertine, with Depp sometimes having to shoot “eight to ten pages of very emotional spiel” in a single day. Wilmot was undoubtedly a complicated character to play, known for his satirical poetry as much as his sexual endeavours. He’d actually died at the age of 33 after contracting a sexually transmitted infection, with Depp pointing out that he “basically he drank himself to death and shagged himself to death.”
During the research process, which included going to the British Library in London to look at the letter he had sent his peers and confidants, Depp felt that he was able to learn everything about Wilmot. “He was a deeply caring father; deeply caring husband; wrote deeply moving letters to the women in his life,” Depp noted. “But he was just deeply plagued with, and tormented by, pains in his life.”
Despite having an admittedly “tarnished image”, all Depp wanted to do was “bring to life a guy that I had read about and tried to do him some justice.” The Libertine was Laurence Dunmore’s directorial debut, and Depp was blown away by the talent of the director and believed that he was “going to be around for a long time.”
“He just got as dirty as anyone, getting down in the mud, operating, shooting, bringing it all together,” Depp said. “He’s a real force. We still talk at least once a week and are actively looking for more stuff to do together. I think he’s a brilliant filmmaker.”
