TV & SATELLITE WEEK (UK) December 11-17, 2004

JOHNNY COME LATELY

It's taken long enough, but now Johnny Depp is both a box-office sensation and a serious Oscar contender

Story by Miranda Francis

After years of critical acclaim for movies such as Edward Scissorhands and Donnie Brasco, Johnny Depp was finally nominated for a Best Actor Oscar this year for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in the swashbuckler Pirates of the Caribbean, which premieres on Disney this week.

The 41-year-old, who's set to start shooting the sequel next year, has recently completed three movies in the UK - the current cinema release Finding Neverland (which as been tipped to earn him another Oscar nomination), The Libertine (in which he plays the debauched 17th-century poet the Earl of Rochester), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (reprising Gene Wilder's role as Willy Wonka).

Once a hellraiser, Depp now has two children - Lily-Rose, five, and two-year-old Jack - with his long-term girlfriend, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, and has made his home in France. Here, he tells Miranda Francis about his latest projects and his belated status as a bona fide star...

After 20 years in the industry, how did it feel to be Oscar-nominated for Pirates of the Caribbean?

It was never my goal to become a big box-office star, so to have a performance acknowledged on that scale was something I wasn't used to. It's been fun to come back to Hollywood as a bankable actor. But I've been around long enough to know that one week you're on the exclusive list, then the next week you're not.

Are you looking forward to shooting the sequel?

I look forward to revisiting Jack Sparrow. He's a charming, interesting fellow, aside from those braids and gold teeth. Filming the sequel will also make my daughter Lily-Rose very happy. She already thinks I'm a pirate.

Do you select your roles differently these days?

Yes, I enjoy making films that my kids can see. When I was approached to do Finding Neverland, it was certainly a big plus that it was a film my kids could watch.

How did you approach playing the role of J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland?

I created him from bits and pieces of observations from people who saw him as quite a dark figure - yet mixed together with the flashes of light and happiness that surely led him to write Peter Pan. The clothes certainly helped with the character. Barrie was not a social animal, so those suits and tight collars added to his uncomfortable nature.

Did you find it difficult doing a Scottish accent?

Musically and rhythmically, I initiallly couldn't quite get a hold of it. I don't think there are any recordings of Barrie in existence, so that didn't help. Luckily, we had a couple of crew guys who were Scottish who picked up the falsities.

Presumably, your kids won't be seeing your next release, The Libertine?

No. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under, let's say, 26. There's too much sex. Rochester's life was like a whirlwind. He was dead of drink and syphilis at 33. The film's about as debauched as you can get.

You've spent a lot of time filming in the UK recently. Did you enjoy it here?

I am absolutely 100 per cent at home in Great Britain. I'm fascinated by the history and I've loved just being here and taking weird little sojourns down to Bath or Rye.

How did it feel working with Tim Burton again on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

It's the fourth time Tim and I have worked together and we have a connection. I cannot explain it - it just works. The movie isn't a direct remake of the 1971 film. It's Tim's version of the book, so it's gonna be a wild ride. Gene Wilder did such an awesome job as Willy Wonka but I go in another direction completely.

Thanks to Becca for the page scans!