Inside/Actors-Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has always seemed like a character actor trapped in a leading man's body. He was initially cast as a teen heart throb in the popular television show, 21 Jump Street - The Complete First Season - a role he grew uncomfortable with because he saw himself being transformed into a commodity for a corporation. So, he decided to deconstruct this image by starring in cult filmmaker John Waters Cry Baby (Director's Cut). He never looked back, starring in a number of diverse films that saw him playing a colourful assortment of oddball outsiders, from Dead Man to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Criterion Collection.

Depp finally sat down with James Lipton in 2002 for an episode of Inside the Actors Studio. It seems rather odd that he would get a career perspective so early in his life, but he has assembled an impressive resume which this show skims broadly over. Depp talks about how he got into music, joined a band and how this led to his first acting gig in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Unfortunately, Lipton skips over Depp's pivotal role in Cry-Baby and instead delves into his first collaboration with Tim Burton with Edward Scissorhands.

Depp also talks about how he got the role in Ed Wood and how he approached the character as well as what influenced his performance: a mix of Ronald Reagan, the Tin Man and Casey Kasem. Thankfully, they cover Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and talk about how he got involved in the project and how he lived with Hunter S. Thompson in order to portray him accurately. Sadly, some of his other films, like Dead Man and The Ninth Gate, aren't discussed leaving you wanting for more. This is certainly not a comprehensive profile but rather a primer on Depp's life and career.

Overall, a nice piece, but I almost wish it had been extended to 2 hours like the Robin Williams or Tom Hanks interviews. Very little was said about "Chocolat"--the first time Depp took on a true leading man role in a film--"Gilbert Grape" and "Benny & Joon" were only briefly touched on, and not a word was mentioned of Depp's roles in "Blow" or the Jack the Ripper flick, "From Hell", both of which are impressive pieces of work...probably more so than "Sleepy Hollow" or even "Ed Wood". It's obvious from the Q&A with the students that Depp talked about his time living with real gypsies prior to making "The Man Who Cried," but this discussion with Lipton did not make it into the final edit for some reason. I know from accounts of the taping that the overall interview was about 3 hours (with the Q&A lasting another hour before Dean Lipton chided the students that they really needed to let Depp go home) and it would have been really nice to see more of that than 1 hour it was reduced to. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating glimpse into processes and and inner thoughts of one of the finest actors of our modern age.

A part of me wishes IAS hadn't interviewed Depp until a couple of years ago so we could hear his thoughts on the sudden (though well-deserved) turn in his fortunes, going from being box-office poison to blockbuster superstar and what it's like to finally be appreciated for his work, even if he hasn't changed the way he goes about choosing roles and making them his own. ;)

As a fan of Johnny Depp and of the show, Inside the Actors Studio, I was interested in seeing this episode. Mr. Depp was one of the better selections for a DVD this show. (Robin Williams was another!) I was impressed that he actually names several books on acting that the students recognized. No seat of his pants actor, Johnny Depp talks about how he "finds" his characters and it's interesting stuff. He also talks about how he got into acting (everyone knows that story now, but it's nice to hear it from the "horse's mouth"). I've lent the DVD out to a friend and she hasn't returned it yet! It's worth the look.