Johnny Depp: King of Cult (2021) - full transcript

- The only responsibility
really, I think you have

is to deliver something
that's fresh each time,

something that's new or
at least to attempt that.

The real responsibility
is to entertain them,

to try and make 'em laugh.

That's really it.

[upbeat country music]

[Narrator] Johnny Depp

is perhaps one of the
most versatile actors

of his day and age in Hollywood

and has carved a
legacy for himself



as a serious,
well-rounded performer.

- I started out to make a
film that everyone will hate,

to go out of your way to
see if they'll just hate it.

I've done that
before, haven't I?

- [Narrator] His tendency
to frequently play

freakishly eccentric outcast,

whose oddities are
misunderstood by society

has made him one of the
world's best character actors

with iconic roles such
as Captain Jack Sparrow

and Willy Wonka.

- With all the
characters I've played,

they're still pretty
close to the surface.

There's still each and every
one relatively accessible.

- [Narrator] From his stranger
roles like the Mad Hatter



in Alice in Wonderland to
more conventional performances

like John Dillinger
in Public Enemies,

Johnny Depp has managed to
capture the hearts of millions,

making him a household name.

It's just so much fun to,

well, get away with things that
you're not normally allowed

to get away with it.

John is a lot of fun to write

and he also helps out
and contributes a lot

to the character.

He knows it so well.

He knows what the
character would say.

He embellishes things
so effectively.

- He is sensationally
professional and talented actor.

- John, he's a legend,
he [indistinct].

- [Narrator] Johnny Depp
is Hollywood's chameleon.

- I've just been very
lucky over the years.

It's a miracle that
people still hire me

after some of the stuff
I've gotten away with.

[audience chuckles]

I mean, honestly.

I lay it all down to luck.

There was no way to predict,

prior to Pirates
of the Caribbean,

I was labeled,

they literally used to
call me box office poison,

which I was kind of okay with.

That didn't bother me at all,

then suddenly Pirates happened.

Suddenly, Tim doesn't
have to fight with studios

to get me the gig anymore,

which he had to for many years.

It just happens.

[gentle guitar music]

- [Narrator] Initially
known as a teen idol

for his tortured
pretty boy looks,

Johnny Depp survived the perils

of adolescent heartthrob
status to earn a reputation

as a respected adult actor.

[gentle guitar music]

Johnny Depp was born
on June 9th, 1963

in Owensboro, Kentucky,

the youngest of four
children of waitress,

Betty Sue Palmer and civil
engineer, John Christopher Depp.

- [Reporter] Johnny, what else
can we expect to see you in?

- Well, it's called
something else now.

I think it's called
Learning to Fly.

It'll be out in September.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] The
family moved frequently

during his childhood,

eventually settling in
Miramar, Florida in 1970.

His parents divorced
in 1978 when he was 15

and his mother later
married Robert Palmer,

whom Johnny has
called an inspiration.

Johnny was gifted a
guitar by his mother

when he was 12 years old and
began playing in various bands.

He dropped out of Miramar
High School aged 16 in 1979

to become a rock musician.

He attempted to go back
to school two weeks later

but the principal told
him to follow his dream

of being a musician.

In 1980, he began
playing guitar in a band

called The Kids.

After modest local
success in Florida,

the band moved to Los Angeles
in pursuit of a record deal,

changing their name
to Six Gun Method.

In December 1983,

Johnny married makeup
artist, Lori Anne Allison

the sister of his band's
bassist and singer.

The Kids split up before
signing a record deal in 1984

and Johnny subsequently
began collaborating

with the band, Rock City Angels.

In the early 1980s,
Johnny Depp's then wife,

Lori Anne Allison introduced
him to actor, Nicholas Cage

who advised him to
pursue an acting career.

His first role was
in the horror film,

A Nightmare on
Elm Street in 1984

in which he played the boyfriend
of heroine, Nancy Thompson

and one of Freddy
Krueger's victims.

Johnny Depp became a teen
idol during the late 1980s

when he starred as an
undercover police officer

in a high school operation
in the Fox television series,

21 Jump Street, which
premiered in 1987.

What are you doing?

This is the way it works.

Stare him down, Hansen.

- Now the homeboy's
in your face.

He don't stay here to
see if you punk out.

- We can be like
this for days, man.

- No, you won't 'cause after
you see that you ain't no punk

and that you don't punk
out, he's gon' to ask you

where you from.

- [Narrator] He
accepted this role

to work with actor, Frederic
Forrest who inspired him.

Despite his success,

he felt that the series forced
him into the role of product.

He subsequently decided
to appear only in films

that he felt were right for him.

[bright guitar music]

After his early
acting experiences,

Johnny began to prioritize
roles he found more interesting

rather than those he knew
would instantly succeed

at the box office.

His first film release
in 1990 was Cry-Baby,

a musical comedy
set in the 1950s.

Although it was not a
huge box office success

upon its release,

over the years, it has gained
its status as a cult classic.

1990 also saw the beginning

of Johnny Depp's
infamous relationship

and collaborations
with Tim Burton.

Their first
collaboration saw Johnny

and Edward Scissorhands
alongside Winona Ryder.

The film was a commercial
and critical success

and began the long association
between Johnny Depp

and Tim Burton.

Another of Johnny's
memorable roles from the '90s

was in the drama, What's
Eating Gilbert Grape?

In which he starred alongside
another upcoming actor

of the time, Leonardo DiCaprio.

In 1994, Johnny took on
his second collaboration

with Tim Burton in Ed
Wood, a biographical film

about one of history's
most inept film directors.

Johnny has said the film gave
him a chance to stretch out

and have some fun
with acting again.

Ed Wood received a
positive reception

with many critics noting
Johnny's performance,

pointing out that he
had proved himself

as an established
certified actor.

He was nominated for a Golden
Globe for this performance.

Johnny Depp's starred
alongside Al Pacino

in the 1997 crime
drama, Donnie Brasco.

To prepare for this role,

Johnny spent time with
the real life Joe Pistone,

on whose memoirs
the film was based.

Donnie Brasco was a commercial
and critical success

and is considered one of
Johnny's finest performances.

- [Narrator] He
gave him his trust.

- You gotta get rid
of that mustache

and get yourself
a pair of pants.

Dress just like me.

- [Narrator] He
loved him like a son.

- Nobody can touch you
because I represent you.

Keep your nose clean, follow
the rules, be a good earner

and maybe one day when
they open the books,

you become a wise guy.

I'd die with you, Donnie.

- [Narrator] But he
never knew the truth.

[pistol fires]

- [Man] There's a war going
on in that mafia family

and that is where
Joe is undercover.

Donnie, come here.

- [Narrator] The
end of the 1990s

saw Johnny take on further
memorable roles in the film,

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

as well as another
collaboration with Tim Burton

for the period
film, Sleepy Hollow.

Critics have described
the characters he plays

as iconic loners.

Johnny's ability to embody all
of the different characters

he plays makes for a
spectacular show on screen,

improves his
diversity as an actor.

Johnny Depp began a
relationship with French actress

and singer, Vanessa Paradis,

whom he met while filming The
Ninth Gate in France in 1998.

- [Interviewer] Have you ever
seen someone across the room

and had that feeling of
true love at first site?

- Yeah, we've been
together about 11 years

and we have two children.

[Interviewer] What happened?

- I saw her back from
about 30 yards away,

I saw her back and her neck

and then turned around
suddenly and looked at me.

I was stupefied and
then it was over.

- [Narrator] They
have two children,

daughter, Lily Rose
Melody Depp born in 1999

and son, John
Christopher Depp III

known as Jack born in 2002.

He stated that having children

has given him a real foundation,

a real strong place
to stand in life.

- I mean, I think I was making
choices back then for my kid

so that when I was all
dried up and burned out

in this business,
that my children

would have something
to be proud of

or hopefully be
proud of one day.

They can watch it and say
their dad did good work

for a little while.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] In 2003,
Johnny Depp stepped

into what would become one
of his most iconic roles.

Walt Disney Pictures announced
a new adventure film,

Pirates of the Caribbean,
The Curse of the Black Pearl

and Johnny was playing
the now infamous,

Captain Jack Sparrow.

[victorious music]

The film was a worldwide success

and Johnny earned
widespread acclaim

for his comic performance
as Captain Jack,

also receiving a nomination
for the Academy Award

for best actor.

Captain Jack was basically...

How I saw the character was
a sort of weird combination

between a 18th century
rock and roll star,

i.e, Keith Richards
and then Pepe Le Pew,

who was a skunk basically.
[audience laughs]

- [Narrator] The character
of Captain Jack Sparrow

is adored by fans who
became instantly obsessed

with his comical mannerisms
and bizarre personality.

Studio executives had
at first been conflicted

about his portrayal
of the character

but clearly Captain Jack is
very popular with audiences.

Pirates of the
Caribbean became iconic

and one of Disney's best loved
action and adventure films

with its popularity giving
the creators incentive

to begin work on a sequel.

[bright music]

In 2005, Johnny Depp,
once again collaborated

with Tim Burton in a new
take on a classic story,

Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory.

In true Tim Burton's style,

the film had a
slightly dark plot

keeping in theme with
his usual creepy style.

Johnny played Willy Wonka,

a very different
type of character

to any he had played before.

Once I found him, he was okay.

All the sort of elements
combined would get you there

but the trick was finding him

and Tim and I had
had talks early on

of what this Wonka might be,

where he might be coming
from which were very helpful,

those discussions.

Talking about
children's show hosts

like we seen as kids who talk

this bizarre kind of
speech pattern, rhythm

that's very melodic
and kind of stressful.

"Hello children,
how are you today?"

That sort of thing became
the foundation for the guy

and then you just started
thinking about other things

like game show hosts
and stuff like that.

Once I found him,

it was pretty easy to
get there every day.

- [Narrator] The way
his character was styled

has now become memorable
as the look of Willy Wonka,

the one that children
will often dress up as.

- One of the more
interesting sequences to film

was when Tim locked us in
the great glass elevator,

suspended 100 feet in the air,

very hot, children
and that kind of thing

and then having to imagine
what Fudge Mountain looks like

and the sheep being sheared.

That was a kind of an
obtuse experience, but yeah.

- [Narrator] Johnny Depp
brings some amazing work

to this role from
the voice he puts on

to over the top actions.

His ability to push everything
to its absolute limit

makes it such a fun
performance to watch.

- Try some of my grass, please
have a blink, please do.

It's so delectable and
so darn good looking.

You can eat the grass?

Of course you can.

Everything in this room is
eatable, even I'm eatable

but that is called
cannibalism, my dear children

and it's in fact, frowned
upon in most societies.

Now, enjoy.

Go on, shoo!

- [Narrator] The fact that
Willy Wonka's backstory

featured quite heavily
throughout the film

gave it an unusual twist to
the classic children's story.

Getting an idea of where this
wacky personality comes from

was certainly interesting.

This film was followed by
another Burton collaboration

in 2005, where Johnny
voiced the character

of Victor Van Dort in the
stop-motion animated film,

Corpse Bride.

[bright music]

2006 saw the long
awaited pirates sequel,

Pirates of the Caribbean,
Dead Man's Chest.

Audiences couldn't wait to
see Johnny reprise the role

of Captain Jack Sparrow

and according to several
surveys at the time,

this was the main reason

many people went to see
the film in cinemas.

When we did the first one,

we thought we'd put
everything we could think of,

a talking parrot and
a monkey and skeleton,

sword fighting skeletons

but then we started going

into the the sort of
mystical history of the ocean

and we came up with things
like Davy Jones and the Kraken

or Kraken or Kraken

depending on who you talk
about, the sea creature.

There's more adventure,
there's more action.

We had a bigger budget so
we got to have more fun.

- [Narrator] The
sequel also introduced

Captain Jack's biggest rival,

Davy Jones played by
actor, Bill Nighy.

[tense music]

- Oh.
- You have a debt to pay.

You've been captain of the
Black Pearl for 13 years.

That was our agreement.

- Technically, I was only
captain for two years,

then I was viciously
mutinied upon.

- Then you're a poor captain
but a captain nonetheless.

Have you not introduced
yourself all these years

as Captain Jack Sparrow?

- [Narrator] Dead Man's
Chest was closely followed

by another sequel, Pirates of
the Caribbean, At World's End

in 2007.

Both films were box
office successes.

- Well, this one, you
get everything explained

to you that was left so
infuriatingly hanging last time.

Everything is neatly
dovetailed and resolved

and you get to see
why David Jones

is actually surprisingly rather
decent, tender, loving guy.

No, unfortunately
he remains a maniac

but you at least get to
see what happened to him

and why he's so
angry and intense.

- [Narrator] As the third
installment of the franchise

seemed to wrap up
some major plot lines,

fans were worried this
was the last they'd see

of Captain Jack.

The character that Johnny
developed so in-depth,

Captain Jack Sparrow is
appreciated worldwide

and Johnny regularly
attends charity events

for children's hospitals dressed
as the infamous character

to surprise and bring
joy to the patients.

In 2007, Johnny Depp took on
the rule of murderous barber,

Sweeney Todd for his sixth
film with Tim Burton.

Sweeney Todd, The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street

was developed from the
original 1979 stage musical

and although Johnny was not
a fan of the musical genre,

he had grown to like
the tail's treatment.

- In the chair, come
on, Sweeney's waiting.

I want your [indistinct].

You sir, two, sir.

Welcome to the grave.

♪ I will have vengeance

♪ I will have salvation

I can guarantee the closest
shave you'll ever known.

- May the good
Lord smile on you.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Although he had
performed in musical groups,

Johnny was initially unsure
that he would be able

to perform the role which
required him to sing.

He recorded demos and worked
with his old bandmate,

Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals

without a qualified voice coach.

Starring alongside fellow
Tim Burton veteran,

Helena Bonham Carter, the
film was a huge success

and was praised
highly by critics.

Johnny won a Golden
Globe for his performance

and was once again nominated
for an Academy Award.

Johnny Depp reunited with
director, Terry Gilliam

for the Imaginarium of
Doctor Parnassus in 2009,

in which Johnny, Jude
Law and Colin Farrell

each played the character
initially portrayed

by their friend, Heath Ledger,

who died before the
film was completed.

All three actors
gave their salaries

to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.

He then started in Michael
Mann's, 1930s crime film,

Public Enemies in which he
portrayed real life gangster,

John Dillinger.

Dillinger was basically a guy

who was public enemy number one

but with me, myself, I
never saw him as an enemy

of the public.

I always saw John
Dillinger in a way

as a 1930s version
of the Robin Hood.

[dramatic music]

- [Woman] What is it
exactly you do for a living?

John Dillinger, I rob banks.

- That's a serious thing to
say to a girl you just met.

- I like baseball, movies, good
clothes, fast cars and you.

What else do you need to know?

- Either way, I think
that Johnny's done

some of the most brilliant
work that any actor,

in particular Depp and
it's the inside is exposed

and I like him playing
this kind of a character.

A tough guy, a real man.

It was really probably
through Johnny,

and maybe one other
persons I won't name

but if they didn't do it,

I don't think I'd
have done a movie.

- I am declaring United
States of America's

first war on crime.

[riffle fires]

- [Man] Your task would
be to get John Dillinger.

Are you up to that
task, Agent Purvis?

Absolutely, sir.

[indistinct]

- [John] That's
your money, mister?

Yes.

- We're here for the
bank's money, not yours.
Put it away.

- [Man] Now the whole country
thinks you're a damn hero.

- Robbing banks is
getting tougher.

- We're having too
good a time today,

we ain't thinking
about tomorrow.

[Man] Well, you ought to.

- Johnny!
- Put some clothes on, miss.

- [Interviewer] How
long did it take you

to go through a bank?

- About one minute
40 seconds, flat.

[crowd laughs]

Well, here's a man who killed
pretty boy [indistinct].

[gun fires]

- The only way that you
will leave a jail cell

is when we take you
out to execute you.

- It is an interesting
time for a film like this

because when you when you
look at John Dillinger

back in those days with
the public rooting for him,

the public's sticking by him
and supporting him at that time

against the banks,

against the government.

In today's day and age,

today's digital sort of
whirlwind that where in

because of the amount of cell
phones and all that stuff,

he would have been sold out
in like a half a second.

That's a kind of an interesting
perspective on things.

- Michael Mann was saying
that he was looking forward

to getting your way perhaps,

from the more
whimsical characters

and getting you to
play a tough guy

'cause he said that Johnny
Depp is a tough guy.

Was it nice getting your
hands a bit dirtier?

- Well, you always
try and get your hands

as dirty as possible
in any case.

Sure, it was nice to tackle
a character like this.

I don't think it's
anything I've done before,

which was part of the excitement

and it's nice to fire a lot
of Thompson submachine guns

as well.

- [Narrator] The next
Depp-Burton collaboration

was Alice in Wonderland in 2010.

- [Reporter] This is your
seventh collaboration

with Tim Burton.

Is there anything you
will not do for this man?

- No, I would absolutely
do anything for the guy

without question.

Wouldn't matter.

- [Narrator] He
played the Mad Hatter

alongside other A-list stars,

Helena Bonham Carter, Anne
Hathaway and Alan Rickman.

- I wanted the Hatter
to, something that
Tim and I early on

we're talking about, if
this guy were actually made

up of different people,

they would be the extreme
sides of these people.

I wanted to go extremely
kind of dark and yeah,

dangerous with
the Scotts accent.

I hope I arrived there.

My kids actually saw the
film 'cause I haven't.

I sent them out there
in the front lines.

They saw it and loved
it, absolutely adored it.

Went crazy, quoting
things from it

and just thought it was amazing.

Loved every character

and weren't freaked
out by it whatsoever.

- [Narrator] This
role, once again

showed Johnny's amazing
skills as a character actor

developing the Mad Hatter
into a larger than life role.

- It was another one that
you felt very strongly

about, how he should look,
what his behavior was like,

in the end that he shouldn't
be just very simply

throwing a rubber ball into a
room and letting them go nuts

and just for laughs and stuff.

I thought that there should
be some other side to him,

some degree of damage,
some trauma in there.

He's a bit damaged and yeah,

I could more than
anything again,

to use the word luck again

because I feel so lucky to have,

well, to get away with it

because each time
out of the gate,

there's always somebody
that comes around

and says, oh Jesus,
what's he doing now?

You kind of just
feel, in a weird way

and I don't mean this
in a negative way

but you've sort of
infiltrated the enemy camp

on some level and you
made it through unscathed.

My approach to the character,

it was just the idea of trying
to find those places inside

to go from extreme
sides of personality.

One minute you're at
full capacity rage

and then the next minute,

you've dropped into some kind
of horrific tailspin of fear

and then you go to some
very, great height of levity.

That was just what I
tried to do within scenes

as much as I could find
the right moments for him.

- [Narrator] The following
year saw the release

of the fourth installment
in the Pirates series,

Pirates of the Caribbean,
On Stranger Tides,

much to the surprise of fans.

- [Man] You could
guide an expedition.

You are Jack Sparrow.

- There should be a
captain in there somewhere.

With all the characters you
play, I mean, at least for me,

with all the
characters I've played,

they're still pretty
close to the surface.

They're still each and every
one relatively accessible.

You're right though.

Some of them, you
have to work up to,

and other one's just
come a little bit easier

and Captain Jack, certainly
having played him now

four times, he arrives
pretty quickly.

[Johnny chuckles]

He arrives a little too quickly

but in fact, he
arrives in life a lot,

dropping your kids off at
school and he'll just show up.

- Jack Sparrow, this
is his invention.

It's his series.

He's made it a success

along with a lot of other
talented people behind him

and with him.

It's his to champion
and hopefully carry on.

The fountain is the prize.

- [crowd cheers]
- Mermaid Waters,

that could be our path.

Steady as she goes.

[Man] What's your play, Jack?

- I thought I should
give you warning,
we're taking the ship.

It's nothing personal.
[speaking foreign language]

[indistinct] you
just, stay out of it.

- I always leave a
cliffhanger at the end

and you think, I've
got a funny feeling

we're all gonna be getting
back together again

in another year or two.

The crew are amazing.

The set, the attention
to detail, the costumes

and the makeup makes our
job really easy to do.

- You always feel
that responsibility

and you feel grateful for
great people like them

to give me an opportunity
to be part of it.

I felt very welcome and I
enjoyed every minute of it.

- They'll be dangers
along the way.

Firstly, mermaids,
zombies, Blackbeard,

the pirate all pirates fear.

- If I do not make it to the
fountain, neither will you.

[Jack screams]

- Is that it?
- I think so.

[upbeat music]

It has began, again!

Are we not kingsmen?

How is it we can never meet

without you pointing
something at me?

There's the Jack I know.

[tense music]

Fight to the bitter end!

- You know that feeling you
get when you're standing

in a high place to
suddenly just jump?

I don't have it.
[tense music]

Did everyone see that because
I will not be doing it again.

The only responsibility
really, I think you have

is to deliver something
that's fresh each time,

something that's new or
at least to attempt that.

The real responsibility
is to entertain them,

to try and make 'em laugh.

That's really it.

Already starting
out as a pirate,

you're not on good footing

in terms of making an impression

'cause the pirate
that's too good

would probably be
thrown out, wouldn't he?

Thrown overboard.

I think our only responsibility,

my only responsibility
is just to try

and invent new situations,

new bits and pieces
that entertain.

- [Narrator] The film
featured new cast members

who hadn't appeared
in the earlier films,

creating different storylines.

This installment of
the Pirate series

was again, a box office success.

- It's funny how the
films have been accepted

and how the characters
have been accepted

and you think back when we first
started out on Pirates one,

it was very simple.

It's just like any
other character,

you just sort of
grab bits and pieces

and out comes this kind of
weird little stew you've created

and so what I'm saying is,

none of us have done
anything really different

other than just kind of
create these characters

and then boom, whatever
happened happened.

It's the first time I was
ever offered the opportunity

to say, hey, there's a
couple of more possibilities

or there's a few
more bits to mind

in terms of the character

and it's just so much fun
to get away with things

that you're not normally
allowed to get away with,

to be totally irreverent, to
play as absurd as you'd like.

It's a very special opportunity.

[gentle music]

- [Narrator] In 2011,
Johnny Depp worked

on a new animated film

in which he voiced
the title character,

a lizard in Rango.

The film had a worldwide appeal

and showed Johnny could
still create magic

from behind a camera

just using his voice to
develop a lovable character.

Johnny then returned to
Hunter S. Thompson's work

in a film adaptation of
the novel, The Rum Diary

which also became the
first project undertaken

by his production
company, Infinitum Nihil.

He found this novel

and the novel got published
40 years after it was written.

Then asked me to have a go
at the screenplay for it,

which I did.

I'm a screenwriter, that's I do.

Then to my amazement, he said,
okay, now you can direct it

and I was very resistant
to that at first

but, it's pretty
cool being pulleyed

by world's number one film star.

No, you're doing it

and phoning up, you're
doing it, doing it.

It's his face on screen.

His risk, not mine.

If the film is a
complete failure,

it's Johnny on screen, not me.

- It was a book that
almost never happened.

Weirdly, it was something
that I accidentally located

when I was going
through the manuscripts

of Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas

with Hunter in his war room

and we sat down and
started reading the thing,

cross-legged on the
floor and Hunter said,

"We should make
this into a film."

I said, "Yeah, maybe you
should publish it first."

- He is sensationally
professional and talented actor

but he's also a great
painter and a great musician

and he's got a wonderful
library and I'm a bibliomaniac.

I collect the same
writers that he does

so there was an
immediate symbiosis

between us on that level in
that the first time we met,

we sat there all afternoon
talking about Verlaine

and [indistinct] so
that was all good stuff.

- We worked very hard
together to try to get it done

and because it was such
a long shot at that time,

the two of us doing some
sort unexpected tap dance

to try to get
money for the film.

It didn't work very well

and we kept pushing forward
and then 2,500 made his exit.

After we'd gotten
Bruce on board,

we pushed it
through, but I mean,

14 years to get this thing made.

- [Interviewer] So there's
been a labor of love for you?

- Of course, it was Hunter's
last, one of his last dreams

so I had to make it come
true, there was no other way.

I mean, obviously there's a
little bit more responsibility

in terms of you're playing
someone who you knew and loved

but an earlier version where
he had not yet found the avenue

for the rage or
the voice itself.

- [Interviewer] Did it get
quite emotional at times?

- Of course, because you're
serving your best friend

who's not there with you.

- [Interviewer] Great,
thank you so much.

Thank you, thanks very much.

- [Narrator] In 2012,
Johnny Depp's starred

in his eighth film with
Tim Burton, Dark Shadows,

alongside Michelle Pfeiffer

and of course,
Helena Bonham Carter.

- I think it's one of
Tim's finest yet again.

I mean, he just keeps
getting better and better

as a filmmaker and as an artist

but I certainly haven't gotten
tired of working with Tim.

I don't think I ever would.

It's always fresh, it's always
new, it's always different.

It feels like the
first time every time.

- [Narrator] The film
was based on the 1960s

Gothic television soap
opera of the same name,

which had been one of
his favorites as a child.

Well, it was fair

'cause I mean, a lot
of people know it.

I mean, there was,
there was a group of us

like Johnny or Michelle
Pfeiffer and others,

but it wasn't [indistinct].

Other countries
didn't know about it.

We just tried to do what
we loved about the show

and not have it be
reliant on anybody

knowing what the show was.

- My twist and Tim's
twist on the vampire

and certainly the base
ingredient was Jonathan Fred.

He was wonderful in the
role and there was no way

to escape the sort of
beauty that he contributed.

- There was no
political context?

No, political context.

You wanna wear a fake
nose in you're fucking--

[Narrator] The same year,

Johnny Depp and his 21
Jump Street co-stars,

Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson

briefly reprised their
roles in cameo appearances

in the series 2012
feature film adaptation.

- I mean, look, we know what
it's like being an undercover.

Metro Police Jump
Street division.

- Come on, you guys
are Jump Street?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- That's funny because we
were actually Jump Street.

- What?
- That's crazy.

- [Narrator] He also announced
the split from his wife,

Vanessa Paradis but the
pair are close friends.

Johnny Depp's next
starring role,

as Tonto in the Lone Ranger
was not well received

by the public or the critics.

I had a ball.

Working with Armie was the
gas, the guy, he's very funny.

He's very talented.

He's a really good guy and
we're like a house on fire

which I think comes
through on screen.

- [Interviewer]
Absolutely, yeah.

What do you think
audiences can expect

from this take on it 'cause
there's a different take
on Tonto in particular?

- Well, the interesting
thing about this particular,

let's say incarnation
of Lone Ranger

is that it's totally
different than the first.

It's got this sort of the
mainstay kind of elements

but the majority of the
story is very different

and puts Tonto in a place
where he should have never been

in the first place,
which is the sidekick.

Tonto is no longer the sidekick,

he's more of the sort of the
lone ranger's spirit leader

if you want or spirit walker.

- [Narrator] The film
was a box office bomb

that caused Walt Disney Studios
to take a $190 million loss.

[upbeat music ]

In 2012, Johnny was listed
as the highest paid actor

in the Guinness book
of World Records

for earning a total of
$75 million in 2011.

That great amount
of money was earned

thanks to his most
financially successful films,

Pirates of the Caribbean
and Alice in Wonderland

each grossing $3 billion
and $1 billion respectively.

In 2015, Johnny took on the
lead role in Black Mass,

which earned him
his third nomination

for the best actor SAG Award.

It comes everything

once you're able to
actually see the character

and we did five or six
tests with my makeup artist

to get it to the point

where it was just as
perfect as we can get.

Not only the fact that it aids

in bringing that
character to life,

it was quite interesting
to see the reactions

from some of his
former associates.

Some of them were
quite freaked out.

[Interviewer] Really?

There were extras sometimes

and they would be in the scene

and afterwards, there
were a bit freaked out.

[interviewer laughs]

- [Interviewer] A bit
close for comfort.
- I think.

It was like seeing Whitey
Bulger 30 years ago.

- [Narrator] He plays
James Whitey Bulger,

the head of the Winter
Hill gang who dealt drugs

and ran an extortion
racket on the streets

of inner city Boston in
the '80s and early '90s

while simultaneously
working as an FBI informant.

- It was a conscious
decision to sort of combine

my approach to the character

with Scott Cooper's
style of filmmaking.

He's really different.

This is only his third film.

I mean, if you think about
it, it's only his third film

and the guy, he's
just brilliant.

I've been a fan of his
movies, his other two movies.

What's beautiful about
him is he has no fear.

He's not afraid to take chances,

he's not afraid to do a
very large sort of a scene

in one shot.

That sort of bravery is missing.

We used to have [indistinct]
and people like that

who did that.

- [Interviewer]
Something different

in the film industry then.

- Yeah, he's got a
radical voice, I think

and I'm really
appreciative of him.

Anytime that people take notice
of something you've done,

although my process
hasn't changed at all.

My process is the same
as it has ever been

but of course, it's
really nice to hear

that people responded to it.

- [Narrator] Critics
praised his role

and said it was exciting
to see him back on form.

In the same year,

he also started alongside
Gwyneth Paltrow in Mordecai,

an adaptation from
the novel series.

Johnny played Lord Charlie
Mordecai, an art dealer

and swindler who races to
recover a stolen painting

rumored to contain a code
that leads to lost gold.

The first time I read it,

I thought it could never ever
be a movie, it's too much.

In fact, you realize it's
like seven movies in it.

You could make at least five
movies from [indistinct].

I am Lord Charlie Mordecai,

respected by all who
know me, slightly.

- Excellent shot, sir!
- Man down.

- I am an art dealer,
an officianado.

My wife, Joanna,
my only true love.

- I thought I'd see how
you secret agent men

run the world.

- I'm afraid I shall have to
put my foot down, darling.

Sorry?

- With your
permission, of course.

- [Narrator] Also in 2015,
Johnny married Amber Heard,

his co-star from The Rum Diary.

This relationship would go on
to fall apart very publicly

and be the source of
grueling court cases.

In 2016, Johnny Depp reprised
the role of the Mad Hatter

in Tim Burton's, Alice
Through the Looking Glass,

the sequel to Alice
in Wonderland.

The film had been a huge success

which warranted a sequel
which did just as well.

- It's [indistinct] to be able
to get back into that skin,

to be able to explore a little
bit more about the character

[indistinct] other
layers, essentially.

You see the Hatter at his
absolute worst [indistinct].

- [Narrator] Johnny had
also been secretly cast

to play dark wizard,
Gellert Grindelwald

in a cameo appearance

in Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them in 2016,

the first installment of a
Fantastic Beasts franchise

which is considered a prequel

to the Wizarding
World of Harry Potter.

His name was not mentioned
in the promotional materials

and his cameo was only revealed

at the end of the film.

In 2017, he also reprised his
role as Captain Jack Sparrow

in the fifth installment
of the Pirate series,

Pirates of the Caribbean,
Dead Men Tell No Tales.

- In the U.
- S, it was less
popular with audiences

than the previous installments

but had a good box office
return internationally.

Johnny Depp's last
film release of 2017

was the Agatha
Christie adaptation

of Murder On The Orient Express,

in which he was part
of an ensemble cast.

In 2018, Johnny Depp
starred in City of Lies

as Russell Poole,
an LAPD detective

who attempts to solve
the murders of rappers,

Tupac Shakur and
the Notorious BIG.

- Bet he didn't
have Tupac killed.

- The facts point to
something more here.

- If we could prove a
connection between cop

and Biggie's murder, it will
not only break the LAPD...

It would ruin the city.

- [Narrator] The film was
originally set for release

in September, 2018

but was pulled from release
schedule one month before.

It was later screened
out of competition

at the Noir film
festival in Italy

but has not been
released elsewhere.

However, there are now rumors
of a 2021 release date.

Johnny Depp's last
film release of 2018

was Fantastic Beasts, The
Crimes of Grindelwald,

the sequel to Fantastic
Beasts and Where To Find Them

in which he reprised
his role as Grindelwald,

who becomes one of the
main focuses of the plot.

Johnny portrayed
photographer, W. Eugene Smith

in the independent
film drama, Minamata

which premiered at the
Berlin Film Festival in 2020

and was released in early 2021

after being delayed due
to the COVID-19 pandemic.

- I've always had a
strange fascination

with W. Eugene Smith.

Initially, the
photographs of course

but then when I'd read
a bit about his life

and what he'd gone through,

what he experienced,
what he sacrificed

to capture those moments,
to capture those photos.

I was also fascinated
by the fact

that he was known
as W. Eugene Smith

and I'd heard the story
that anywhere he would be,

at times curmudgeonly bad mood

or whatever it was
going on in his mind

and they'd say, "What does
the W stand for, Eugene,"

and he'd say, "Wonderful,
Wonderful Eugene Smith."

Then of course, with the
work that he and Eileen did

in Minamata is monumental.

I mean, it was quite a
quite a ride for them,

very dangerous, so dedicated.

They did not jump ship

because between the
actor and a camera,

there's a strange
dance that you do

when scenes aren't
particularly blocked out

exactly to where he doesn't
know where I'm gonna go,

I don't know where
he's gonna go in shots.

There's a kind of beauty in the
organic nature of that dance

between actor and
operator or the eye,

which has been incredible work.

- [Narrator] The film
follows Eugene Smith,

an American photographer
who documented the effects

of mercury poisoning

on the citizens of
Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.

- You start to learn,
you start to check

and you read about
him a little bit.

This is years and years ago,

then you work with
photographers.

I worked with Mary Ellen Mark
for many years over the years

and she had known him
at one of the photo...

- Probably Magnum.
- Magnum.

It was Magnum.

You find out these
great stories.

There was a side to
him that wouldn't care.

He just got, I don't care
and he's just moving forward

but there was a side of
him, he could be quiet.

He could bite and
he could be rough

but the deal with, I
think with Eugene Smith,

ultimately what I
walked away with,

especially after talking
to other photographers

who'd known him and stuff

that he was totally
unpredictable, multifaceted,

quite bitter, quite
curmudgeonly and prickly

but that was because
the heart was in there

and it was too close
to the surface.

It was challenging 'cause
you owe a great deal

of responsibility
to these peoples.

[rock guitar music]

- [Narrator] Prior
to his acting career,

Depp was a guitarist and
he's later featured on songs

by Oasis, Iggy Pop,
Erasmith and more.

He played guitar on the
soundtrack of his film, Chocolat

and Once Upon a Time in Mexico

and he's appeared
in music videos

for Tom Petty and
the Heartbreakers,

the Lemonheads, Avril
Lavigne and Paul McCartney.

- [Interviewer] [indistinct]
as well, Johnny Depp.

- Well, he came in
at the end of a song.

We went to LA to do this record.

The whole band was hanging out

and that's where you'd
meet somebody like him

and I'd known him from before

and just invited
him down the studio.

He's a big fan of Joe's and
a bunch of other people too.

- [Interviewer] He's a great
guitar player, isn't he?

Is he what?

- [Interviewer] He's a good--

He's a great guitar player.

- Yeah, you ever seen
the movie, Chocolat?

[indistinct]

- Yeah, well that's
really him playing.

In the movies, they can fake it

and you can tell when you
watch him play in that movie,

he's playing and
that's the real deal.

Also, he jammed with us
at the Hollywood Bowl

in the last gig
and the last tour.

He wanted to play on
Train Kept It Rolling

and it's on the DVD and
it's on the deluxe version.

You can really get a chance
to hear him cut loose.

- [Narrator] In 2015, he
formed the supergroup,

Hollywood Vampires with
Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

The band also
includes Bruce Witkin,

his friend from the
1980s band, The Kids.

- Well, it started
out right here.

It started out here.

We did Dark Shadows and I
was in the movie with them

and then one night we were
gonna go play the 100 Club.

Just my band was gonna go down

and just be a bar band,
no theatrics, nothing.

If somebody yells out
Brown Sugar, we'll play it.

Back in the USSR, okay.

I said, "Johnny, come
down and play with us."

He comes down, brings his amp
and he's a good guitar player,

really a good guitar player.

He started out being a guitar
player, became an actor

and then we took
it another step.

I said, "What if we paid tribute

to all of our dead
drunk friends,

all the guys we
used to drink with,"

and we had a drinking club
called the Hollywood Vampires.

- [Narrator] The band
made their live debut

at the Roxy in Los
Angeles in September, 2015

and has since done two world
tours in 2016 and 2018.

Their second studio album,
Rise was released in June, 2019

and consists mostly
of original material

including songs
written by Johnny.

In 2020, Johnny Depp
released a cover

of John Lennon's Isolation
with guitarist, Jeff Beck

and stated that they would be
releasing more music together

in the future.

I enjoyed the process.

I like making things,
I like finding moments,

I like creating moments,
I like the idea of chance.

Yeah, I like the process.

[gentle rock music]

- [Narrator] Johnny Depp has
made a long successful career

for himself in Hollywood,
ultimately becoming

one of the most recognizable
names in the industry.

- I mean, he's such a
down to earth, easygoing,

really nice human being
as well as being gorgeous

to look at.

- [Narrator] According
to Johnny himself,

the exciting part
is doing the work,

immersing himself
in the character

and putting everything
into his performance.

Visibility to totally transform
into the role he is playing.

Be it a pirate, a man
with scissors for hands

or an old time gangster,

Johnny Depp always leaves
us visibly awestruck

knowing that no one else
could done the role he played.

Johnny Depp is a proud father,

an a claimed actor
all on his own terms.

In an industry where
most A-list leading men

have chosen to stick to
muscled up superheroes,

gun toting action men or
love struck romantic leads,

Johnny himself continues
to rule all genres

succeeding in each and more.

[bright upbeat music]

How many characters can Johnny
Depp keep inside himself

and is it safe to do so?

The legacy of Johnny
Depp is sure to continue.

[upbeat music]