Written by Jennifer
March 13, 2009
Johnny Depp always reveals himself to be a sweet and thoughtful soul, full of interesting ideas, witty remarks, and intriguing quirks.
As Hollywood interviews go, it's hard to top Johnny Depp. He always reveals himself to be a sweet and thoughtful soul, full of interesting ideas, witty remarks, and intriguing quirks. His appearance on Inside the Actors Studio is no different, and James Lipton proves far more sympathetic than some interviewers I've seen.
Speaking to a packed auditorium, Depp discusses his vagabond childhood and chronicles his career path. He began playing clubs with his band at the age of fourteen, then moved to L.A., where Nicholas Cage suggested he take a shot at acting. This eventually led to major heartthrob status on 21 Jump Street, and the overwhelming feeling that he'd been turned into a product. In an effort to prove that he was more than a cookie cutter cut-out, he made a point of choosing projects that reflected his range as an actor, as well as his affinity for outsiders.
The result, as we all know, is an eclectic body of work including many collaborations with Tim Burton. Depp outlines the inspiration for each character from Edward Scissorhands (a newborn baby and a faithful dog) to Ichabod Crane (a teenage girl and Angela Lansbury). You may have heard the stories elsewhere, but I doubt there are many of us who will complain about hearing them again.
The only unpleasant aspect of this interview is the audience, which is apparently so squirrely from being in the same room as Johnny that they can't control their gasps, guffaws, and giggles. Their reactions tend to blare out in contrast to the soft-spoken actor, and after awhile it becomes irritating. Seriously, the "Wino Forever" tattoo is old news, and the fact that he was once swallowed by a bed (in Nightmare on Elm Street) doesn't seem that funny. If you can block out the sound of the over-eager students, this makes for a nice date with Mr. Depp.
As far as I can tell, the only extra feature on this DVD is a little blip called "James Lipton Remembers". Basically he introduces the episode with an elaborate breakdown of everything that's going to transpire. It's not exactly necessary when you're going to watch the whole thing anyway, but it does give us a bit of context for an interview that took place back in 2002.
