Depp

DEPP

Copyright © EC W PRESS , 200 1 All rights reserved . No part o f this publication ma y be reproduced, stored i n a retrieva l system, or transmitte d i n an y form b y an y process — electronic , mechanical, photocopying, recording , or otherwis e — withou t th e prio r writte n permission of the copyrigh t owner s an d EC W PRESS. NATIONAL LIBRAR Y O F CANAD A CATALOGUIN G I N PUBLICATIO N DAT A

Heard, Christopher , Depp ISBN 1-55022-470- 0

i. Depp , Johnny . 2 . Motion pictur e actor s and actresse s — Unite d State s — Biography , i . Tide . PN228J.D447H42 200 1 79i.43'o28'o9 2 02001-900805-

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Cover an d tex t desig n b y Tania Craan Front cove r photo b y Jean-Francois Robert/Outline Author phot o b y Mary Marentic Color section phot o credits : N. Eno/Shooting Star, Steve Sands/Outline, Benito Gely/Globe Photos, Theo Kingma/Shooting Star, Sonia Moskowitz/Globe Photos, Chris Helermmanas-Benge/Shooting Star, Benito Gely/Globe Photos, and Steve Finn/Alpha/Globe Photos Layout by Mary Bownes s Printed b y AGM V DISTRIBUTION

CANADA: Jagua r boo k group , 10 0 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown, ON L7 G 5S4 UNITED STATES : Independent Publisher s Group , 81 4 North Frankli n Street , Chicago, IL 60610 2 3 4 5

Published b y EC W PRESS 2120 Quee n Street East, Suite 200 Toronto, O N M4 E 1E2 ecwpress.com This boo k i s set in Minio n an d Akziden z Grotesk. PRINTED AND BOUND IN CANADA

The publicatio n o f Depp ha s been generousl y supported b y the Canad a Council , the Ontari o Art s Council an d th e Governmen t of Canad a throug h th e Book Publishin g Industr y Development Program . Canada

DEPP Christopher Heard ECW PRESS

For my brother, Peter S. Heard, whose kindness and generosity have always meant a lot.

Table of Contents Acknowledgments

vii

Preface

ix

Chapter ine The Kids i Chapter Two Craven Images 13 Chapter Tliress Rumble in the Jungle 25 Chapter Four Might as Well Jump 31 Chapter Five

Depp and Burton, Burton anad Depp: Part 1

55

Chapter Six The Low Road 71 Chapter iewen Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Part 2 97

Chapter Eight

1410

m

Chapter Nine

The Icon of Cool

121

Chapter Ten

The Brave

141

Chapter Eleven

Anti-Hero

163

Chapter Twelve

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro

175

Chapter Thirteen

Leaving Home

199

Chapter Fourteen

Paradis and Paradise in Paris

209

Chapter Fifteen

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Part 3

221

Chapter Sixteen

Absinthe, Croissants, and Cigarettes

233

Fiilmography

249

Sources

255

Acknowledgments Writing this book has been a very enjoyable experience for me fro m start to finish, so some thanks are in order . I woul d lik e t o than k Janic e Luk e fro m Universa l Picture s Canada fo r givin g m e th e opportunit y t o si t dow n wit h Johnn y Depp for our firs t interview and unwittingly providing the spark for this book. Thanks also to Jac k David and Jennife r Hal e at ECW . I was a bit of a handful, but the y were always supportive and encouraging, and that's what did it for me. Thanks to Dara Rowland and Rob Firing for their efforts . Special thanks to my editor, and a wonderful write r in her own right, Alana Wilcox, for making the book better i n a calm, friendly , and easygoing manner. Thanks to Vicki McKay; without her, my job would hav e been a lot harder. Thanks to Shan e Maxwell at the Hollywoo d Renaissanc e for al l his help in finding some of the missing pieces of the puzzle. Thanks als o to Susa n Smythe, Julia Caslin, and Mik e Calnek at Alliance Atlanti c fo r thei r suppor t o n thi s projec t an d other s throughout th e years. Special thanks to all those mentioned in these pages who shared their thoughts an d remembrances with me.

Thanks to Andreas Kyprianou, my friend and fello w scribe. It is always nice having him around to talk to. Thanks to my good friend and teammate on Reel to Real, Richard Grouse — I'm glad I'm on this magical mystery tour with you, Mr. Cool. Thanks to my friends Mark Pauderis and Julie Vaillancourt, who both make me look good in their own distinct ways. Special thanks to lovely Sylvie Lapointe, pretty face, sexy accent, and the one who arranged for me to see Paris. Sylvie, you are truly a beautiful woman .

Preface This book is first and foremos t about th e lif e of an intriguing actor named Johnn y Depp. Bu t it i s also abou t the cul t o f celebrit y and our unquenchable thirst for details — true or untrue — of the lives of famous people an d how , when the legends surrounding famou s people an d th e fact s o f their live s don't alway s mesh, they become even mor e famou s because of it. I am intereste d in separatin g th e fact fro m the tabloi d myth . I n the cas e of Johnny Depp, the actua l story i s eve n mor e interestin g tha n wha t ha s bee n fabricated . Tabloids hav e sai d tha t Dep p date s onl y gorgeou s model s an d actresses — true, but h e dates only one at a time and is fiercely loyal and attentiv e to th e woman he is with. Until recently , his relation ships hav e alway s lasted betwee n tw o an d fou r year s an d almos t always involved either marriage or engagement. And it's probably a surprise that Dep p is a voracious reade r — tabloids neve r seem to mention that . They'd rathe r tell you that he's a "bad boy" because it sells more papers. If, in telling his story, I tend to come down on his side more ofte n tha n not , and if that may appear sycophantic, the n so be it. I am a movie fan, a connoisseur of movie history and movie culture. For his contributions t o the art form, Depp deserves respect and admiration, and I intend to show him both. I would rathe r tell his story as I uncovered it than take the position o f a sniper. I am not particularly interested in peelin g back layers of hi s ski n t o expos e what i s shameful or humiliatin g underneath ; I want t o clea r away

the dus t an d the dir t an d allo w fans of Depp to see the sid e of him that the tabloid press never seems to cover. Johnny Depp is what I call an accidental actor. He didn't grow up idolizing James Dean or auditioning fo r commercial s when he was five. He was a kid with humble beginnings who dreamed of being a successful musician — a passion he holds to this day. Were it not for a fe w minor decision s that yielde d majo r results , h e migh t neve r have been an actor at all. He is still somewhat bewildered by what he does, how much he is paid to do it, and how much wild adoratio n he receives for it. When people think of a "movie star," his picture is probably what the y see, yet Depp ha s don e hi s best to dodg e tha t label. When asked about his reputation a s a "bad boy," he is quick to retort, "The pres s developed that . They di d that . Th e onl y reason they portray me as wild is because they need to have a name for the product. I'm a normal gu y with a slightly strange job." I happened t o be speaking to a young Canadian acto r recently who ha s a couple o f movie s and numerou s T V appearances under his belt and was about to pack up and head to L.A. I mentioned t o him that I was working on a book about Johnny Depp, and his eyes widened. "I love Johnny Depp," he enthused. I asked him why , and he launche d int o a passionate explanatio n o f what a n inspiration Depp is. "Depp doe s work that he chooses to do based on what he feels strongly about. It isn't about money and fame; it is about doing good, solid, memorable work." I heard that sentiment repeated often when speakin g wit h actors , bot h famou s an d unknown , abou t Depp. He has managed to do it, as the song goes, his way. When you go down the list of films that Johnny Depp has made, you won't find any box-office hits , and you won't fin d an y Oscar-winning movies. What you wil l fin d i s a complete chang e o f direction wit h almos t every film . Why , then, i s this gu y o n th e cove r o f magazine s th e world over? Somewhere along the line, this geeky kid from Kentucky

came to personify coo l in the '90$ . Another young Hollywood actor told me that the "Depp attitude" is one that he himself would love to project. In Depp's case, however, the cool is there without having to be cultivate d a s a n attitude . On e nee d loo k n o furthe r tha n th e people fro m who m Dep p draw s inspiratio n — Jack Kerouac, Igg y Pop, and, later, his friend Marlon Brando — to see where his attitude comes from . Before th e ide a o f writing a book o n Johnny Depp occurre d t o me, I had interviewed him o n a number o f occasions, and each time I wa s struc k b y th e fac t tha t th e commonl y held , tabloid-media driven perception of Depp as a hell-raiser and a brat was far removed from the person I was with. In telling his story, I hope to expose both his darker, deeper side and his lighter, softer side — neither of which makes fo r splash y headlines . Yes , Depp ha s ha d problem s wit h authorities that have led to a few overnight visits to jail, but he is also someone who dotes endlessly on his com-panion and their daughter, someone wh o activel y support s charitie s (includin g th e wonderfu l Make a Wish Foundation, a heroic organization dedicated to making gravely il l children' s wishe s com e true) , withou t holdin g a pres s conference every time he does. He is a loyal friend and , despite what the tabloids say , a faithful companion . Depp i s th e stor y o f a n acto r name d Johnn y Depp , wh o jus t happened t o com e alon g when th e cul t o f celebrit y had grow n t o epidemic proportions . H e i s a n acto r wh o resist s Hollywood' s professional traps but who has been known t o indulge in the more personal excesse s tha t com e wit h movie-sta r statu s — a privat e person by nature who find s himself, not entirel y unwillingly, in the glare of the spotlight. Depp has often been heard to say to photographers following him o n th e street , "Please, coul d I not b e Johnny Depp for this one evening. " As he nears 40, Johnny Depp has relocated to Paris to live with his companion, Vanessa Paradis, and thei r

children. H e seem s t o hav e foun d a ne w contentmen t i n hi s life , which i s being positively reflected i n his work — alway s fascinating to watc h becaus e he takes it seriously . He continues t o be i n grea t demand, and , a s the yea r 200 0 rolled around , h e wa s working o n several projects back to back, but th e well-being of his family is now clearly his top priority. Whether w e like it or not, movies and television ar e the mai n channel s i n the developmen t o f our culture , and often thes e influential media distanc e themselves from th e responsi bility that come s with that. Johnny Depp is one of a few actors who refuses t o wal k int o a projec t tha t wil l bea r hi s naim e i f h e i s no t convinced that both he and his family will be proud o f the result. The further I delved int o th e Johnn y Dep p story , the mor e intereste d I became. The slight similarities we share — among them, that both of us wen t throug h parenta l divorc e a t ag e 15 , that Johnn y i s par t Cherokee and I am part Cree — led me to be more empathetic toward how hi s stor y i s told. Well , b e i t fo r die-har d fan s o r th e merel y curious, fo r movie freak s o r casual fans, I want to tell his story in an interesting, entertaining, an d informative way — because I care.

They don't know anything about me, they know absolutely nothing about me. There's a great quote, 1 think it was Jean Cocteau who wrote it - he wrote it or he said i t . . . "The more visible you make me, the more invisible 1 become." Johnny Depp November 1998

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Chapter One

The Kids

"You're an actor." Unnamed casting agent's message to Johnny Depp after his first audition

Owensboro i s the third-larges t city in Kentucky. It was first settled in 1780 by two explorers named Joseph Blackford and Willia m Smeathers , an d i t wa s established a s Owensboroug h i n 181 7 in hono r o f a loca l colone l name d Johnny in his Grade Seven classroom Abraham Owens . Owensboro i s most CLASSMATES. COM well know n fo r hostin g th e world famous International Bar-B-Q Festival each summer. But a second claim to fame was added on 9 June 1963 — the date John Christopher Dep p II was born there. I wa s onc e aske d t o rea d a biograph y o f th e grea t Katharine Hepburn fo r a televised discussion. I'm an avid reader of Hollywood history, so I eagerly set about devouring this one. I found myself 160 pages into it without havin g read her name once, I knew everything there was to know about he r ancestors, but I was bored stiff . I t was Katharine Hepburn I wanted to read about . 1

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So, to avoid miring this book down in that kind of excruciating history, I'll plunge right in with Johnny's parents. When Johnny, the youngest, was born, Betty Sue and John Depp Sr. were living a lower-middle-class life . Joh n was an enginee r who worked for the city, while his wife waitressed in a coffeeshop, a job she would d o wit h prid e fo r man y years . I n fact , Johnn y was deeply affected b y his mother's dignity . He has even stated that hi s mother, along with her father, Johnny's Cherokee grandfather, PawPaw, have been his greatest influences. Depp has declared Betty Sue to be "the greatest lady in the world. She is my best friend, the coolest thing in the world." And he's not shy about showing it — his first tattoo was a red hear t wit h "Bett y Sue" written acros s it. When Johnn y starte d gaining a foothol d i n Hollywood , h e announced , " I won' t le t m y mom wait tables anymore." It seems like that was the one aspect of his "teen heartthrob" status that made it all worthwhile. To this day, Depp continues to display characteristics inherited from his mother — she too is a chain-smoking, swearing , "I am who I am" individualist. There i s a fai r amoun t o f Iris h an d Germa n i n Depp' s back ground, but it is his Cherokee ancestry that Johnny is most connected to. When playin g with hi s friend s a s a kid, fo r instance , he always wanted t o b e th e "Indian. " H e adore d hi s Cheroke e PawPaw and spent a s much tim e a s he coul d wit h him , pickin g tobacco o r just sitting aroun d together . PawPaw died in 197 0 at the ag e of 102. His death affecte d Johnn y deeply, and h e continue s to believ e that hi s grandfather is with him in spirit: "There are times when I will dodge a bullet of some kind, and I'll think, 'How did I get out of that?' I'm sure that it is my grandfather staying near me and keeping me safe. " The cause of Native American rights remains important t o Depp. He has been photographed wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with a blood-red map o f the United States with the words Indian Territory written underneath. And one of the several tattoos that now decorate

The Kid s his body Is of an Indian wearing a ceremonial headdress. Native rights is a passion he shares with Marlon Brando, a devoted Native American activist, and he and Johnny have become close friends. Johnny's childhoo d ca n b e describe d a s nomadic ; hi s fathe r would uproo t th e Depp clan frequently to follow better-paying job prospects. "I remember movin g aroun d a lot, it could have been as many as 25 or 30 times when I was a kid," said Depp. "It was really a transient existence ; we would liv e i n apartment s an d house s an d hotels. It got so I would not even introduce myself to kids in the new neighborhood becaus e I knew I wasn't goin g t o kno w the m lon g enough for it to matter." This feeling o f isolation ca n be seen in his work as an actor. He is still drawn to characters who proudly remain on th e outside . " I alway s felt lik e a total freak, " h e said . "I ha d th e feeling of wanting to be accepted but not knowing how to go about being accepted as who I am." Moving so often meant that Johnny and his siblings, older sisters Christine an d Debora h an d olde r brothe r Da n fro m hi s mother' s previous marriage , were always the ne w kids in th e neighborhoo d and the strangers in class. Despite that, Depp still maintains a fierce belief i n th e strengt h o f the famil y unit . "Man, famil y i s the mos t important thin g i n th e world, " h e said . "Withou t that , yo u hav e nothing. It is the tightest bond you will ever have." Depp's brother , Dan , would g o o n t o writ e th e screenpla y fo r Johnny's directorial debut, Th e Brave. Depp describes his brother as a "genius." Hi s sister Christi now looks afte r hi s schedule fro m he r home in Florida. Depp relies heavily on her because she keeps him organized — somethin g h e simpl y can't d o himself . Sister Debbie stays out o f the limelight altogether. When Johnn y wa s seve n year s old , th e famil y mad e a large r move, from Kentucky to the Florida suburb of Miramar in Broward County. Miramar is a working-class area that has a number o f aero-

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space and aviation-based industries. The Depp family would end up living in a small motel there for the better part o f a year while John Sr. searched for a well-paying and rewardin g but elusiv e job i n his field, engineering. Like many kids of that era , Johnny was engrossed by the musi c and theatrics o f KISS. But, although h e conformed in some ways, he had some eccentricities that set him apart from his peers hungry for popular culture . H e like d t o kee p lizard s a s pets — od d bu t no t enough t o labe l hi m a freak . H e wa s suspende d fro m schoo l fo r mooning on e o f hi s teachers. Again, that's a bit o n th e rebelliou s side, but it's not a crime that should have earned him outcast status . But the way he chose to decorate hi s bedroom wall s gives us pause. Most North American kids adorn their rooms with posters of movie stars and rock singers . The young Depp chose to decorate his walls with reproduction s o f the works of Vincent Van Gogh. And prominently displaye d i n the cente r o f the roo m wa s the self-portrai t o f the earless artist. Another person who would ultimately have a profound influenc e on Johnny was a friend of the family who was an evangelical preacher. He would trave l aroun d th e Sout h an d preac h i n tent s a t revivals, drawing in large crowds of the faithfu l wit h his well-honed oratoria l skills. Johnny would hang out in the tents and watch, mesmerized, as this man held these crowds in the palm o f his hand. Also part of the revival was a gospel rock band that had a couple of Johnny's cousins in it. The preacher saw that Johnny was very interested in the band, so he often trie d to coax him out of the shadows and up onto the stage. "My cousins' band was the first time I had ever seen an electric guitar," Johnny has said, "and I became instantly hooked. " In fact , Johnn y talked abou t guitar s an d playin g i n a band s o much tha t Betty Sue went ou t an d spen t a hard-earned $2 5 on a n electric guita r fo r him whe n h e was 12 years old. Johnny spent th e

TBie Kills better part of the next year locked away in his room teaching himself how to pla y by listening t o record s ove r and ove r again , tryin g to mimic the chords. By the time he was 13, he was reasonably sure that he was ready to take the next step. He decided to form his own rock band and become a rock star. His band was called Flame. Costumes were integra l t o hi s visio n — h e woul d borro w crushed-velve t blouses fro m hi s mother's close t an d bo p aroun d th e hous e a s he wailed away on the guitar. He and childhood pa l Sal Jenco — a close friend to this day who still helps with the running of Depp's club, the Viper Room — once took thi s focu s o n performanc e a bit to o far : Depp wrapped a 1shirt around a n old broom and se t it on fire , then fille d hi s mouth with gasoline and attempted t o do a Gene Simmons by spitting the fire acros s his yard in a dazzling display. Only the quic k actio n o f another friend , a skinny kid with long red hai r an d chippe d fron t teeth know n a s Bones, kept Dep p fro m doin g seriou s damag e t o himself. Bones jumped on him and put out the flames with his bare hands. Depp would later repay Bones by immortalizing him on film, modeling himself on Bones in his role as Gilbert Grape. This passion for music would remain with Depp throughout hi s life an d would be responsible for some interesting twists and turns, taking him place s he neve r dreamed o f going and allowin g him t o form friendships with people he thought he'd admire only from afar . I met Depp for the first time in 1987, during the second season of 21 Jump Street. I was visiting a friend who wa s working on the serie s in Vancouver, and the three of us had lunch one sunny, cool afternoon. Talk turned to virginity and how monumental it can be to lose it, so Johnny told us the stor y of how he lost his at the tender age of 13. It happened i n th e bac k o f a Ford van tha t belonge d to on e o f th e members of the band he was playing in at the time, and his partner

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was a 17-year-old girl who'd been hanging around the venue where they wer e playing. Sh e described hersel f a s a virgin too . Th e way Johnny described it, the event was completely free of fear and stress. They both jumped into it with wide-eyed enthusiasm; he said it was "wonderful fun" and remembered laughing a lot throughout it . For man y young people, hig h schoo l i s a difficult , awkwar d time , when identit y i s uncertai n an d fittin g i n i s al l tha t seem s t o b e important. Johnn y was one of those people — he tried things that were wrong for him, and he tried things that were just plain wrong. In an attempt t o please his father, Johnny signed up for the football team, but h e didn' t enjo y an y part o f the experience . He quit, was talked into returning to the squad, quit again, then went back before he finally quit fo r good . H e then fel l i n with th e "ba d crowd. " His new pals ' favorit e pastim e wa s burglarizing an d vandalizin g loca l schools. Drugs were also a part o f that scene. When aske d about i t today, Depp makes no excuse s for the indiscretion s o f his younger days: "I wasn't reall y a bad ki d o r maliciou s — I was just curious. After a while, when you se e where that stuf f ha s you headed , you decide to get out." Depp's lif e i n Mirama r wa s dul l beyon d belief . Much o f hi s performance i n What's Eating Gilbert Grape was based on th e tim e Johnny spent i n the southeaster n Florid a town, which he describes as having "a Winn-Dixie store , a drugstore nex t door , and nex t t o that a card and gif t store . Across the stree t was a Publix store that had its own drugstore and card and gift store attached to it. You were just... there." Johnny looked to his brother, Dan, for influence and inspiratio n — Da n rea d coo l book s an d listene d t o coo l music . "On e day, " Johnny remembers, "he gave me a book that was to become like the Koran to me. A dog-eared paperback stained with God knows what

The Hld s of O n th e Road, written by some goofball wit h a strange fro g nam e that was almost unpronounceable for my teenage tongue." Depp was not a reader a t that time . "Possibly th e onl y things I' d rea d to tha t point were a biography of Knute Rockne, some stuff on Evel Knievel, and some picture-heavy books about World War II. On the Road was life-changing for me," he wrote in a piece he was asked to contribut e to Th e Rotting Stone Book o f th e Beats: Th e Beat Generation an d American Culture. He continued, "S o much ha s happened t o me in the 2 0 years sinc e I first sa t down an d took that first long drag o n Kerouac's masterpiece . I hav e bee n a constructio n laborer , a gasstation attendant , a bad mechanic , a scree n painter , a musician , a telemarketing phone salesman , an actor, and a tabloid targe t — but there ha s neve r been a second go by i n whic h I deviate d fro m th e road that ol' Jack put m e on, via my brother. I t has been a n inter esting ride all the way — emotionally an d psychologically taxing — but a motherfucker straight down the pike. And I know that withou t these great writers' hol y words seare d into m y brain, I would mos t likely have ended up chained to a wall in Camarill o State Hospital , zapped beyond recognition, or dead by misadventure " Like mos t teenagers , Johnn y wen t throug h man y phases . H e badly wante d t o b e th e first-eve r whit e membe r o f th e Harle m Globetrotters. Then he wanted to be a daredevil like Evel Knievel. He wanted t o be Bruc e Lee. But O n th e Road cam e along and grabbe d him by the throat and would not let him go. During on e earl y interview, Dep p wen t int o a used bookstor e with th e journalist, an d ther e he found a copy of a book on black history tha t had onc e bee n owne d by Jac k Kerouac . The margin s were filled wit h Kerouac' s doodles an d notes . Depp spent almos t a hundred dollars buying the well-worn volume. "It was like a piece of history," he marveled . "I would loo k a t i t ever y day." He als o later bought a battered old raincoat that Kerouac had once owned.

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When Dep p wa s 15 , his lif e wa s rattled b y th e acrimoniou s divorce o f hi s parents . H e wok e up on e day , ari d al l tha t he' d thought he could count on disappeared. It was made even tougher by the fac t tha t h e wa s the onl y child still living at home. After the initial overwhelmin g despair an d depression, he found courag e i n the ide a tha t hope s an d aspira tions ca n remai n stron g despit e the immediat e circumstance s of one's persona l life . Dep p spok e Johnny with his mom, Betty Sue to m e abou t tha t time . "Sh e LISA ROSE/ GLOBE PHOTOS [Betty Sue ] go t ver y il l ove r it . Her lif e a s she had know n i t fo r over 20 years was over. Her partner, her husband, her best friend, her lover, had just left her . I felt crushe d that he had left, but when you are faced with somethin g like that it's amazing how much abuse the human mind can take. You just get past what you need to get past. On some level, I was thinking, 'Wait a minute, what happened to my family? What about stability, the safety of the home?' But my feelings were secondary t o thinkin g abou t m y mom . Al l the focu s wa s on he r getting through tha t time, which she finally did, and now everything is pretty okay. I'm eve n on good terms with my dad." Depp's brother , Dan , nine year s Johnny' s senior , and hi s siste r Christi, tw o years older, were already on their own , while his sister Debbie, seve n year s older , decide d tha t he r futur e wa s with he r father an d moved in with him. As often happen s with kids who go through this kind of thing, the first thing that suffered wa s Johnny's

The Kid s schoolwork. Since Johnny wasn't really into school anyway, that was pretty much it for his high school career. It was around thi s time that h e became an uncle . He'd always had a fondness for children, but he didn't realize how intense it was. "My sister Christine ha d a baby when I was 17, and I was terrified about it because I had read a long article on crib death," said Depp. "I was nervous around the baby, and every night I would sneak into the roo m wher e sh e wa s sleeping an d pu t m y han d i n he r crib , holding her little finger, and sleep on the floor next to the crib just to mak e sure sh e would be al l right. I thought the warmt h o f my hand migh t hel p — tha t mayb e i f sh e fel t m y puls e sh e woul d remember to breathe. " Johnny grew so close to his niece, Megan, that he included her in a phot o shoo t h e di d wit h hotsho t photographe r Bruc e Weber for Vogue magazine in 1993. There were several shots of the two clowning around on a beach in an article on the up-and-coming actor. Johnny's best friend a t the time, Sal Jenco, had also recently gone through a family breaku p an d decide d t o mov e awa y fro m home . Having nowhere else to go, he moved into his 1967 Impala. Johnny, being a loya l frien d an d no t wantin g t o se e Sa l live i n a ca r b y himself, decide d t o mov e int o th e Impal a wit h him ; the y woul d listen to the car radio and play along on their instruments. Both still harbored dream s of having careers as musicians. In the meantime , they'd fee d themselve s by stagin g darin g dayligh t raid s o n loca l convenience stores to steal submarine sandwiches. But Johnny was driven to do better. "Nothing is permanent," said Depp. "When that dawns on you, it kind of messes you up." The one thing he'd alway s feared wa s being a loser, someone with n o talen t and no ambition. "When I left high school, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. The only thing that saved me was my band." Johnny and a couple of his friends formed a band they called the

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Kids. They were full o f determinatio n an d youthful zeal and were committed t o making a go of it. Through hustlin g an d hard work , they quickly developed a reputation with local bars as a high-energy band that might be going places. Attention begets attention, an d soo n the Kid s were being asked to open for larger acts passing through Florida — bands such as the Talking Heads and th e 6-525 . They also opened for Iggy Pop. After that show, the Kids got drunk to unwind, even though they were all too young to legally drink. Then a drunken Johnny staggered over to Iggy Pop an d mad e a fool of himself — firs t gushin g all over Iggy, whom h e greatl y admired , the n hurlin g insult s a t him . Igg y shrugged him of f with a few well-directed insults of his own before shoving him asid e and disappearing into the crowd. Years later Iggy would mee t up wit h Dep p agai n on th e se t of Cry-Baby, i n which Depp wa s starring an d Igg y had a featured role. Th e two became friends an d hav e since appeared i n a few films together . They have also performed together at the Viper Room, and Depp asked Iggy to score his directorial debut , Th e Brave. Now Johnny was 20 and in a band that was doing well, or at least as well as a bar ban d i n Florid a can do , and hi s lif e wa s about t o change again — Johnny met a pretty young woman. Her name was Lori Anne Allison, and sh e was an aspiring musician an d the siste r of on e o f th e ban d members . Johnn y wa s thrille d tha t sh e was musical an d foun d the fac t tha t sh e was a bit olde r — 2 5 — an d more experience d quit e alluring. Soon Johnny and Lori Anne were a couple. It was only two months befor e they decided to marry. Johnny soon spearheade d a campaign fo r the Kid s to mov e to Hollywood an d tak e a serious run a t a record contract. The y were buoyed u p b y th e confidenc e tha t thei r Florid a clu b succes s ha d given them and decided it was time to put it all on the line. Upon their arrival in Los Angeles, it quickly became evident that

The Hld s they were only one among hundreds of bands out there chasing the same recording contract. Many of them had developed local reputations i n Seattl e or Sa n Francisco o r Chicago , an d man y had eve n been top openin g bands in their areas . There was nothing particu larly distinctive about the Kids, nothing that would really set them apart from al l the other bands hovering around Los Angeles. "There were just so many bands," remembered Depp. "It was impossible t o make any money at all. We all had t o take menial side jobs to avoid starving to death." One o f his jobs, which he'd spea k of often i n subsequen t years, was as a telemarketer. His job was to co n people into buying junky things over the phone — as he put it , "We got paid a hundred bucks a week to lie to people. " Lori Anne found wor k as a makeup artist, which would end up being fortuitous for Johnny in a way he could never have imagined. The ban d continue d t o rehears e an d knoc k o n doors . The y changed thei r nam e t o Si x Gun Metho d becaus e the Kid s didn' t sound lik e something a n L A ba r ban d shoul d b e called , and the y finally manage d t o pla y a fe w gigs, including on e tha t ha d the m opening for Billy Idol. The lack of consistent work and the stress that it was putting o n all the band member s led to their unofficial dissolution . But to this day, Depp considers himself a musician who became an actor: "I use music when I work. Listening to music is the quickest way to get to an emotional place I need to be in to act." The stress also led to the breakup of Johnny's marriage after less than tw o years. But unlike the situatio n wit h his parents, this spli t was amicable. Johnn y and Lor i Anne decided tha t they' d ha d fu n together an d ha d grown , bu t the y wer e ultimatel y movin g i n different directions . Fourteen-year-old Johnny had been deeply affected by the writings

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of Jac k Kerouac ; i n fact , he' d eventuall y grow into a modern-day version of a Beat poet. But at this point, he was a young guy struggling t o mak e i t i n Lo s Angeles — broke , recentl y divorced , an d dealing with the disappointmen t o f his unrealized musical dreams. Soon, though , h e wa s about t o g o on hi s ow n roa d — a magical journey that would take him fro m being an awkward, geeky kid to a reluctant pop culture icon of cool.

Chapter Iura

Craven Images

"What were they going to write? 'Johnny Depp was great as the kid who dies'?" Johnny Depp on never being mentioned in the reviews for A Nightmare on Elm Street

"It Isn't what you know, it's who you know" — that ol d adag e i s neve r true r tha n i n Holly wood. And it worked in Johnny Depp's favor . While continuin g t o struggl e a s musicians , all the members of Six Gun Method ha d take n side jobs to make their rent . Lori Anne worked , j , , , ERIK HEINILA/SHOOTING as a makeup artist , and on e o f the peopl e sh e applied makeu p t o wa s a young acto r name d Nic Coppola, wh o would soo n chang e his name to Nicolas Cage to distance himsel f fro m hi s famou s uncle , Franci s For d Coppola . Nicolas and Lor i Anne even wound u p datin g for a while. Since she and Johnny were still friendly, all three would often en d up going out drinking an d partyin g together . Dep p an d Cag e becam e regula r drinking buddies . It was during on e of these drinking binges with Cag e that Depp r

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had hi s first brush with the law, which would eventually end up as fodder fo r tabloid s inten t o n depictin g hi m a s a ba d boy . Afte r getting quite drun k on e evening, the pai r ended u p a t the Beverly Center, a big, gaudy mall in Beverl y Hills. Shortly after, th e polic e were called. They arrived to find two youths dangling several floors up on the outside of the parking garage. When asked about the incident, Depp shrugged: "I don't actually remember doing that, but it sounds like something I would have done." During anothe r of their booze-ups , Cag e mentioned to Dep p that h e kne w of a low-budget horro r movi e that wa s being cast , suggesting that Depp give acting a try. The music thing wasn't really working out, and Cage knew that Depp hated doing the odd jobs he was force d t o do . Johnn y fought th e idea , arguin g that h e kne w nothing about acting and that al l he really cared about was music. Cage persisted, explaining that actin g was easy and that Dep p had the look s for it. Since it was to be just another low-budget horror film, he added, technique and acting talent would probably not be high o n th e lis t o f requirements . "The y [producers , directors , casting agents] keep their eye s open for a look — and you got that look, man " i s ho w Ni c describe d hi s pitc h t o Depp . Johnn y continued to resist the idea — he didn't think he had the personality to b e a n actor . Bu t h e wa s i n Hollywood , an d i t seeme d tha t everyone was either doing it or hoping to do it. Depp's resolve began to wear down, so Cage went ahead and arranged a meeting between his own agent, Tracey Jacobs, and Depp. Jacobs was impressed with Depp's look, even though Johnny had put no effort int o his appearance — he went into the meeting just as he was. After a brief talk and a quick once-over, the agent sent him to an audition with a young horror directo r wh o was finally getting a chance to make his movie about dreams. His name was Wes Craven. Of his initial meetin g with Craven , Johnny recalled, "I read the

Craven

part of the screenplay that I was shown that described the character I was auditioning for , and he was described as this big blond surfe r jock type, and here I was this little scrawny pale little guy with long dark hair starched to death with five-day-old hairspray." Craven liked Depp, but he wasn't the one who got him the part in the movie. Craven had brought hi s daughter with hi m to the audition to read lines with the prospective actors. Johnny's audition was taped and just put in the pile with all the rest. But after Dep p left the room, Craven's daughte r couldn't stop talking abou t ho w "hot" h e was, what a "fox" he was. Craven hadn't see n such an overwhelming response to an y of the othe r candidates . He decided t o g o with his daughter's reaction , thinkin g tha t thi s gu y ha d somethin g othe r young girls would also want to see. I hav e ha d th e goo d fortun e t o spea k wit h We s Crave n o n a number o f occasions, and I've always found him to be erudite, intelligent, and very interesting. As horrific a s his cinematic images are, the ma n himsel f i s distinguishe d lookin g — mor e lik e a colleg e professor tha n a maker o f horror movies . I asked Craven what h e remembered abou t meetin g Depp . "I would lov e to b e abl e to say that I can spot talent in young actors," said Craven. "Just meet the m once, pu t the m i n thei r firs t films , an d the n hav e the m g o on t o international success , but...." I pressed him on this because he has done this very thing a number o f times — most notably with Depp. "Well, I guess I have," he admitted. "But with Johnny Depp, with the entire castin g process o n A Nightmare on Elm Street, I looked fo r things in each person that I thought would be appealing to the audience I was hoping would form m y core group for the movie. I had seen so many actors for this movie I finally just ended up goin g on instinct. Dep p wasn' t eve n close to the wa y the Gle n character was written. Johnny came in looking rumpled and peaked, but he had a gleam about hi m — he had tha t look that director s look for , even

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though I coul d neve r reall y explain wha t tha t loo k actuall y look s like. It was my daughter who reall y pushed m e over the edg e as far as m y decisio n went . Sh e just flippe d for hi m — sh e foun d hi m hypnotically goo d lookin g an d ver y charming. He r overanimate d reaction to him made me cast him radicall y against the initial idea of how Glen would look." I asked Craven about Johnny's actin g in those early days — was Depp a quick study ? Craven replied, "I remember hi m bein g very green. Bu t he di d pic k i t al l up prett y fas t an d wa s very eage r t o participate i n the process. He seemed to automaticall y understan d what acting was and what creating a character was." When I asked Depp the same question, he said, "I was being paid $1,200 a week for prett y much doin g nothin g fo r mos t o f the day, then pretending to be someone els e for a while, telling a few lies. I couldn't believe my luck." Depp still thought o f himself as a musician at the time — in fact, he would late r admi t that he saw this initial actin g job as "a way of financing m y music career. I thought I would be doing this acting thing for a couple of years at the very most." When parts of a movie — a catchphrase or a word or a character's name — go on to enter the common lexicon, you know the fihn has had a major impact. Psycho, Jaws, Halloween, and Friday th e 13th are examples. In 1984, Wes Craven entered that league when he created what would become the most wildly successful horror film franchis e in history — A Nightmare on Elm Street. The fih n i s abou t a grou p o f teenager s battling a nightmar e demon name d Fredd y Krueger. Kruege r wa s a real person a t on e tune, a school janitor who was also a predatory pedophile. When the law fails t o d o anythin g abou t him , som e parents for m a vigilante group to se e that justice is done. But Freddy returns as a hideously

Crave Images

burned nightmar e figur e wearin g a tattered, stripe d sweate r an d a special glove armed with knives at the ends of the fingers to terrorize the children of the parents who tortured an d murdered him . The adult characters were played by established actors. The role of Freddy Krueger went to Robert Englund, a veteran character actor and experienced stag e acto r wit h fai r chunk s o f Shakespear e and Sha w under his belt. This role would make him a multimillionaire an d hopelessly typecast. John Saxon, who has starre d opposit e everyon e from Marlon Brand o (The Appaloosa) t o Bruc e Le e (Enter th e Dragon), played Lieutenan t Thompson , th e co p investigatin g th e gruesom e deaths that are weirdly connected to the late Freddy Krueger. The thre e youn g lead s i n th e fil m wer e playe d b y emergin g actors. The role of Rod was filled by Nick Corn, who was making his big-screen debut after a promising Ne w York stage career. Not much has bee n hear d fro m hi m since . Heathe r Langenkam p played th e main drea m warrior, Nancy. She fell into acting by answering an ad in a local newspaper . She was about t o star t studyin g a t Stanfor d University when Francis Ford Coppola rolled into her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to film his adaptations o f the Susie Hinton novels The Outsiders an d Rumble Fish. Heather auditione d an d ende d u p getting roles in both of Coppola's films and then in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Johnn y Dep p rounde d ou t th e cas t o f newcomer s b y playing the sweater-wearin g good guy, Glen. Craven had been trying to get the film made for a few years but hadn't bee n abl e t o fin d anyon e t o bac k it . The upstar t compan y New Line Cinema decided to take a chance on the movie, provided that Craven could keep the costs to a minimum. New Line ended up with a lucrative movi e franchis e tha t spawne d seve n sequel s an d untold million s in ancillary money. The finished film is standard horror fare — with a few intellectual challenges courtesy of Craven. Like every effective horro r film ,

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A Nightmare on Elm Street taps into a collective fear. Who hasn't ha d a nightmare? Wh o hasn't awoken with a start and had to shake of f the chills? The name Freddy Krueger became instantly synonymous with that cold fear that comes to us in the form o f nightmares. One of the most spectacular sequences in A Nightmare on Elm Street involves Depp's character being sucked into a mattress and then spi t violently u p ont o th e ceilin g i n a grotesqu e geyse r o f blood . Th e sequence wa s designe d b y effect s ma n Ji m Doyl e an d wa s a very complex effec t t o ge t on film. It took Doyle a month t o desig n th e elaborate revolvin g se t — i t wa s 25 ' tall , 26' wide , an d 30 ' long . A bedroom se t measurin g 19 ' x 15 ' x 13 ' an d weighin g abou t 10,00 0 pounds wa s built withi n th e revolvin g structure . Cre w member s were bolted an d strapped int o their places , and some 500 gallons of fake blood were dumped ou t as the set revolved. Craven ha d planne d fo r th e scen e t o b e sho t usin g a stun t double. Bu t when the curiou s Dep p sa w the sho t bein g set up, he asked i f he coul d d o i t himself . "He kept tellin g m e how wild th e whole thin g sounded, " sai d Craven . "H e wa s reall y disappointe d when I told him that we would bring a stunt double in to actually do the gag . He begged me to allo w him t o d o it himself, and finall y I relented an d let him g o for it. " I spok e to Heathe r Langenkam p abou t workin g with Dep p o n the groundbreaking horror film. "I really had no idea Johnny Depp would g o on to d o the things he's don e since Nightmare" she said, "but I do remember him being very serious about not pretending he knew what he was doing when he didn't and about listening, not just to Wes , but t o everyon e on th e set . Th e proces s reall y seemed to interest him. " The hug e internationa l succes s o f A Nightmare o n Elm Street

Craven Images didn't hav e muc h o f a n impac t o n th e fledglin g caree r o f Johnny Depp. Even though th e fil m wa s very well reviewed — rare enough for a horror movie — the praise was mostly aimed at writer-director Craven's ingenuit y an d imagination . Dep p wasn' t disappointe d because he never expected to be singled out i n any of the reviews. "I played a kid who gets sucked into a bed and then spa t out i n a gush of blood," he said. "What ar e they going to write? 'Johnny Depp was great as the kid who died?'" Although his performance wasn't raved about, i t wasn' t panne d either . It wasn' t a bad performanc e at all , particularly i n th e contex t o f th e genre . His lines ar e spoke n wit h conviction. We know who his character is and what his place is in the overall story. Depp need not be ashamed of this first performance. Because Dep p ha d mad e hi s debu t i n suc h a successfu l film , hi s agent, Tracey Jacobs, had a fairly eas y time gettin g him interview s and auditions. She managed to get him cas t in episodes of TV shows such a s the prime-tim e soa p opera Hotel an d i n a short-lived co p show called Lady Blue. Johnny was soon cast in his second featur e film, and this time it wouldn't make him proud . Shot in 1985, it was a film that falls into the time-honore d genr e o f th e "tee n se x comedy. " I t wa s calle d Private Resort. Jacobs argued that takin g the rol e was a logical step — it was only his second feature film, and already , at age 22, he was getting a costarring role. His agent was doing her job. Starring opposit e Dep p i n Private Resort was another up-and coming young actor named Rob Morrow. At the time, he was a New York-based acto r hopin g fo r a seriou s caree r a s a dramati c actor . Morrow would go on to bigger and better things when he costarred in the rnulti-award-winning television series Northern Exposure. Private Resort wa s on e o f thos e instantl y forgettabl e tee n se x

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romps, with two young sex-obsessed guys who decide that the most likely place to score with chicks is a Florida resort, so they check in to one an d tr y thei r luck . Jac k (Depp ) ha s hi s eye s o n a n attractiv e young rich girl and pretends to be a surgeon in order to seduce her. Ben (Morrow ) is after on e o f the waitresse s at the resort , but sh e is also being pursued by one of her bosses. Meanwhile, there is a house detective chasing them aroun d an d fallin g dow n a lot an d a master thief who wants to rob the resort. A lot of Internet chatter about this movie focuses on the fact tha t it contains the only nude scene that Johnny has so far consented to. It occurs about 15 minutes into the scant 82-minute running time of the movie, but i t isn't somethin g that shoul d be remembered — it certainly isn't worth trying to find the movie for it. When viewe d now , Private Resort i s a misogynist' s drea m — a dated sex comedy short on both sex and comedy. E»epp doesn't like to talk about this movie, but a t least it was an opportunity t o learn and become more comfortable with acting. Besides, he wasn't really in any position a t this point i n his career to be choosy. Private Resort became an embarrassmen t fo r al l involved. Th e movie i s embarrassin g even t o watc h — fo r th e sak e o f no t jus t Johnny Depp but also Rob Morrow and the other serious actors who got caught u p i n the mess, such as Hector Elizondo, who plays the thief. I t look s an d sound s lik e a chea p porn o movi e withou t th e hardcore sex . The photograph y i s bad, th e location s ar e bad, th e costumes are bad, and, thanks to writer Gordon Mitchell, it contains some of the worst dialogue you'll ever hear. Morrow has few good things to say about the movie, but he does recall having some fun at the time. "There was a test screening of the movie, an d n o on e affiliate d wit h i t woul d g o anywhere near th e theater," he said. "Depp and I heard about it and wanted to see it. So we dresse d u p i n th e weirdes t possibl e way . He ha d thes e dork y

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glasses on and a knit hat, and I put cotto n i n my mouth so my face puffed out . We walked i n righ t pas t th e executive s who kne w us. " Both laughed hard at what they watched but wer e ultimately disappointed that they hadn't acte d in something better . Depp remembers the experience a bit more pragmatically. "Sure, it sucks bad," he said, "but it was a job, and I was again struck by the fact that I was being well paid to go to Florida and fuc k aroun d fo r a couple of months. I certainly wasn't complaining at the time" Private Resort vanished from sight quickly, just as Johnny hoped it would. By this point, he was growing used to the weekly paychecks — this was his first experience of getting decent money on a regular basis. But after Private Resort, he started to become concerned about the qualit y of work he was doing. If he was going to continu e thi s acting gig , then he' d hav e to see k out wor k that wa s more mean ingful to him . Johnny Dep p wa s no w a workin g actor , an d h e starte d hangin g around with other actors on the rise. On the advice of his agent, he took som e actin g classe s so he coul d become familia r with forma l acting techniques, which he could then apply or discard as needed. Johnny was enthusiastic abou t the idea because he didn't think that he knew enough abou t som e of the mechanics of acting. He signed up for classes at a place called the Lof t Studi o in Los Angeles, where he was able to interact with other young actors. It was on the set of a student film there that he met a young actor named Sherily n Fenn . She was a coupl e o f years away from som e memorable performance s — a s April in th e dar k and sex y movi e Two Moon Junction an d a s Audrey Home i n Davi d Lynch's darker and strange r TV series Twin Peaks. Sherilyn had dark , pretty, exotic looks, an d Dep p quickl y becam e attracte d t o her . Withi n a few months, the two were engaged and living together.

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Depp was next cast in a 1986 TV movie that aspired to being something coo l but ende d u p bein g somethin g average . It was a crime thriller called Slow Burn. It is notable mainly as evidence of the rapid decline in the acting career of the once-brilliant Eri c Roberts rather than as an early indication tha t Johnny Depp was going to be one of the great actors of his generation . Slow Burn wa s base d o n Castles Burning, a soli d thrille r b y Arthur Lyons . Depp plays Donnie Fleischer , the so n o f a very rich man wh o i s kidnappe d an d murdere d i n a mos t gruesom e way. Roberts plays Jacob, a private investigator who uses his skills from a former caree r as an investigativ e reporter t o tr y t o solv e the case . There are, of course, lots of twists and turns in the movie, and many of the characters aren't who they seem to be. All in all, Slow Burn isn't that bad, but i t just doesn't ad d up to much. Pay-per-view movies seem to have replaced the B-movies you could catc h on the bottom half of double bills at your local drive-in — Slow Burn works best in that context . Depp enjoye d workin g wit h Eri c Roberts , a n acto r h e greatl y admired;" The Pope of Greenwich Village is one o f my favorite movies of all time," Johnny has said. Roberts starred in his first film , King of the Gypsies, when he was just 22 and went on to do fabulous work in movies such as Th e Pope o f Greenwich Village, Star 80, and Runaway Train befor e persona l problem s an d battle s wit h th e IR S took th e wind ou t o f his career's sails. Roberts continues to work steadily in low-budget, direct-to-vide o movie s an d televisio n serie s that don't seem t o b e aroun d fo r long . H e ha s neve r regaine d th e sizabl e momentum tha t his career had i n the earl y '8os. He is now known primarily as Julia Roberts's older brother. Someone els e whose name appear s in th e credit s o f Slow Burn would als o g o of f o n a spectacula r Hollywood caree r rid e — Joe l

Cravenimages Schumacher. Schumacher is listed as the executive producer of Slow Burn., but he'd go on to direct some of the most stylish movies of the past 1 5 years — St . Elmo's Fire y Th e Lost Boys y Flatliners y Falling Down, Batman Forever, Batman an d Robin y and Tigerland y t o nam e just a few. I aske d Schumacher fo r hi s recollection s o f Slow Burn and th e huge star in the making who was acting in it. "He [Depp ] had that demeanor, like James Dean — now , I know how muc h o f a cliche that is, but i t happens t o be true i n some cases, " said Schumacher . "He wa s a very coo l gu y without puttin g muc h effor t int o bein g cool. He seemed to have an attitude that he was applying himself but that an acting caree r reall y didn't matter to him al l that much, yet you could see it in his face that he was well read, well prepared, and giving the job every due diligence. It comes as no surprise to me that all these A-list directors now want to work with him — I would love to work with him again." The acting gig was starting to matter mor e and more to Depp with each job he completed. He was finding a form of expression that was new to him and quite exhilarating, and he was about to embark on a projec t tha t woul d b e incredibl y meaningfu l fo r everyon e involved. I t would giv e Johnny reason t o believ e that the effor t t o make films that spoke from th e heart was worthwhile and essential to hi m i f he was going to continu e a s a Hollywood-based actor . It would als o teach him a thing or two about the stark realities o f bigtime Hollywood filmmaking. Johnny Depp was about to go into the jungle with one of the few mavericks of contemporary cinema, Oliver Stone.

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Chapter Three

Rymble in the Jungle

"Oliver Stone scared the shit

out of me." Johnny Depp

In lat e 1985 , Johnny Depp was on e of man y youn g actor s i n tow n lining up to auditio n fo r a role in a film being written an d directe d b y Oliver Stone . Ston e ha d wo n a n Johnny and fellow tabloid target Oscar a few years earlier for writing Charlie Sheen RALPH DOMINGUEZ/GLOBE PHOTOS Midnight Express; he' d als o writte n the screenpla y for the controversia l Scarface fo r Brian DePalma. For years, Stone had wanted desperately to mak e a film abou t th e Vietnam War that wa s a true reflection of what he'd see n during his time there. Unfortunately, he'd directe d a film i n 198 1 called Th e Hand, starrin g Michae l Caine , whic h ha d bombed both critically and at the box office, and it would be another five years before he was given a chance to direct again. But that effort , the incendiary Salvador, earned Oscar nominations fo r his lead actor, James Woods , an d fo r hi m an d cowrite r Richar d Boyle . I t wa s

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Hemdale, th e British-base d compan y tha t allowe d hi m t o mak e Salvador, that finally gave him the opportunity to make the war film he'd written ten years earlier, Platoon. Stone was very hot at the time, and every young actor wanted in on this project, although Ston e did his best to discourage prospective actor s by telling them they' d b e require d to g o through boo t camp and combat training in the jungles of the Philippines. There would b e n o pampered-Hollywood-acto r bullshi t o n thi s movie . This woul d b e grun t work . I t woul d b e backbreakin g an d exhausting, bot h physicall y an d emotionally . Th e actor s wh o blanched a t the harsh description were immediately crossed off the list; onl y those actors who were intrigued an d enthusiasti c passed through to the audition phase . Depp was one of 30 actors chosen to make the trip to the jungles of Southeas t Asia to mak e the movie . "Oliver Stone scared the shi t out o f me," said Depp. "He was so powerfully committe d to making this movi e his way that i t was intimidating — but I wanted to be around that kind of determination, an d I wanted to be a part of the telling of Oliver's story. I also wanted him to be happy that he chose me to help him tel l his story. Looking back, it is easily the toughes t fucking thin g I have eve r had t o do , ever." It would be Depp' s first taste of zen filmmaking and, strangely, would hand Johnny his first major disappointment a s an actor. The 3 0 actor s Ston e selecte d went throug h 1 3 days of comba t training in the jungle just outside Manila. The training was run b y Captain Dale Dye, a military man who turned his experiences into a lucrative career as a military consultant and supporting actor in films dealing with the army or war. Dye would also author the novelization of the Platoon screenplay for mass-market paperback release. Dye was determined to run thi s Hollywood boot camp as much like the real thing as possible. The actors had nothing with them but

Rumble in the Jungl e what a soldier in combat would have: fatigues, boots, pack, weapons, et cetera. The actors were issued real rifles, dog tags, and red filters for their flashlights s o they could se e at night without being seen. They slept either in tents they had to put up themselves or in foxholes they dug themselve s when the y were o n thei r moc k patrols . The y were lectured mercilessly on gun technology and maintenance. Every one of the recruits/actors got sick during the rigorous training . Stone explained why he put his cast through this: "The ide a was to fuck with their heads so we could get that dog-tire d attitude, th e anger, the irritation, the casual way of brutality, the casual approach to death. These are all the assets and liabilities of infantrymen. What I remember mos t abou t Vietnam an d what a lot of guys remember is the tiredness... being so damned tired that I wished the Viet Cong would come up and shoo t m e just to get it over with." Stone's plan was to immerse his cast in the Vietnam infantryman's life, to indoc trinate them i n the soldier' s way of thinking, talking , an d moving . Then, once these things were burned int o the actor' s subconsciou s and the shootin g of the movie began , that don't-give-a-dam n atti tude would naturally emerge. "The onl y thing I could not teach the actors was the reality of sudden, violent death, " said Stone. Depp's rol e i n Platoon i s a n interestin g one . Johnn y play s a n idealistic young soldier named Lerner, an American who is fluent in Vietnamese an d i s calle d upo n t o ac t a s a n interprete r betwee n Vietnamese villager s an d th e platoon' s savag e Sergean t Barne s (Torn Berenger). But we are left wondering how a young American could hav e become fluen t i n suc h a difficul t Asia n language . This fluency makes hi m intriguing , bu t it' s als o problematic , a s Stone discovered in the editing room — Depp's character ended up being more interestin g than the lead character, Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen, who inherited th e role from his brother, Emilio Estevez, after scheduling problem s go t i n th e way) . When Ston e watche d th e

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footage, he thought that Depp was drawing attention away from his lead character, which would throw the whole story he was trying to tell out of whack. He made the tough decision to cut an importan t costarring role down to a few cameo appearances . In the fina l cut , there are only n brief glimpses of Depp in the 120-minute film . W e firs t se e hi m exchangin g a fe w words wit h Sergeant Elia s (Wille m Dafoe ) i n a fiel d durin g a Charli e Shee n voice-over. Then, in a bunker scene , Depp can be seen wearing a red bandanna an d playin g a guitar; he takes a huge hit o f weed, then blows the smok e into a gas mask worn by a fellow soldier. Later, in the background during the "Tracks of My Tears" dance scene, Depp can be seen again smoking pot — this time all his tattoos are in view. When one of the soldiers is killed, Depp is seen in a slow pan across the dismaye d face s o f th e grunts . H e i s the n o n poin t whe n th e platoon heads into the village — as he passes, we can see the nam e Sherilyn scrawled across his helmet. In his only big speaking scene, Depp translates what a frightened villager i s saying for th e enrage d Sergean t Barnes. Here we catch a good glimpse of his character — Lerner is shown to be sympathetic, trying to interced e on the villagers' behalf to prevent an impending slaughter. Later he is seen carrying a Vietnamese child away from he r burning village. In his next scene , he i s shown o n patrol durin g a driving rain . Shortly after that , during a jungle ambush, he is shot. Sheen's character, Taylor, tends t o him , the n carrie s him t o the medics . Lerne r mumbles tha t he doesn' t wan t Taylo r to leav e his side , and Taylor tries to reassure him. Lerner, a bloody mess, is last seen being carried on a stretcher to a waiting evacuation helicopter. It i s interesting t o compar e wha t appeare d on scree n to wha t Stone wrote in his original screenplay. Although the screenplay went through many incarnations — including several that had the Dafo e

Humble in the Jungle character of Elias written a s an American Indian — the character of Lerner was prominent i n each of the draft s that I read. One majo r scen e tha t Ston e decide d t o excis e woul d hav e provided Depp with a nice chunk of dialogue. The scene involves the soldiers hangin g around wit h Sergeant Elias talking abou t the girl friends the y left bac k home — it's easy to se e why it was one o f the first scene s to b e dispose d of , as it's really hokey, more like a John Wayne/Audie Murphy kind o f scene than th e tough, realisti c scene that Ston e wanted. Later i n th e screenplay , Lerne r i s a n activ e participan t i n th e conversation Chri s Taylo r (Sheen ) ha s wit h severa l o f th e grunt s about Sergean t Barne s an d Sergean t Elias . Lerner tells Taylo r tha t Barnes i s from "Tennesse e someplace, hill country. " He goe s on t o answer the same question abou t Elias : ".. . don't know. Done som e time. Hear d h e worke d i n th e oi l wells i n Oklahoma , mad e som e break, and washed up in El Lay." A page later, Lerner has a bit of dialogue that might have worked well in the movie had it been left in . He is talking to Taylor about a recent leave . "I wa s hom e o n leave , y'know," he says , "and everybody's jus t worrie d abou t makin g money , everybody' s ou t fo r themselves. They don't even want to talk abou t it , man, it's like the fucking Twilight Zone back there — you wouldn't eve n KNOW there's a war goin g o n here . My sister says to me , why do yo u have to go there, like I started this." When Dep p went t o se e Platoon, he was shocked to se e that his part i n it had been cut back so radically. The rnovie was intense an d brilliant, but hi s character no longe r mattere d much i n the overal l thrust of the story. Platoon went on to break box-office records the world over and took home a n armloa d o f Oscars , includin g Bes t Pictur e an d Bes t

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Director for the vindicated Olive r Stone. It renewed national debate about the Vietnam War and those who fought in it. For several of the actors, including Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and the veteran Tom Berenger, the film meant critica l acclaim , Oscar nominations , an d several new career opportunities . For Johnn y Depp , i t wa s a n experienc e o f gran d proportion s both physically and in terms of how he felt about his profession. He told m e tha t severa l time s durin g th e makin g o f th e movi e h e stopped an d looke d aroun d a t hi s surroundings , wonderin g what he'd have done had he been of the age to be sent to fight in Vietnam. It brought hom e just how meaningful some movies can be, and he was now resolved to only do work that mattered to him. But hi s resolv e wa s abou t t o b e tested . H e wa s abou t t o b e presented wit h a n opportunity tha t was both to o goo d to pass up and too har d t o liv e through. Dep p was about t o go from acto r to teen heartthrob — to say he was reluctant would be a great under statement.

Chapter Four

Might as Well Jump

"Sure it was [a fascist idea]. Cops in schools?" Johnny Depp on 21 Jump Street

Johnny Dep p ha d jus t returned from th e jungles of the Philippines an d an extraordinary experienc e wit h Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson, Oliver Stone. Everything had Dustin Nguyen, Peter DeLuise, and Steven Williams changed. Ston e ha d show n J, RODRIGUEZ/GLOBE PHOTOS him tha t movie-makin g can be more than just a lark. And he cam e hom e t o fin d tha t his relationshi p wit h Sherily n Fen n wa s sputtering — he' d bee n away for a long time, and the two had grown apart. Then Dep p receive d a n overwhelmin g opportunit y — th e chance to star in a television series about a group of young-looking undercover cops who infiltrate high schools to solve teen crime from the inside . Th e sho w wa s to b e calle d Jump Street Chapel, bu t i t became 21 Jump Street when the producers realized audiences migh t 31

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mistake th e coo l co p sho w fo r somethin g mor e religious . When presented wit h th e offer , Dep p reacte d wit h indifference , whic h turned to downright hostility as he found out more about the show. He refuse d eve n to rea d the scrip t fo r the pilo t episode . His agent pressed him , bu t h e insiste d tha t eithe r h e woul d d o wor k tha t mattered to him or he would do no work at all. Creator Patrick Hasburgh and producer Steve Beers still needed to fulfill thei r commitmen t t o FO X TV , so they went ahea d an d cas t a young acto r name d Jef f Yaghe r i n th e rol e of Office r To m Hanson. Three weeks into the shooting o f the pilot, when it was nearly done, Hasburgh and Beers decided that Yagher just wasn't giving them what they needed. They decided to go back to Depp with a bigger offer . Another o f the show's producers, Joan Carson, remembers how Depp looked when he showed up for their first meeting : "He had a felt ha t pulle d dow n low with those deep-brow n eye s peering out , with a coat that went right to the floor . H e was cute as a bug's ear, but he looked like a waif. And I think that is part of his appeal — he can be waiflike , bu t hi s charism a come s through." Th e producer s wanted that charisma. This time around, with no other work in sight, E>epp decided to read th e scrip t o n th e of f chance that i t migh t contai n somethin g positive, and he could then take the job without compromisin g his newfound professiona l principles. H e foun d it . Afte r readin g th e script an d meeting with the producers, he decided that if the show was done right it could be a positive use of the medium and coul d send out good messages to the kids it was being armed at. Johnny signed the standar d contrac t for young actor s startin g out o n T V —it was for five seasons. Most actors who luck into a TV show hope that the show will run for fiv e years or longer and then go into syndication, when it will pay off in a big way. Depp signed the contrac t wit h ever y confidence tha t 2 1 Jump Street would b e

IVIIghf U s Well Jump short-lived. "I thought th e show would go one season, tops," he said. "I neve r though t i t woul d tur n int o a long-term commitmen t o r would b e a big success." He signed fo r $45,00 0 per episod e — no t bad money for an actor who had yet to make a name for himself. With Dep p on board , the cre w went back to work to shoo t th e season opener, which consisted of two one-hour shows . It aired first as a special two-hour movi e o f th e wee k on 1 2 April 1987 and ha s subsequently bee n show n i n rerun s a s a two-part episode . I n thi s opening episode, we are introduced to young Officer Hanson (Depp) as he is assigned to the squad of young-looking cops. Their first case is a hunt for drug dealers. The characters are all introduced straight forwardly; even though the show was hip an d energetic for its day, it still containe d a numbe r o f standar d T V cop-show cliches . Fo r example, Hanso n i s originall y misunderstoo d an d dislike d b y th e other members of the squad, but through his actions and dedication he is quickly brought int o the fold. It i s clear when watching the pilo t episod e that Dep p was into the show at the start. The producers hoped that the popularity of the show would build up around Hanson, and they wanted him to have something mor e tha n typicall y one-dimensiona l TV-sho w charac teristics. Depp delivers. He gives Hanson a lot o f character, making him a grea t foca l point . H e als o show s tha t h e ca n pla y quiet, listening scene s better tha n anyon e else on the show , which means we are always watching him whether or not h e is speaking. These early shows gave Depp the opportunit y t o work with th e wonderful characte r acto r Frederi c Forrest , wh o playe d Captai n Jenko i n th e sho w fo r th e firs t si x episodes. Depp an d Forres t got along well; they enjoyed comparing Vietnam War movie experiences (Forrest playe d th e tightl y woun d che f i n Franci s For d Coppola' s masterpiece Apocalypse Now). Te n year s later , Dep p woul d cas t Forrest in a major rol e in his directorial debut , Th e Brave.

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In the third episode of the season ("America , What a Town," air date 19 April 1987), we see Depp's best frien d fro m Florida, Sal Jenco, who plays Vinnie, a student i n a shop class . Vinnie has no dialogu e and never reappears. Episode four was called "Don't Pet the Teacher " (26 April 1987), and it was a good illustration of how quickly a TV series can run ou t of gas. In this episode, Depp's character assists a woman whose car has broken down. He is attracted t o her and sh e to him — as were millions of young women between 18 and 34 years of age, according to the already high ratings. Hanson ask s her out on a date, and she accepts. Of course, she ends up bein g the teache r who i s receiving threatening message s — an d th e victi m i n the cas e that he' s bee n assigned to go undercover and solve. In the seventh show of the first season, Frederic Forrest has been replaced b y acto r Steve n Williams , wh o head s u p th e squa d a s Captain Fulle r — t o explai n Forrest' s departure, hi s characte r i s killed by a drunk driver in the story line. In this episode, a gang takes hostages, including Hanson . The producers were trying to vary the Hanson characte r to keep their main dra w interesting, so Depp was required to play a wider array of emotions — grief, anger, fear — in this episode than he had so far. Episode nine of that first season clearly demonstrated jus t how much contro l over the sho w Depp could exercise, using as leverage his general indifference t o the show versus its huge popularity wit h fans. The episode is called "Blindsided," and it concerns the daughter of a policeman who accuse s her fathe r o f sexuall y abusing her. In desperation, she tries to hire a hitman — undercover cop Hanson — to kil l him . Th e girl , Dian e Nelson , i s playe d b y Depp' s real-lif e fiancee a t the time , Sherily n Fenn. This episode , which aire d on 31 May 1987, also marked the introductio n o f a new character named Sal Banducci, called Blowfish because of a funny thing he could d o

SVaighf As Men Jymp with his face. He is played by Depp's best friend, Sal Jenco, now ready to be more than an extra. The fina l sho w o f tha t firs t season , "Mea n Street s an d Paste l Houses," is a curiosity—in it, Johnny seems to be just goofing around. He plays an infiltrator to a white supremacist punk band calle d KK K (Klean Kut Kids). The episode was actually shot earlier in the season but hel d back to be used as the season finale, even though the departure of Forrest necessitated some new shooting. Also of note i n thi s episode is a very young-looking Vancouver actor playing the rol e of Tober — Jason Priestley. After th e firs t seaso n an d th e astoundin g succes s of the show , Depp was still toeing the party line, but th e cracks were starting to show. "I'm no t trapped, " he tol d T V Guide. "I mean, it's good . The best thing about the show is that kids learn fro m it , they can see the things that are going on in their schools and see them objectively. It teaches kids about saf e sex and drugs . The worst thing is that som e of the scripts we do are not important, they'r e purely for television." It was the attention, the fame, that caught hi m by surprise. He told U S magazine that "It got a bit strange, I'm not used to it. I don't hate it; I don't mind it ; it's not an ugly thing." Because Sal Jenco has been Johnny's friend fo r so long, he has a perspective o n Dep p tha t ca n b e trusted . "Ther e i s n o bullshi t involved with him, " sai d Jenco. "He's a completely straigh t guy . He took the onset of celebrity pretty much the same way he would have taken a four-dollar-an-hour job pumping gas. " One o f th e commo n misperception s abou t Dep p i s tha t h e always shun s interview s an d i s somethin g o f a pres s hermit . I f anything, th e opposit e i s true. I n fact , earl y in his career , he spok e openly — an d maybe naively — to th e press about eve n the mos t personal areas of his life. It wasn't until much later, when the media turned o n him, that his relationship wit h the press changed.

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In som e earl y interview s Johnn y gave , for instance , he spok e frankly abou t his firs t experienc e with drugs at ag e 11 an d hi s firs t sexual experience at 13. "I decided to be open about that stuff fro m the start, " said Depp. "Hopefully, kid s can learn from i t or a t least find som e comfor t in it . Kids can say , 'Jesus, he went throug h th e same thing I am going through now — maybe I'm not a bad kid like everybody says.'" The secon d seaso n of 2 1 Jump Street began o n 2 0 September 1987 with a show called "In th e Custod y o f a Clown," which i s about a young ma n bein g use d a s a bargainin g chi p betwee n hi s callou s parents. T o escape the pressure , he set s up a fake kidnappin g with the help of his grandfather. In this episode, Depp wears a dress and a wig for one of his costumes — a foreshadowing of his role in Ed Wood an d hi s cameo in Julian Schnabel's Before Night Falls. It was about this time that I had lunch with Depp one afternoon on the se t of 21 Jump Street. His frustration with being in the series was starting to show. He was, and still is, very polite and well spoken, but ther e were things h e hated abou t wher e his life had taken him . The pressure was starting to build. He prefaced many sentences with, "I know I shouldn't complain, but..." and throw in the odd "I know I sound like an asshole whining about this stuff, but...." He talked about being away from hi s family and friend s an d Sherily n — their relationship was now in tatters because he was living in Vancouver to shoot th e show . He imported hi s best frien d t o Vancouver and got him on the show, and he talked his mother into moving there too so she could be nearby. He felt trapped by the serie s and very uncomfortable with the constant adulation from teenage girls: "You should see some of the fucking stuf f I get in the mail, man," he said. He saw the success of the show as an iron gate that was swinging shut on his career as a serious actor. This wasn't just posturing on the part of a

SVaighf As Men Jymp

spoiled youn g actor; he was genuinely dispirited . I told Johnny that I hadn' t watche d a singl e episod e o f 2 1 Jump Street an d couldn' t really comment o n its quality. "That's good, " he answered. "I don't want to talk about the fucking sho w anyway." We spoke at length about the making of Platoon and about "wild man" Olive r Stone. Depp spoke enthusiastically abou t hi s desire to work with Stone again — "provided I ever get off this fucking show. " Stone had mentioned a movie that he wanted to make about the life of Ji m Morrison, th e fron t ma n fo r th e Doors , an d Johnn y badly wanted to be a part of the project. As lunch continued , w e spoke abou t hi s music . A year earlier, he'd joined a band calle d the Rock City Angels, hoping to play gigs with them between acting jobs, but mere weeks later he'd joined the 21 Jump Street cast. He'd had to give up the band. Then I asked him what he'd d o if the show went al l five seasons. "Oh, it'll never get to that," he answered. "I won't make it that long, man " He still wanted to get back to his first love, music . When the assistan t directo r calle d him back to the set , he stoo d and politely shook my hand. He lit a cigarette and smiled. When I told him I was going to hang around an d watch the shoot fo r a while, he replied, "Don't bother, man, you've go t to hav e something better t o do." As a matter o f fact , I didn't , s o I watched th e shoo t an d ho w Johnny worked. He applied himself fully, but he certainly didn't make it easy. He questioned ever y line and made sure his views on the stor y line were known, including how he thought i t could be improved. Depp no w foun d himself , quit e suddenly , a hug e sta r o n th e small screen. When he was interviewed by T V Guide profiler Elain e Warren, she described him lik e this: "Depp has acquired a taste for $8o-a-shot cogna c and i s a fan magazine star, routinely mobbe d b y teenage girls . . . . How cool i s Johnny Depp? He' s s o cool tha t h e orders a $75 bottle of wine without blinking a s he sits down and says

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'hi' at his favorite Vancouver Italian restaurant." In the third episode of the second season, called "Besieged" Depp and Jenco have a few long scenes together, during which their years of friendship show through clearly . But it was now clear that Depp was just going through th e motion s an d having as much fu n a s he could with a difficult situation. At this point, he was still showing up on time and working professionally, but he' d los t whatever interest he'd had in the show. "Honor Bound," which aired on 8 November 1987, is interesting in that it took another stab at a tough issue and allowed Depp some space t o d o som e rea l acting . Th e stor y lin e concern s a militar y academy where some of the cadets are thought to be involved in hate crimes, specificall y th e killin g o f homosexuals . Dep p an d costa r Peter DeLuis e — so n o f funn y ma n Do m DeLuis e and Johnny' s closest ally on the show — go undercover at the academy to investigate. DeLuise plays an effeminat e ga y cadet, while Hanson play s a redneck cadet with a cocky attitude and a southern accent . Two shows later, Depp's character was given a girlfriend, played by Dorothy Parke. The producers were trying everything they could to keep the Hanson characte r vital and compelling. They were also trying to keep Depp interested in the show. The followin g episode , calle d "Christma s i n Saigon, " i s als o intriguing in that it involves the Asian Jump Street cop loki and his escape from Saigon . What gives the show some depth is that much of it is based on the real-life experiences of 21 Jump Street costar Dustin Nguyen. Episode 12 of the secon d seaso n has Depp' s character thinkin g about leaving the force. He goes AWOL, leaving town Instead of going to a special course at the polic e academy . Hanson start s to sho w a rebellious side in this episode — definitely a reflection of the sentiments of the actor playing him. The producers were now seeing real

Slight As tfVel! Jiimp evidence tha t thei r youn g pinu p wa s startin g t o fee l seriousl y unhappy about th e show and his role in it. It seemed to them that, the mor e popula r th e sho w an d Dep p got , the mor e unhapp y h e seemed to become. By this point in the series, Johnny was receiving 10,000 letters a week from adorin g fans. All the producers could d o was try to mak e Depp happy by giving him wha t the y thought he needed to make his work meaningful. Episode 1 3 of th e secon d seaso n wa s writte n b y th e show' s creator, Patrick Hasburgh. Called "A Big Disease with a Little Name," it deal s wit h a hard-hittin g subject , something Dep p wa s alway s requesting. In it, Hanson i s assigned to protect a student with AID S who is being harassed at school. Strangely, just as Depp was growing more and mor e combative, he delivere d wha t i s probabl y hi s bes t performanc e of th e whol e experience. It is in the episode called "I'm Oka y — You Need Work," which aire d o n 2 1 February 1988 . A kid Hanso n arrest s o n dru g charges end s u p i n a privatel y ru n reha b clinic ; afte r learnin g o f charges of patient abus e in the clinic , Hanson check s himself i n t o investigate and finds himself trapped inside. The show is something of a seque l t o th e two-par t episod e tha t kicke d of f th e series . I t contains a lot o f shar p dialogu e an d som e genuin e tension ; also , look for a young-looking Christina Applegate in a small role . In th e nex t episode , Depp' s characte r blame s himsel f fo r th e death o f his girlfriend, wh o is shot durin g the robber y of a variety store. Th e sho w i s a typica l reveng e stor y line , bu t i t seeme d t o answer fans who liked handsome Hanson better without a sexy girlfriend. It appeared that the character's relationship had clouded th e fantasies of the millions of young girls who were wallpapering their rooms with Johnny Depp photos. Episode 18 of the second season, called "Brother Hanson an d th e Miracle of Renner's Pond," is notable because it was the firs t sho w

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shot around Depp's new policy of refusing to participate in scenes in which Hanso n ha d t o d o somethin g tha t Johnn y deemed morall y reprehensible. Thi s episod e wa s sloppil y written , wit h awfu l dialogue. Office r Hanso n i s sen t t o a small-tow n schoo l wher e a teacher refuse s t o teac h th e theor y o f evolutio n becaus e hi s so n survived a near-death experience, and the teacher believes it was the hand o f Go d that revive d him . Thi s frictio n i n th e schoo l cause s some students t o start burning book s i n protest. Depp, a voracious reader an d book lover , demanded tha t he have nothing to d o with any scene involving an orgy of burning books . The proble m o f th e show' s poo r qualit y wa s compounded b y Depp's resentmen t abou t having no control over the way his image was being hustled an d hyped . At one point, FO X TV made a series of commercials plugging the show that featured images of Johnny with a dee p voice intoning "Depp , Depp , Depp" over and ove r again . "I would have put the kibosh on it early," said Depp. "But when you are starting ou t an d the y have a product t o sell , they shov e you dow n America's throat." It got bad enoug h tha t Depp resorte d t o trying to sabotage the show, o r a t leas t hi s par t i n it , s o th e producer s woul d conside r releasing him fro m hi s contract. "I offered t o do a year of the sho w for fre e i f they would just let me ou t o f the remainin g years of th e contract," sai d Depp . "They wer e trying t o tur n m e int o th e New Kids on the Block or Menudo. I just couldn't play that game. I would rather shrin k back into everyday life than ge t stuck being that." But ther e wer e positive experience s too . Th e show airin g o n i May 1988, called "The Bes t Years of Your Life," was a good exampl e of how television can be used to convey a constructive message. This show dealt with teen suicide. Hanson an d his partner arrest a young boy who then commits suicide the next day. The event plunges them into a deep , soul-searchin g depression . Beside s bein g on e o f th e

Might Us WeBS Jump

CHRIS HELCERMANAS-BENGE/SHOOTING STAR

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better show s in the five-yea r ru n o f 21 Jump Street, it is memorable for a n early appearance by future superstar and fellow tabloid target Brad Pitt. The fina l sho w of the secon d seaso n has a bit o f silliness a t th e end tha t ha s to b e see n to b e believed. The cast , including a very bemused-looking Johnny Depp an d Sa l Jenco, all sing "See You in September" a t the clos e of the show , afte r a story abou t a studen t suspected of blowing up toilets. The episode features a young actor named Ma x Perlich, who'd becom e on e o f Johnny' s friends an d a cast member o f Th e Brave. Depp wa s now begging to ge t off the show . He was drawing a ridiculous amoun t o f attention, bot h positiv e an d negative , and i t was leading t o al l sorts o f jealousy and back-stabbin g among th e cast. Newspaper gossi p column s starte d t o regularl y feature item s about Depp , usually about hi s bad behavior. Some of the stuf f was warranted, bu t mos t o f i t wasn't . There wer e piece s abou t Dep p throwing tempe r tantrum s o n th e se t an d makin g outrageou s demands — h e responde d t o them b y saying, "I have a couple o f ideas where these stories cam e from. Ther e ar e a couple of people who don't like the fact that I am outspoken about certain things. But as far as temper tantrum s an d throwin g punche s at producers, it is such bullshit , i t i s hilarious. " On e o f th e show' s producers , Joa n Carson, concurs . "All the fight s o n th e se t were show-related," she said. "There was little truth to the description o f him turning int o a prima donna." One o f the mor e gossip y items t o appea r i n print involve d th e breakup of Johnny Depp and Sherily n Fenn. The story said that th e split was the resul t of Perm's appearance in an erotic film called Two Moon Junction. Th e film did featur e som e racy sequences, but the y were hardly what ende d th e relationship . Dep p an d Fen n were two passionate people who, because of work, spent no time at all together,

flight As Well Jymp and finally they just drifted completel y apart. In any case, before th e ink dried on that story, Depp was being linked with another up-and coming actress, Jennifer Grey , One gossip column item that was true, however, was about Depp being arreste d fo r assaul t afte r a n altercatio n i n a downtow n Vancouver hotel . Dep p ha d gon e t o th e hotel , wher e he' d live d during the first season of the show, late one night to visit friends. He was prevented from goin g up to the gues t floors o f the hotel by an overzealous securit y guar d wh o claime d tha t h e couldn' t roa m around th e hall s o f th e gues t are a unles s h e wa s a guest . Dep p explained tha t h e use d t o liv e i n th e hote l an d wa s just visitin g friends who were expecting him. The guard told him that he knew who Depp was and didn't care. Here the story gets a bit dicey: either the securit y guar d put hi s hands o n Dep p t o physicall y move him out, or Depp tried to bulldoze his way past the guard. Either way, a wrestling match an d a few punches followed. "That gu y had a real boner for me," said Depp, "He had a wild hair up his ass, and he got real mouthy with me. I ended up spitting in his face. I shouldn't have done that , but h e shouldn't have put hi s hands on me." The police were called, and Johnny was hauled away . After bein g fingerprinted and photographed fo r mug shots, he spent the night i n jail. Charges were later dropped because there was really nothing to the case, but the incident di d put Depp in the papers and label him a "hellraiser." At the en d o f the secon d season of 21 Jump Street, a press junket was organized in Chicago. The main cast members were to greet fans and talk to the press; FOX TV thought that taking the cast on the road to caus e a ruckus and ge t on the loca l new s would mak e the sho w even mor e successfu l Thi s gav e th e alread y gravel y discontente d Depp the opportunit y t o throw his weight aroun d eve n more. Cas t members Peter DeLuise, Holly Robinson, Dustin Nguyen, and Steven Williams al l agreed to d o the tou r an d were extremely cooperative .

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But Dep p — th e cas t membe r teenager s mos t wante d t o se e — announced that he wasn't sure if he was interested in participating in the event. At 9:3 0 AM on th e da y of the Chicag o event, the cas t member s were in a government office schmoozin g with the press and hanging out wit h Mayo r Eugen e Sawyer . No Depp . B y 10:30, ove r 7,00 0 people had gathere d in Daley Plaza. It was still not know n if Depp would attend the event; the best the organizers had been able to get out of him was, "I don't know if I'll be there or not. " Then there was a flurry of activity and crackling voices over the walkie-talkies. The elevato r door s opened , an d ou t walke d Johnny Depp, hi s ar m aroun d hi s ne w girlfriend , Jennifer Grey . H e wa s dressed i n a ripped whit e T-shirt, a tattered re d plaid shirt , an d a leather jacket. It seems that he'd decide d the night before that going to Chicag o to do this thing "might b e fun," so he and Jennife r ha d jumped on the last available flight out of Vancouver. But his indecision wa s not a s casual as his behavior suggests. He saw a chance to fuck with the producers. He wanted to tell them that they'd never be able to comfortably count on him. The crow d i n Daley Plaza was getting frenzied . A local FO X T V personality named Robi n Brantle y was hosting th e event , and sh e was doing her best to incite a teenage-hormone riot. Legions of girls were screamin g "Johnny! Johnny ! Johnny! " i n a constan t chant . Brantley was egging them on by yelling back "Johnny who?" Finally, th e cas t o f 2 1 Jump Street too k th e stag e an d wer e thanked fo r attendin g th e Wind y City' s annua l B e Good, G o t o School, Say No to Drugs Youth Festival. Depp sheepishly stepped up to th e microphone . Th e applaus e an d screamin g wer e deafening. "Hello, I' m Johnn y Depp." Mor e screaming . "My basic messag e is simple. Protec t you r mind . Protec t you r heart . An d tak e car e of yourself." Hi s hand s scratche d throug h hi s hair . H e waved to th e

IVilgiit As Well Jump crowd and backed away from the microphone. Mor e screaming. To his credit, Depp mostly toe d the lin e while in Chicago. He'd pulled hi s littl e mind-fuc k o n th e producers , bu t onc e he' d committed himsel f t o th e even t h e wa s there . Whe n aske d b y a reporter about his feelings toward his audience, he replied, "I really do appreciate the audience. Our show deals with importan t theme s like drugs , suicide, life, an d death . The most importan t thin g i s to tell the kids to stay away from drugs . Drugs are the worst. I just tell people to stay far away from them. I would also like to tell people to stay in school. That's equally important. " Compare this to what he told Playboy contributing edito r Kevi n Cook i n th e Januar y 1996 issu e o f th e magazine . "Sure i t wa s [ a fascist idea]. Cops in schools? I mean, bad things happen in school s but thi s sho w was even wors e than havin g cop s in schools . I t was preachy, pointin g th e finger . An d i t wa s hypocritical becaus e th e people running tha t show , the very highest of the higher-ups, were getting high . The y wer e gettin g loaded . An d the n t o say , 'Now kiddies, don't d o this,' was horseshit. I was miserable living that lie for three years. Mortified. I was getting loaded too. Am I really the one to say 'don't get high?'" There were more screamin g crowd s awaitin g the cas t later tha t day. The actor s were to assembl e by a Marshall Field's departmen t store o n Stat e Stree t fo r a 2 PM autograph session . Th e even t was being held in an open space that links the store with a subway station; by noon, 5,00 0 girl s had mobbe d th e scene , causing disruption s i n subway service . Th e crow d spille d u p an d ont o th e stree t above , completely blocking th e subwa y entrance. While all this was going on, Depp was in another part of the city having lunch with Grey. He missed th e firs t 4 5 minutes o f the autograp h session , but whe n h e finally did arriv e h e enjoye d th e crow d an d complie d wit h ever y request for photographs and autographs. When it was time to leave,

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a FO X TV reporter trie d t o corne r him fo r a n impromptu interview . When sh e pointed he r microphone i n his direction, he leaned over and bi t th e en d o f it, saying, "I don't thin k thi s thin g i s working." Then he strolled off with Grey. The ide a tha t thi s even t would b e fu n wor e thin ver y quickly. Depp backed out o f a scheduled lunch with some lucky fans who' d won a lunch date with the 21 Jump Street cast. And he was nowhere to be seen during a press conference for the national press. Another o f th e show' s producers , Bil l Nuss , trie d t o spi n th e whole thin g b y saying , "You have t o understan d wha t it' s lik e fo r thousands of people to be screaming your name. Think about it for a minute. I think i t scare s him sometimes . Bu t I think h e sense s a responsibility t o people. He doesn't want to appear irresponsible. " Depp's unhappiness wasn't a secret. Nuss did his best to hide it and to make Depp's role in the development o f the show seem to be greater than it was, telling reporters, "Johnny had a lot to do with the suicide episode we ran las t year." Depp then tol d a reporter, "I just want to make it very clear that I'm not out there saving someone's life just because I'm Johnny Depp. That's no t ho w it goes in real life. In real life I won't be solving the problem s o f the world. People forge t that this is a show and I am just an actor. So instead of me being the cure I wanted people to learn how to handle their own problems." The third season of 21 Jump Street began on 6 November 1988. The season opene r wa s calle d "Fu n wit h Animals " an d introduce d a character named Booker, played by Richard Grieco. The new office r is assigne d a s Hanson's partner , an d th e two don' t ge t along. The addition o f Booke r was a clea r indication tha t th e producer s ha d begun to accept that Depp' s days on the show were numbered an d that the y coul d n o longe r forc e Johnn y t o stic k wit h it . A s his behavior became more unpredictable an d his complaints abou t the

Might A s Well Jum p scripts grew, they started to think that keeping him on board was no longer worthwhile . In a number o f third-season episodes , many o f Hanson' s line s were shuffle d of f t o othe r character s o r writte n ou t completely . When Depp did appear, he pretty much phoned in the performance. He refused t o learn his lines anymore; he would simply give them a once-over before shootin g an d then deliver them a s ineffectively a s possible. Th e fourt h episod e o f tha t season , called "Coac h o f th e Year," contains on e o f the mos t lackluster performance s of Depp' s entire acting career. By show number seven , called "Dragon an d th e Angel," i t i s obviou s tha t Dep p wa s n o longe r intereste d i n expending eve n minima l effort . I n thi s show , h e simpl y clown s around o n scree n with hi s friend Pete r DeLuise — Depp often say s that if it weren't for his friendship with DeLuise he would have gone insane. The following episode, "Blu Flu," also features Depp giving a walk-through performance , but i t i s hardly noticeable becaus e h e has almost nothin g to do. But then, just when Depp was about to be written off as a spoiled brat who was trying to sabotage the show, he surprised everyone. In the ninth sho w of that season ("Swallowed Alive," which aired on 5 February 1989), Depp showe d u p t o work . The stor y line was good, and the quality of the writing was well above what it had been. In it, Officer Hanson becomes an inmate in a juvenile detention center to investigate the murder of one of the inmates. This is one of the best shows of the whole series and one of Depp's strongest performances. In the nth sho w of the season, Depp is again given some meaty dialogue an d som e interestin g scene s involving a journalist frien d who screws Hanson around , causing him to be suspended fro m th e force. This episod e feature s Depp cuttin g loos e wit h som e o f th e only passionate outbursts h e ever filmed for the series. Things then took a turn fo r the worse.

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By show number 17 , Depp was refusing t o d o nearly everything he wa s told , s o hi s par t wa s whittle d dow n almos t t o a came o appearance. This episode, called "Blinded by the Thousand Point s of Light," i s abou t th e investigatio n o f a predato r wh o ha s bee n targeting homeles s teens . Up-and-comin g actres s Bridge t Fond a does some nice work in this show, but Dep p is only in it for abou t four minutes an d only in scenes that have no bearing on the story. The path that 2 1 Jump Street would take was written al l over the next episode. Richard Grieco was being primed as the focal point of the series in this episode about dealing with street gangs. It includes a hilarious sequenc e that features Office r Hanso n flatl y refusin g t o get a tattoo. As the fourth season debuted, it did so without Griec o — he'd graduated t o hi s ow n show , called Booker, based o n hi s 2 1 Jump Street character. The producer s decide d t o tr y shiftin g th e focu s o f th e show bac k t o th e reluctan t Depp . Fo r th e sho w leadin g u p t o Halloween 198 9 ("Ol d Haunt s i n a Ne w Age"), publicity poster s showed a large photo o f Johnny Depp with a small Pete r DeLuise over his right shoulder. The caption rea d "Spend Halloween on the Street," an d ther e wer e photo s o f th e tw o actor s i n Hallowee n costumes. DeLuis e wa s Dracula , an d Dep p wa s don e u p a s a Mohawk-haired Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. Show eigh t o f th e fourt h seaso n focuse s o n a toug h subject , which i s handled, fo r th e mos t part , i n a responsibl e fashion . A female officer i s raped and turns to Hanson for comfort. Depp walks through the show but stil l manages to be fairly effective . Show 11 deals with chil d pornograph y and abuse . Depp refuse d to portray someone who enjoys indulging in pornography. In episode 15, the fac t that Depp wanted ou t was worked in as a joke. "Back from th e Future " involve s a co p i n th e futur e wh o i s

Might Us WeS! Jump

trying to reconfigur e the Jum p Stree t program . He interviews th e long-retired member s o f the origina l squa d — Hanson , however , isn't on e o f them. He' s stil l o n th e force, working ou t o f the sam e office al l these years later. This in-joke episode was directed by Peter DeLuise. Shows 18 and 19 were shot in Florida and amounted to not muc h more than a paid vacation for Depp and his old Florida pal Sal Jenco. The plot has Hanson an d Penhall (DeLuise) following a bomber t o Florida o n sprin g break . I t end s u p wit h th e tw o travelin g t o E l Salvador t o loo k fo r Penhall' s wife , onl y t o discove r tha t sh e was killed durin g th e civi l strif e there . Th e sho w feature s a terrifi c Mexican actress named Elpidia Carrillo, who'd also end up being cast by Depp in his directorial debut. The last bit o f interesting work Depp did on 21 Jump Street was in an episode called "The Senator," in which eac h cast member tell s a simila r stor y in a Rashomon-like way, but eac h story is presented through a different movi e genre . Depp's story is a black-and-white silent film and i s very interesting to watch. By this time, the writin g was on th e wall — Dep p wouldn't be coming back to 21 Jump Street. The producers decide d to let him go without a fuss; if he was only going to be half there, he might a s well not b e ther e a t all . On 1 6 July 1990, Office r To m Hanson mad e hi s final appearanc e o n 2 1 Jump Street i n a n episod e tha t contain s nothing els e of note. Depp now had to make some decisions. He was at last free to do work tha t mean t somethin g t o him , bu t h e first had t o fin d tha t work. H e wa s determine d t o avoi d playin g an y o f th e myria d Hanson-like character s he wa s being offered . H e wante d t o strik e out i n as opposite a direction a s he could. And, with th e help of an eccentric Baltimore-base d filmmake r name d Joh n Waters, h e was about to do just that.

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Waters i s a writer-director know n fo r makin g film s tha t th e ter m "tasteless" was invented to describe. He was making gross-out comedies long before that subgenre officially existed. He had his own little repertory compan y o f misfit s — on e o f his favorit e actor s was an obese transvestit e name d Divine , wh o appeare d i n Polyester an d Pink Flamingos — and he'd gaine d some notoriety a s a cult shockmeister (althoug h h e can' t be that ba d sinc e Baltimor e declare d 7 February 1985 "John Waters Day"). In 1988, Waters was trying to get off the ground a film that would be a s close to th e mainstrea m a s he like s to go . It wa s called CryBaby, and i t was a musical comed y homage t o tee n movie s o f th e '505. It was to be his biggest movie to date, and he'd make it with the comfort o f a Universal Pictures distribution dea l backing him up . This meant , for the firs t tim e in his career , that on e of his movie s had the potentia l t o be seen by a lot of people the world over . The pressure was on Waters to deliver a movie that people might actually want to see — unlike some of his previous nausea-inducing films. Since Waters wrote the script, including the lyrics for the musical numbers, and would direct the film and have a hand in producing it , casting was crucial to him. Not surprisingly, the cast he put togethe r was an eccentric one, including notorious underag e porn sta r Traci Lords, ex-heiress/kidna p victim/ban k robber/politica l terrorist turned-actress and author Patt y Hearst, future tal k show host Ricki Lake, and musician Iggy Pop. "More than anything," said Waters, "I need actors who can take a step back and laugh at themselves goodnaturedly." As for the lead role, Waters admitted he had no idea which actor he wanted as the leather-jacketed, tattooed, juvenile delinquent wh o has a distinctly sensitive side and is often show n openly crying. This actor woul d als o have t o perfor m i n severa l musical numbers tha t

flight A s Well Jum p come up durin g the movie, much like in films such as Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock. Waters knew what type of actor he wanted, but h e was at a loss where to begin his search. "I literally went down to a newsstand and picked up every teen magazine there," he said. "I felt like some kind of pedophile. Every single one o f these magazines either featured a large phot o o r a smal l phot o o r a sta r wit h 'Se e Johnn y Inside ' written in it. Depp was in every one of them." At the time, Depp was hoping for exactly the kind of role Waters was trying to fill. "I was looking fo r a role that was the diametri c opposite of the bullshit way I was being thought of." Depp was being offered a lot of characters to play, but mos t of them frightened him because they were only slight variations o n Hanson. He was starting to worr y tha t th e 2 1 Jump Street experienc e ha d screwe d u p hi s career permanently. Then he was contacted about reading Cry-Baby. He rea d it an d love d it , then wen t ou t an d foun d ou t a bit abou t John Waters and loved that too — then he set up a meeting. "When Johnny told me how much he hated the teen-idol image," said Waters, "I told him to stick with us — we'll kill that, we'll get rid of that i n a second, because we're going to make fun o f your teenidol status from first frame to last." Apart from the creative attractions that Cry-Baby held for Depp, the fac t tha t he was being offered $ 1 million t o pla y the lea d character sweetene d th e pot . H e ha d th e chanc e no t onl y t o mak e a low-budget, independent-in-fee l movi e bu t als o t o ear n a hug e salary for doing it. But the "yes" from Depp came only after a period of consultation and consideration. As much a s everything was pointing to a DeppWaters collaboration , som e in Depp' s cam p weren' t s o sure it was the right move for Johnny. Often when a young actor becomes a big star, those advising him o r her tend to favor the biggest offer rathe r

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than the best offe r simpl y because it translates into bigger commissions fo r them . Eve n som e o f Johnny' s friend s weren' t sur e tha t doing a self-parody at suc h a young age was the wises t move. But Depp, to his credit, was unshakable. "I've always admired people like John Waters, who has never compromised , who has been throug h the ringe r because he has stuc k t o hi s guns," said Depp. "The easy way is boring to me." Waters commente d tha t h e though t "i t wa s reall y brav e o f Johnny to take a movie that was just a mockery of the images created around him. Especially since the first thing he told me when we met was that Cry-Baby was the strangest script he had ever read." Cry-Baby is essentially a larger-scale retelling of the story Waters told in an earlier film called Hairspray. Dep p plays Cry-Baby, a juvenile delinquent who runs with a bad crowd, rides a motorcycle, and is covere d i n tattoos . Bu t h e ha s a sensitiv e side , eviden t i n th e opening sequenc e when he is getting an immunization sho t i n hi s high schoo l gymnasiu m — whe n th e needl e is applied, Cry-Baby sheds a tear. Like th e her o i n ever y othe r teens-in-leather-jacket s epic , th e hero of Cry-Baby falls fo r a girl from the right side of town and tries to win her over by showing her his strengths as a person, hoping she will see beyond the tattoos and wild friends . The movie was shot in Baltimore, the hometown o f Waters and the plac e wher e h e prefer s t o se t an d shoo t al l hi s films . B y all accounts, th e experienc e wa s a positiv e on e fo r bot h Dep p an d Waters. Johnny referred t o Baltimor e as "the stranges t place I have ever been in," but h e als o said , "I would becom e par t o f the Joh n Waters repertory company in a second." Waters already had a film in mind tha t he hoped to work with Depp on afte r Cry-Baby, but the projec t neve r cam e to fruition .

Might AS Well Jump Waters had this to say about his star: "He's everythin g a star shoul d be, the ver y opposite o f a flash i n the pan . Working with hi m was almost a s excitin g a s i t mus t hav e bee n workin g wit h Johnn y Hallyday in France in the beginning. " Depp was often aske d about his relationship with the openl y gay Waters. There was some gossip at the time that had Dep p accompanying Waters to gay bars and being repulsed by a gay man who asked if h e coul d kis s Johnny on th e cheek . Depp denie s thi s completely . "I've ha d men come on to me," said Depp, "but I' m not one of those guys who get pissed off and go, 'Oh, Jesus Christ, I'm a straight man!'" Was Dep p awar e o f th e sexua l orientatio n o f Water s durin g th e filming of Cry-Baby 7. "I never thought o f him i n such labeled terms," Depp said . "I'd notic e th e fac t tha t I wa s working wit h a Swedish director much more than if someone was gay." Waters mentioned that "Johnny i s th e leas t homophobi c heter o bo y I hav e eve r met . H e wasn't the least bit uptight about it. " Cry-Baby didn' t perfor m all that wel l in Nort h America . It di d develop somethin g o f a cul t followin g i n part s o f Europ e an d Australia, making Depp a huge movie star in those parts of the world. Yet the fil m wa s still a success. Waters told me, "Johnny an d I were both looking to do things that would take us in a different direction . I was looking to expan d the size and reach of my films, and Johnny was trying t o shak e an image. I think w e both succeede d and were allowed to proceed as we wanted to." In th e end , Waters's propensit y fo r wack y behavior seeme d t o rub of f on Depp. After working together, Depp decided to do something specia l for his director. So he had hi m ordained . "I sent away to the Universal Life Churc h an d had Joh n ordained b y mail," said Depp. "He is now and forever Reverend John Waters because of me." While Water s wa s editin g Cry-Baby, anothe r youn g directo r

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called an d aske d i f h e migh t se e som e footag e o f Depp . H e wa s thinking of casting Johnny in his next film but had never seen any of his work . Th e directo r wa s Ti m Burton , an d hi s visi t t o Water s would initiate anothe r hug e turning point in Depp's life .

Chapter Free

Depp and Byrfonf Burton and Depp:

Parti

"He is him and that's all he is." Johnny Depp on Tim Burton, from his introduction to Burton on Burton

Director Ti m Burto n i s an eccentri c filmmaker i n th e bes t sens e o f th e term, A forme r animato r wh o mad e early film s wit h Pee-We e Herma n and a movie about a pieced-together RALPH DOMINGUEZ/ GLOBE PHOTOS dog calle d Frankenweenie, Burton , surprisingly, was offered a chance t o work withi n th e studi o syste m an d grabbe d it . Warne r Brothers backed hi s firs t bi g hit , Beetlejuice, starrin g Michae l Keaton , Ale c Baldwin, Geena Davis, and a very young Winona Ryder . And, based on audiences' love of that film, Warner Brothers turned to Burton to make th e big-screen , live-action Batman. Burto n ha d comic-boo k enthusiasts foamin g a t th e mout h whe n h e announce d h e wa s casting Michael Keaton as the Gaped Crusader; Burton shrugged off the outcry, saying that he planned on taking the Batman legend in a new direction an d that Keaton was perfect for what he wanted to do. He was right, and the comic-heads had to agree. The movie was dark 51

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and fabulous . Keato n wa s grea t a s Batman , an d Jac k Nicholso n chewed the scener y with ever y on-screen appearanc e as the Joker . The movie broke box-office record s and has inspired three smash hit sequels. Given suc h enormou s success , the studi o immediatel y pres sured Burton to develo p a sequel. He wasn't avers e to considerin g it, but he didn't want i t to be the next projec t that h e did. He was eager to make a movie based on a character that he'd been carrying around with him since his animation day s — a young man name d Edward who has long, sharp scissors at the ends of his arms instead of hands. The huge success of Batman led Burton to believe that he could ge t anything a t al l made, s o he too k hi s cherishe d ide a t o Warner Brothers , th e studi o wher e he' d mad e thre e hugel y successful movies . However , "Warner Brother s didn't ge t it," sai d Burton, "which was good because I knew they really didn't want to do it. I try to work with people who want to do what I want to do. " Burton turne d t o a young novelist name d Carolin e Thompso n to writ e the screenpla y with him . He' d me t he r throug h a n agent while h e wa s i n preproductio n o n Beetlejuice; no w h e aske d Thompson i f she'd be interested i n fleshin g ou t a screenplay based on idea s and sketche s he had abou t a young man with scissor s for hands. " I ha d rea d Caroline' s nove l calle d First Born, which wa s about an abortion that came back to life," said Burton. "It was good. It had sociological things that were thematic, but it also had a fantastical element t o it , which was nice. That combinatio n wa s close to the feelin g I wanted for Edward Sdssorhands" Thompson wa s enthusiastic abou t the idea, even though Burton , as he readily admits, isn't the most communicativ e o f people, especially when his ideas are based on feelings. "I was really lucky to meet Caroline," said Burton. "She was very in tune with my ideas, which was good because these had bee n insid e m e a long time — it was

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Fart 1 symbolic and no t somethin g I wanted to pick apart an d analyze . I needed someone who understood what the basic thing was about, so there wouldn' t b e a lo t o f grade-schoo l psycholog y goin g o n i n terms of discussing the project. I could be fairly cryptic, and it stil l came across to her." Burton paid Thompson a small fee to write the screenplay before there was anyone else attached to the project. Undeterred b y Warner Brothers ' lack o f interest , Burto n too k Thompson's screenpla y and shopped it around town. He proceeded with confidenc e — thi s wa s the firs t projec t h e woul d shepher d through th e proces s completel y o n hi s own, an d h e believed i n it entirely. H e package d u p th e screenpla y an d sen t i t ou t t o th e studios, saying that this was the movie he wanted to make. He told prospective producers that they had exactly two weeks to respond to the project either way, after which time the script would be taken off the table. "It was a route that I was determined to take," said Burton. "That way, no on e could force changes on rne." The scrip t foun d favo r wit h Jo e Roth , wh o wa s runnin g Twentieth Centur y Fox at th e time . He foun d th e ide a to o inter esting t o pas s u p an d decide d tha t h e migh t wan t t o develo p a long-term relationship wit h Burton . Roth gave him th e green light to make Edward Scissorhands provided th e costs be kept in check. Once the dea l was struck at Twentieth Century Fox, it was time to cast the film. The studio had a wish list of actors whom it thought would ensur e box-office return s — "The studios ar e always saying, 'Here is a list o f five people who ar e box office, ' an d thre e o f them are Tom Cruise," said Burton. Michael Jackson and Tom Hanks were briefly considered , an d Burto n me t wit h Cruis e abou t playin g Edward. Of Cruise, Burton said, "He certainly wasn't my ideal, but I wanted to talk to him. He was interesting, but I think things worked out fo r th e best . A lo t o f question s cam e u p — I don' t reall y remember the specific s — - but a t the en d o f the meetin g I did fee l

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like [saying] , and probably even said this, to him: "It's nice to have a lot of questions about the character, but you either want to do it or you don't.'" One o f the majo r concern s Cruis e allegedly had wa s about th e scars that cove r Edward's face, th e resul t o f years of Edward inadvertently nicking himself. The prosthetic scar s would take hours t o apply each morning, an d Cruis e was worried, not ou t o f vanity, as was reported, but simpl y because they'd be distracting . It was also reported i n th e Lo s Angeles Times tha t th e character' s "lac k o f virility" was one of his reasons for deciding against doing the movie. Johnny Depp's agen t had a cop y of th e screenplay , and sh e let Depp read it. He was blown awa y by the story, the character, and the imagination behin d it all. He was dying to meet with Burton and to throw his name into the mix. A meeting was set up, but Burto n was only doin g i t a s a courtes y an d becaus e h e wa s force d t o star t widening his net. All he'd heard of Depp was the odd mention o f him as a teen idol . That first meeting between Depp and Burton lacked drama and barely hinted a t the long and symbiotic relationship the two would develop. It was a simple get-together over coffee in the lounge of the Bel Age Hotel betwee n the m an d produce r Denis e Di Novi. Depp was very nervous — this movie was something h e really wanted to do. "I realized that i t was something tha t was only goin g to com e around once," said Depp. "I knew that I would never see this opportunity again . I felt s o attached t o the characte r an d th e story ; then the reality set in. I was TV boy. No director i n his right mind would hire me to play this character. I had done no work otherwise to show that 1 could handl e thi s kin d o f role. " Dep p ha d prepare d b y watching everythin g Burton had done, which made him even more anxious to be a part of the project. Both showe d u p a t th e meetin g lookin g disheveled , and the n

Depp and Burton, iyrton and Oepp^ Part 1 both talke d i n half-sentence s an d use d a lot o f word association . After a cordia l conversation , they parte d wit h a handshake. Dep p was fired up; he felt a n immediate connection with Burton. Burton was oddly impressed with Depp as well. But, as Johnny recalled, "My chances were slim a t best. Better-known peopl e than m e were not only being considered fo r th e rol e bu t wer e battling, kicking , and screaming for it." Then Burton visited John Waters's editing suite to see how Depp looked in action as Cry-Baby was being cut together. Burton went in liking the Depp he'd met but stil l unsure that he could pull off the movie he had in mind. After spendin g a couple of hours looking at the footage, Burton was satisfied that he'd foun d his Edward. A few days later, Depp received a phone call from Burton — "You are Edward Scissorhands" was the entirety of the conversation. Burton was happy about his choice and, looking back, said, "I'm gla d Johnny did it. I can't reall y think o f anyone else who would have done it for me that way." Because Burto n hadn' t see n Depp' s wor k o r reall y hear d o f Johnny, he starte d askin g around befor e thei r meetin g — what he found made his choice even clearer. "In America at the time, Johnny was very well known as a teen idol, and he was perceived as difficul t and aloof," said Burton. "All sorts of things are written about him in the press that are simply not true. I mean, in person he is very funny, a warm guy. He's a normal gu y — a t least in m y interpretation o f what is normal. But he is described a s being dark and difficul t an d weird, an d h e i s judge d b y his looks . Tha t i s thematicall y wha t Edward Scissorhands is about, so he could really relate to these things in a way that I think is unique to him. " Burton wa s also excited abou t being able to includ e one o f his heroes, aging actor an d che f Vincent Price , in th e Edward Scissorhands cast. Burton had made an animated film about Price and was

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working o n a documentar y o f him . Dep p wa s als o immediatel y taken wit h thi s gentee l ol d ma n wh o carrie d himsel f wit h suc h dignity. And when Price saw all the attentio n Dep p was getting, he sat the young actor down to discuss the ups and downs of success in Hollywood. Pric e gave him a piece of advice : "Buy art." Depp ha s done s o — probably not th e kind o f art Price had in mind, but h e has heeded his wisdom. In fact, one of the first pieces of art Depp acquired caused him a few more public-relations headaches . He bought a ghoulish-lookin g clown's fac e painted by none other tha n the notorious Joh n Wayne Gacy while h e wa s awaitin g executio n fo r th e sexua l tortur e an d murder of 33 young men. Depp immediately got rid of the paintin g when he discovered that the proceeds of the sale had not gone to the families o f the victims , a s he'd been led to believe. Depp was asked about the incident by a Rolling Stone contributor i n 1991: "The paintings ar e really weird an d scar y an d great, " Depp answered , "but I didn't want to contribute t o anything a s evil as that." Subsequently, he has invested in more recognizable artworks, including pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, which prompted Depp to contribute the foreword to a biography of the modern artist . Johnny Depp's personal life was about to take another wild twist — a new young woman was about t o enter his life. His engagement to Jennifer Gre y had ende d peacefull y afte r eigh t months . Gre y ha d been looking fo r a stable relationship, an d Depp had started to spin off ou t o f control. They'd decide d to go their separate ways. Johnny then dated around a bit. On a fairly unbelievable note, an "actress" named Tally Chanel claims that sh e was engaged to Depp for a while . Whe n sh e me t him , sh e says , sh e wa s workin g a s a hostess at the premiere for Die Hard 2 , and sh e opened th e doo r o f Depp's limo when it arrived. "Our eye s locked, and he asked me to

ami Burton, iorton anil Oepp: Part marry him" is how her story goes. She told tabloids that they'd ha d a relationship that lasted for a year and consiste d of quiet nights at his home ordering Chinese food. Once again , Depp' s privat e lif e wa s abou t t o becom e tabloi d fodder.

Depp and Burto n hung around togethe r durin g the planning of Edward Scissorhands. One night, Burton suggested that they go to the premiere o f a movie calle d Great Balls o f Fire!, a fil m biograph y o f Jerry Lee Lewis starring Dennis Quaid an d Beetlejuice sta r Winona Ryder. I n th e lobb y o f th e theater , Ryde r an d Dep p notice d on e another. Ryder recalled that initial moment: "I was getting a Coke. It was th e classi c glance, like th e zoo m stuf f i n West Side Story, an d everything gets foggy. It wasn't a long moment, but it was suspended." They didn't formally meet that night. Their first meeting came a few weeks later when a friend dragged Winona to Depp's suite at the Chateau Marmont hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Ryder was a bit hesitant because of what she' d rea d and heard about Depp. "I thought maybe he would b e a jerk," she said. "I didn't know. But he turne d out t o b e really , really shy." That firs t meetin g wasn't muc h mor e than a couple of drinks and some conversation. It was another fe w weeks before the y went on thei r firs t officia l date, at a party at the Hollywoo d Hills home o f LS D guru Timothy Leary, According to Depp , "When I met Winona , we fell i n love. It was absolutely like nothing befor e — ever . We just slid into it . We started hanging out and just continued t o hang out. " Ryder had neve r had a "boyfriend" before. She' d gone out wit h actor Rober t Sea n Leonar d (Dead Poets Society, Th e Last Days o f Disco, Driven), but thei r relationshi p wa s mor e platonic . Whe n Ryder met Depp, she was 17 and he was 26. Early on, they found that they had severa l quirky things in commo n tha t endeare d them t o one another : a fondness for J.D . Salinger's Catcher i n th e Rye, the

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Johnny and Winona - Hollywood couple DAN GOLDEN/SHOOTING STAR

writings of Jack Kerouac, and Enni o Morricone's soundtrac k fro m the film The Mission among them. Winona Ryde r was born Winona Horowit z o n 2 9 October 197 1 in Winona, Minnesota . Shortl y thereafter , her parent s move d to California, where they became seriously committed hippies. In fact, Winona's godfathe r was none othe r tha n th e lat e Timothy Leary . Her father, Michael, knew Leary and the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg — another reason Johnny found her absolutely cool — from hi s work as a rare-book dealer and archivist. Winona began her acting career at 12. While performing on stage at a community playhouse, she was spotted by famed castin g agent Deborah Lucchesi, who asked her if she'd do a screen test for a film she was casting called Desert Bloom. Winona did the test but di d not

and Burton, iuiion and Depp* Part 1 get the role in the film — it went to Annabeth Gish — but it did lead to her being cast in her first film, Lucas. During the shoo t fo r Lucas, the producer s aske d Winon a ho w she wished to be written u p in the credits. Winona an d her parents first thought o f the name Winona Huxle y but quickl y ruled it out. She then assume d the last name Ryder "because my dad was probably listening to a song by Mitch Ryde r at the time. " After makin g her debu t i n Lucas in 1986 , Ryder quickly became one of the kid actors to watch. She earned excellent notices in film s such as Heathers and Beetlejuice, then won the hotly competed rol e opposite Dennis Quaid's Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls o f Fire!. Johnny and Winona quickly fell in love. When Depp flew to Boston in Octobe r 198 9 to spen d tim e wit h Winona , wh o wa s shootin g Mermaids there , costa r Che r watche d th e pair . Sh e says sh e knew early on tha t thi s wa s a hot romanc e — i t was all Winona woul d talk about whe n they were not exchangin g lines. Cher also remembers that Winona was wary of getting mixed up in Johnny's "scene, " a life that include d screaming , adoring teenage girls and fan clubs. In Januar y 1990 , the y wer e crowne d th e ne w "i t couple " i n Hollywood in a strange ceremony in Las Vegas. Depp and Ryder were both in Las Vegas to attend the annual ShoWest convention, a splashy unveiling o f ne w Hollywoo d product s t o distributor s an d theate r owners that includes a parade of stars and awards. Depp was named "Male Sta r o f th e Future, " and , conveniently , Ryde r wa s name d "Female Star of the Future. " A month later, on 26 February 1990, the Los Angeles Times reporte d tha t Depp , 27 , and Ryder , 18, were offi cially engaged. Depp wa s fairly ope n t o th e pres s abou t hi s relationshi p wit h Ryder, but he' d com e to bitterly regre t his candor. He said early in their relationship that, despite having gone through one divorce and

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two faile d engagement s already, he ha d ever y intention o f getting engaged to Ryder as soon as possible. Depp then suffered the embarrassment o f havin g a compan y prin t bumpe r sticker s tha t rea d "Honk i f yo u haven' t bee n engage d t o Johnn y Depp! " H e too k comfort i n th e fac t tha t Ryde r was a magazine cove r girl an d th e topic o f gossip column items as well. "Winona is a big help to me, " he sai d a t the time . "She knows exactl y what I am goin g through , because she is going through the same thing." They were so smitten wit h one another that they ended up in a Los Angele s tattoo parlo r on e day . They decide d t o immortaliz e their lov e by each gettin g a tattoo o f the other' s name . At the las t minute, though , Winon a decide d agains t it ; Dep p ha d "Winon a Forever" burned int o hi s arm. "I'd neve r seen anyon e get a tatto o before," said Ryder. "I was pretty squeamish about it." After th e fact , Depp recalled, "She kept taking the bandage off and looking at it." Ryder reciprocated with a nice gesture of her own . She bought Depp a star — a real star in the sky. She bought it so she could offi cially nam e i t afte r him . Th e sta r i s locate d i n a norther n constellation calle d Cepheu s an d ca n onl y b e see n wit h a fairl y powerful telescope . Depp and Ryder often spent their weekends at her parents' home in Petaluma , California . "My parents love d him a lot," sai d Ryder. Depp was pleased at their affection. "It could have been very easy for them not to like me; other people might have just seen the tattoos, " he remarked. Around this time, director Francis Ford Coppola was about to start production o n th e long-awaite d thir d installmen t o f his epic . Th e Godfather: Part III had already gone through a difficult gestation. The original screenpla y bega n wit h th e /oth-birthda y celebratio n o f Corleone consiglier e Tom Hagen (Rober t Duvall), but negotiation s

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Part 1 with Duvall broke down when Paramount Pictures balked at giving him fe e parity with Al Pacino and Dian e Keaton. Duvall resolutely decided, later t o hi s regret, that h e wouldn't be a part o f the thir d installment o f the series. The script had t o be completely rewritten , and by the time shooting began the script was about the final days of the Corleon e empire , wit h sid e plots involvin g Vatican corruptio n and the illicit relationship between Sonny Corleone's illegitimate son Vincent Mancini (playe d by Andy Garcia) and Michae l Corleone's daughter Mary . Coppola wante d Ryde r to pla y Mary. Winona was naturally ecstatic about being in a film of such profil e an d lineage, and she was eager to work with a director of Coppola's stature. But Ryder had bee n working nonstop fo r a long time, an d she was startin g t o wea r down . Sh e ha d mad e Great Balls o f Fire!, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, and Mermaids wit h virtuall y n o time of f between them. She was now about to start her fourth fil m in a row, and i t promised to have another long , physically draining shooting schedule. Ryder reported to Rome to begin work on Th e Godfather: Part III and fel l il l almos t immediatel y upo n checkin g i n t o he r hotel . Doctors were quickly summoned to her suite. They determined tha t she wa s sufferin g fro m exhaustio n exacerbate d b y a sever e upper respiratory infection. Depp dutifully dropped everything and flew to Rome to be with her. Further examination showe d that Ryder would need a lot more time t o recove r than th e schedul e for the film' s productio n woul d allow. Th e decisio n wa s mad e t o replac e her . Coppol a ha d gon e down thi s roa d befor e whil e making Apocalypse Now, the origina l star, Harve y Keitel , wasn' t interpretin g th e rol e i n a wa y tha t Coppola foun d acceptable, so Keitel was replaced by Martin Sheen after severa l weeks o f expensiv e location shooting . Coppol a the n had to face the possibility of replacing Sheen when the actor suffere d

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a massive heart attack while on location in the Philippines. The decision t o replac e Ryder was disheartening t o al l involved, but i t was made swiftly for the good of the production . Coppola the n mad e th e bewildering decisio n t o cast his young daughter, Sofi a Coppola , a s Mary. Sofia wa s a neophyte actor an d was completely overwhelme d by the task . She has since gone on t o become a pretty good writer-director hersel f with a promising 1999 debut, Th e Virgin Suicides, but o n th e se t of Th e Godfather: Part III she suffered becaus e of the difficul t position she'd been placed in . As if things weren't ba d enough , rumors bega n to circulat e in the entertainment pres s that Depp was involved in Ryder's decision to "bac k out " o f Th e Godfather: Part HI. Dep p was about t o star t shooting Edward Scissorhands, and he wanted Ryder to costar with him. A theory wa s advance d tha t th e reporte d illnes s was, if no t completely invented , the n certainl y embellishe d fo r th e sak e o f avoiding what might hav e been a huge breech-of-contract lawsuit against Ryder. Nothing could have been further fro m the truth, but it mad e fo r interestin g "news " o n Entertainment Tonight. Furthe r supporting th e real story, it was clear that Coppol a hel d no ill will toward th e young actress when he eagerly cast her in Bram Stoker's Dracula soon after . Rathe r than bein g bitter abou t th e pres s reaction to her illness, Ryder was bewildered: " I never could figur e ou t why n o on e woul d believ e th e truth . Th e stuf f abou t Johnn y coming all the way to Rome just to have me pack up and leave with him was just stupid." This incident i s another exampl e of the suspiciou s way we view public people — anything they do is naturally assumed to be more nefarious tha n i t firs t seems . It's har d t o fatho m ho w difficul t i t would b e t o endur e thi s scrutiny , to hav e ever y detail — tru e o r imagined — o f your privat e lif e writte n u p i n th e newspapers . "I remember u s desperately hating bein g hounded al l the time, " said

iepp and Burton, iyrtan and Depp: Part 1 Ryder. "It was horrible, an d it certainly took a toll o n our relation ship. Every day we heard or read that we were breaking up or that we were cheating on each other, but w e weren't. It was like mosquitoes constantly buzzing around us." The fact that Ryde r ended up being cast in Edward Scissorhands had mor e t o d o wit h Burto n tha n Depp . Burto n ha d worke d successfully wit h Ryde r i n th e pas t an d kne w sh e was more tha n good enough for the role. "I like her very much," said Burton. "She is one of my favorites. Also, she responds to this kind of dark material, and I thought the idea of her, as a cheerleader, wearing a blonde wig, was very funny. I think she might say that it's probably the most difficult thin g that sh e has ever done because she did no t relat e to her character." Of Winona and Johnny's romance , Burton added, "I don't thin k their relationshi p affecte d th e movi e i n a negative way. Perhaps it might have if it was a different kin d o f movie, something that was tapping more into the positive an d negative sides of their relation ship. But this was such a fantasy... they were really professional and didn't brin g any weird stuff to the set." Edward Scissorhands tell s th e stor y o f a youn g ma n wh o wa s created by a lonely old inventor (Vincent Price) in the laboratory of a huge castle on a hill overlookin g a pastel-hued suburb. When th e inventor dies suddenly, he leaves his creation, Edward, unfinished — he ha s scissor s for hands. Edwar d lives alon e in th e castl e until a local Avon lady (Diann e Wiest) finds him an d take s him hom e t o care for him. Adventure ensues as Edward's newfound family tries to introduce him to society. Edward, of course, becomes a curiosity as he struggles to fit in, discovering along the way the joy and pain of love and encountering human duplicity . Edward Scissorhands wa s sho t i n a Florid a settin g tha t didn' t have to be changed much. Members of the small community chosen

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allowed th e fil m compan y t o repain t thei r house s i n paste l colors and embraced Hollywood's visi t by making the location shootin g an event to plan picnics around . Depp was known for his hard work on the set. His costume — he always wore a black leather bodysuit an d his scissorhands rig — was extremely uncomfortabl e i n th e Florid a heat , which ofte n climbe d above ioo°F . H e dramaticall y curbe d hi s coffe e intak e becaus e h e knew tha t goin g to th e bathroo m woul d b e tim e consumin g an d uncomfortable. H e eve n learne d ho w t o gingerl y hold a cigarett e between hi s scissors . " I jus t ha d t o dea l wit h it " i s ho w Dep p described the situation . One particularly amusin g thing happened durin g th e shootin g that played on one of Depp's childhood fears . Johnny had grown up with a n irrationa l fea r o f singer and T V personality Joh n Davidson — "I think it had something to do with how perfect his hair was," he explained. Burton perversely sought out Davidso n and cas t him i n the smal l rol e o f a T V talk sho w hos t wh o interview s Edward . Another o f Depp' s weir d recurrin g dream s ha s Johnn y stuck o n Gilligan's Islan d wit h th e Skippe r furiousl y chasin g hi m around ; Burton, however, couldn't wor k that one into the film. Edward Scissorhands wa s well received, taking in $5 6 million a t the domesti c bo x office , an d i t garnere d positiv e review s almos t across the board. Depp was singled out in some of the reviews, and he earned a Golden Glob e nomination fo r Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy/Musical. Depp had this to say about his character: "He's the character that I deeply understood. Stil l now, I miss Edward. I can remember th e last time in makeup, I really had the feeling that I was leaving somebody — somebody who was very close to me." And, about hi s first venture with Burton, Depp said, "We have a sort of understanding of language. It took mayb e three-quarters of the wa y through Edward

Depp and burton, Byrfon and Depp: Part 1 Scissorhands for me to get it. It's kind o f . . . Tim and I stutter a lot when we work together, and there is a lot of maniacal gesturing." What is most impressive about Depp's performance as Edward is the beautifull y projected poignanc y o f innocence . Depp' s futur e Fear an d Loathing in La s Vegas directo r Terr y Gilliam said , "I sa w Edward Scissorhands, and [Depp ] first appear s with a terrible-fright wig on, and he's got pasty makeup, and you think, 'Oh, this is a joke. This i s neve r goin g t o work. ' An d withi n 10 , 15 minutes I totall y believed the character. Now that's an extraordinary talent." Standout performance s ar e als o turne d i n b y Diann e Wiest , veteran characte r actor Alan Arkin, and Winona Ryder . What kep t the film from bein g more broadly accepted was probably Burton's odd blend o f the nice and the pastel with the dark and the weird. What Edward Scissorhands did for Depp was give his career some legs. He was now considered an actor to watch. He'd managed, with only tw o features , t o distanc e himsel f fro m hi s reputatio n a s TV heartthrob. An d h e wa s abou t t o g o int o a differen t place , bot h professionally and personally.

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Chapter Six

The Low Road

"If the reader prefers, this book may be regarded as fiction. But there is always the chance that such a book of fiction may throw some light on what has been written as fact." Ernest Hemingway A Moveable Feast

As th e '90 5 gathere d steam , Johnn y Dep p stayed true to his word that he would not do anything tha t didn' t trul y fascinat e him . He'd b e offere d som e o f th e bigges t film s made in Hollywood — films that turned the actors wh o accepte d th e role s int o hug e S. FINN/GLOBE PHOTOS stars — bu t refus e the m i f the y weren' t intriguing enough. Depp turne d dow n a movie , fo r instance , abou t a bomb o n a speeding bus; Speed mad e the middle-of-the-road Kean u Reeves into a major-league A-lister. Depp also turned dow n two films that eventually wen t t o Bra d Pit t an d helpe d t o consolidat e hi s supersta r

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status: Legends of th e Fall and Interview with the Vampire. Regardless, the film s tha t Dep p di d choose , especiall y in th e earl y '905, would solidify hi s reputatio n a s one o f th e mos t interestin g an d unpre dictable actors of his or any generation. But Depp wasn't turnin g int o a complete ar t snob . Evidence of this can be seen in his 1991 cameo appearance in New Line Cinema's Freddy's Dead: Th e Final Nightmare. Th e fil m eve n ha d 3- D sequences. I t wa s directe d b y Depp' s frien d Rache l Talala y an d written b y a young screenwrite r name d Michae l DeLuca , now th e president o f productio n a t Ne w Lin e Cinema . Dep p appear s only briefly as a young guy on a television screen. If you look for his name in the credits, you won't find it — he's listed as Oprah Noodlemantra. Depp's next film would be one of the strangest and most misunder stood movie s o f his career. Johnny accepted a role in the film that ended up being called Arizona Dream because he was eager for th e opportunity t o wor k wit h maste r Europea n filmmake r Emi r Kusturica. The experience turned out to be everything he'd hoped it would be. Kusturica bega n hi s caree r i n hi s nativ e Yugoslavia befor e tha t country was broken into pieces by war and civil strife. He worked in Serbian T V and wa s no strange r to controvers y eve n in th e earlies t days of his career. He was interested in capturing the struggles and the history of his homeland on film, but his real dream was to make a big movie about the mythical "American dream," particularly as it is seen through the eye s of an Eastern European. "The American dream," he said, "is the drea m of everyone in Western civilization. To have a car, some money , and a house. Bu t when I was living in America for a couple of years, I found that America itself was very different. People are unhapp y and a lot poore r tha n I expected. There is a problem , then, because by destroying the illusio n o f the American dream you

The Lo w float! are destroying part of your youth, a childhood spent watching movies." This, then, is the subject matter of Arizona Dream — an explo ration of the mythology of the American dream. To accomplish this, Kusturica assemble d a cas t tha t include d som e quintessentiall y American actors: Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, and Fay e Dunaway. Depp plays a soul-searching young man living in New York who is tricked int o runnin g hi s uncle's Cadilla c dealershi p i n Douglas , Arizona. Onc e there , h e succumb s t o th e eccentri c charms o f a n older woman , playe d b y Dunaway . The tw o shar e a strang e an d sometimes moving love story. Although Kusturica has made only a handful of films, nearly all of them have received prestigious awards at film festivals around the world. He' s bee n a particular favorit e at th e Canne s Fil m Festival, where he has won the coveted Palme d'Or twice — in 1989 for Time of th e Gypsies an d i n 1995 for the epi c Underground— an d ha s been named Bes t Director for a third film, 1984^ When Father Wa s Away on Business. All three films focus o n lif e and deat h in Yugoslavia. Because hi s film s hav e received such tremendou s internationa l acclaim, we might think that Hollywood would offer u p one of those golden invitation s t o th e promise d land . Tha t didn' t happen . But something even better was offered t o Kusturic a — a teaching position at the film school of Columbia University in New York City. The opportunity t o liv e in America was the mos t appealin g part o f th e offer, and it was the reason for his immediate acceptance. He'd finally be living in the place that he'd been fascinated with for so long. The position would also give him the chance to write and develop his next movie, his long-considered film about the American dream. The kernel of the idea for the script would ultimately com e not from Kusturica himself but from one of his students. Kusturica took that kernel and expande d it into a long screenplay, first called The Arrowtooth Waltz, then American Dream, and finally Arizona Dream.

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He showed the script to a few people he knew, and none knew what to mak e o f it . H e ha d n o rea l connection s t o th e filmmakin g community in Hollywoo d an d wa s on th e fring e o f the Ne w York scene despit e hi s success . Sinc e h e wa s muc h bette r know n i n Europe, he realized that Europe was where the money to finance the movie woul d hav e to com e from . Frenc h producers Claude Ossad and Yve s Marme n cam e u p wit h th e fairl y sizabl e (a t leas t fo r a European ar t movie ) budge t o f $1 7 million. Kusturica wa s finall y going to make his dream film . He appealed to Dep p for a number o f reasons. Johnny was off the beaten path, and he committed himself only to movies that had deep persona l meanin g fo r him. Dep p said , "I was thrilled a t th e prospect of making a film with Kusturica because when I saw Time of th e Gypsies I was completely blown away by it — it was by far th e greatest thing I had eve r seen." Often referre d t o a s a quirk y "little" film, Arizona Dream was actually a substantial and complicated undertaking , shot on location in Alaska, Arizona, and New York. The pressure of making what was essentially a n American movie with American movie star s quickl y took a toll on the sensitive European director. Adding to the pressure was the fac t tha t muc h o f the movi e was shot a t night, making the cast and crew a lot more tired and cranky than they otherwise would have been. Kusturica quickly lost control of his cast (or so he thought) and his budget (or so he was told). Already a deeply neurotic man, he succumbed to a nervous breakdown while shooting. Kusturica laid the blame for his nervous collapse squarely at the feet o f the money men, who were constantly hounding hi m abou t his budget. He left the Alaskan set and returned to his home in New York, vowing not to return to complete the film unless the pressures on him were reduced. When th e producer s threatene d t o replac e Kusturica , the plo y

The Lo w met a wall of resistance from the united cast , led by Depp. The cast informed the producers that they wouldn't complete the movie with anyone othe r tha n Kusturic a directing it . It was Kusturica and hi s vision tha t had cause d them t o sig n up fo r th e projec t i n the firs t place, an d i t wa s with hi m tha t the y woul d finis h th e film . Th e problem wa s that h e was emotionally frazzled , and no on e knew if he could complete the film. Even thoug h th e producer s o f the movi e wer e French, this was being treated a s an American project. Having Depp in the lead rol e even gave the producers hope that the film would be picked u p for worldwide distribution . " I a m European , no t a n American, " explained Kusturica. "I just wasn't ready for what they were throwing at me. They didn't wan t imaginatio n — they wanted a beginning, a middle, and a nice neat end where everything turns out happy." To his credit, Kusturica did shoulde r som e of the blame for th e chaos. "I don't know what's the matte r wit h me, " he said. "Perhaps I'm just crazy, but I have the vision, and I just have to see it through no matter what the cost. I would hate to be rny producer. With both Arizona Dream and ... Underground, I thought I was going to die at least twice. It was too much of a strain." During this unscheduled break in the production, Depp made his first visit to Paris. He was instantly enchante d wit h the city . He even slept in the bed where Oscar Wilde died. "Paris is a great city," he said. "I felt an almost immediate affinit y to the place, not just the fact that it was Paris, but there is an attitude and pace that suits me." Ever since he rea d Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, about day s as a struggling young writer in Paris, Depp had thought of the city as a magical place. Because Depp and Kusturica have similar sensibilities, they quickly reestablished thei r bon d whe n shootin g continued . Dep p i s alway s eager t o lear n an d i s like a sponge when it come s to workin g with talented director s or actors. Kusturica's influence is clearly evident in

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Depp's Th e Brave. Kusturica uses expression and movement i n place of dialogue in his films, so it's very important t o him that his actors be good enough to pull of f performances that have few words. The Brave has a similar style . Fellow Arizona Dream cast member Vincent Gall o could barely contain his envy when talking about making this film with Depp. "At the time , Johnn y was completely reinventin g himself, " Gallo said . "He was trying to ge t away from th e TV star image that he hated so much. He was dating Winona. They were buying thrift shop clothes. He was tattooed an d earringe d — I hated him. " Gall o also talke d about th e clos e relationship tha t quickl y develope d between Depp and his director: "Johnny has this need to be heavily involved with the director . I t i s almos t a lov e affair . Emi r an d Johnn y carrie d around Dostoevsky and Kerouac books and wore black from head to toe. They had never worn black in their lives. They kept everyone in the cas t and cre w awake all night because they were blasting musi c and getting drunk." To be fai r t o th e obviousl y envious Vincent Gallo , at leas t on e other cas t member — namely, Oscar winner Fay e Dunaway — also had som e problem s wit h ho w muc h tim e Kusturic a spent wit h Depp. But in her autobiography , she praises Arizona Dream as "an innovative and quirky film. Emir has woven into the film surrealistic elements tha t ar e no t unlik e th e magica l realis m envisione d b y writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, where neither the story nor the characters ar e wha t the y seem . I t i s unfortunat e tha t th e studi o [Warner Brothers ] failed t o se e what a wonderful directo r Emi r is and what a beautiful film Arizona Dream is." "Quirky" seem s to b e th e catchwor d when describin g Arizona Dream — it also applies to the reception o f the film. Kusturica's cut was released in Paris in 1994, long afte r i t was shot; it was instantly hailed a s a wor k o f geniu s an d becam e a smas h hi t i n th e city ,

The Low ioad playing for weeks on end to full houses. But Warner Brothers didn't like the film because it didn't fal l into any describable category. The studio was sure that i n North America the movie would be savaged by critics and ignored by audiences if released as it was. So the studi o brought in its own editors to hack up the footage and reshape it into something tha t could salvag e a bit o f revenue. But the movi e never got a theatrica l releas e i n Nort h Americ a — Warne r Brother s decided that it would be more economical to release it directly int o the video market. Despite the difficultie s involve d in making Arizona Dream, Depp and Kusturic a immediatel y starte d talkin g abou t makin g anothe r film together . Kusturic a suggeste d a modern-da y retellin g o f Dostoevsky's Crime an d Punishment set in Ne w York City. A script was written, and Italian-based financiers were in place. Then, as often happens i n independen t moviemaking , th e Italia n mone y evapo rated, an d th e projec t died . Strangel y enough , anothe r fil m calle d Crime and Punishment in New York was released on video by MGM in early 2001, but Kusturic a had nothing to do with this project. After hi s trying but rewardin g experience in Arizona Dream, Depp opted for yet another off-center character . Benny &Joon was another troubled project , but Dep p badly wanted to be a part o f it. In fact , the movie was so plagued by problems that it barely got made at all. It wa s onl y throug h th e perseveranc e o f th e youn g Hollywoo d producers that the project rose above the smoke, The movi e focuse s o n Benny , a lonely man wh o run s a n auto repair sho p i n Seattl e wit h hi s sister , Joon , a youn g woma n wit h complicated emotiona l an d menta l problems . Benny' s loyalty to his sister is unwavering, even though i t comes at the expense of his own life. An odd young man named Sam comes into their lives, and he falls hard fo r Joon , with who m h e alon e ca n communicat e effortlessly .

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Sam, played by Depp, is a clown at heart, and Benny is deeply suspicious of him, but Sa m eventually wins him over with humor. Actor Woody Harrelson was originally chosen to play Benny, and Laura Der n expresse d a stron g interes t i n playin g Joon . Der n decided agains t th e projec t i n th e end . Harrelso n formall y committed to the project o n paper, but h e dropped out a t the las t minute to accept what he correctly considered to be a much higherprofile projec t fo r Paramoun t Picture s — Indecent Proposal, wit h Demi Moore and Robert Redford. (From the "six degrees of separation" file : on e o f th e youn g wome n who m directo r Adria n Lyn e talked t o abou t th e rol e ultimatel y playe d by Moore was a French singer-actress name d Vaness a Paradi s — no w Johnny' s lov e an d mother to his child.) At the time that Benny & Joon was coming together, Depp had made only a few movies, but alread y he had direct control over his career, an d hi s reputatio n a s a movie acto r wa s developing i n a satisfactory way. He was starting to be known a s an actor attracte d to playin g outcast s an d fring e dwellers . Whe n aske d abou t hi s penchant fo r seekin g ou t thes e subterranea n characters , h e responded, " I gravitate towards someon e who i s different, wh o is judged by his appearance instead of his heart, who is looked upo n as a freak. I guess you could sa y that freaks ar e my heroes." Producers Susa n Arnol d an d Donn a Rot h wer e Hollywoo d veterans wh o wer e gettin g read y t o strik e ou t o n thei r ow n an d become ful l producers . The y wer e lookin g aroun d fo r a debu t project that woul d be a terrific movie without bein g too expensive or complicated . In 1989 , they happened upo n a screenplay called Benny & Joon by an unknown writer named Barry Berman. "The first time Donna and I read the screenplay, " said Arnold, "we could both se e that i t was filled with little jewels — simultaneously funny , romantic, an d

The Low ioad poignant. Bot h o f u s fel t equall y passionat e abou t th e projec t t o fight hard fo r it. " Berma n i s a graduate of the Ringlin g Bros, an d Barnum & Bailey Clown Colleg e in Venice, Florida, and ha d spen t several years crisscrossing the countr y i n oversized shoes and a big red nose. He'd also read everything he could get his hands on about Charlie Chapli n an d Buste r Keato n an d committe d thei r scree n performances t o memory . After quittin g th e circus , he teame d u p with Lesle y McNeil ; the y decide d t o writ e a screenpla y abou t dreamers and familie s and on e strange guy in the middl e wh o i s a real-life incarnation o f Buster Keaton. Arnold gravitate d towar d th e character s i n Benny & Joon i n a more persona l way . She' d worke d fo r severa l year s wit h th e Immigration Workshop, a California-based arts program that works with underprivilege d an d disenfranchise d peopl e an d psychiatri c patients. "My experiences with th e worksho p certainl y piqued m y interest to make a movie abou t someon e wh o has had a bit harde r time going through lif e than most o f us," she said. The novice producers sought out a director who' d connec t wit h the materia l o n th e sam e level that the y did . Fro m earl y on, the y talked to Canadian-born Jeremia h S. Chechik, who'd directed several award-winning TV commercials and the well-received comedy sequel National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I t wa s a goo d match . "Jeremiah passionatel y love d th e script , an d mor e importantl y h e loved the characters, " said Donna Roth . "Not onl y could he see the heart of the story, but he understood the humorous sid e as well." "In the most simple way, Benny &Joon is a romance between two oddities wh o fal l i n love, " sai d Chechik . "Th e stor y i s universa l because every human hear t contains that potential for both pleasure and pain. The story had a fablelike quality to it, but i t was still very believable." Chechik kne w tha t h e ha d t o cas t th e movi e ver y carefully . A

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recent movie he'd admire d was Edward Scissorhands, and he wanted to tal k t o Dep p becaus e hi s performanc e a s Edwar d ha d reall y moved him. "He is so emotionally expressive , doing what seems to be so little," maintained Chechik . "It was clear to m e all along that he would bring a thoroughly original and exciting energy to the role of Sam." Depp an d Chechi k me t t o tal k abou t th e movie , an d Dep p connected with Chechik's vision immediately. He could see the possibilities o f this character , who lacke d a back story an d a developed character arc h but ha d a n incredible ethereal quality. Chechik went away from the meeting convinced that Depp would be brilliant. Producer Donn a Rot h concurred , offerin g a n enthusiasti c endorsement o f the actor. "There is something magical about Johnny, there is no doubt about it," she said. "The first time we met him, it was like meeting a blind date at the front door and discovering, 'My God, he i s so wonderful.'" Rot h went o n t o sa y that i n th e en d everyone involved i n th e projec t thought tha t Depp' s performanc e exceeded their already high expectations by a considerable margin . Depp ha d alway s been a fan o f Charli e Chapli n an d especiall y Buster Keaton, and he sa w this role as a chance to try ou t som e of their physical comedy. "I had such a great time getting reacquainted with Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin," he said. "Comedy, especiall y physical comedy , i s extremel y demanding . I developed even greater respect for those guys as I began to try to do what they did in such a seemingly effortless way." Once the castin g controversy was over, Aidan Quin n had been cast as Benny, and Mary Stuart Masterson had won the role of Joon. Harrelson narrowl y escaped a massive lawsuit du e t o som e back room deal-making between MG M and Paramount . When Depp was asked abou t th e musica l chairs , he said , "Laura Dern is great, and Woody Harrelson... well, I've never seen anything he's done, but he is probably very good. But Aidan Quinn is my idea of what a perfect

Tiie Low float! man is . And Mary Stuart Masterson has a knowledge and a wisdom beyond her years. We'll be fine." Quinn als o responde d t o th e scrip t ver y strongly , saying , " I thought the material was particularly interesting because it was such a multilayered story. It's a love story, a story about a family and th e difficulties they face when one of them suffers fro m a mental illness." Two other actors who have since come into their own were also featured i n Benny & Joon. Juliann e Moore playe d a potential lov e interest for Benny, and Oliver Platt played one of his coworkers and friends. Moore has gone on to take over the Oscar-grabbing Clarice Starling role that Jodie Foster vacated in Hannibal, and Platt recently starred opposite Warren Beatty in Bulworth, Depp threw himself int o the rol e of Sam with enthusias m an d vigor. H e watche d silen t comed y afte r silen t comedy , studyin g Keaton an d Lloy d and Chapli n unti l h e knew their ever y move by rote. He was still unsure of himself when it came to performing the physical comedy, so he hired a mime named Dan Kamin to act as his coach and choreographer. Kamin had written a book called Charlie Chaplin's One-Man Show an d wa s a consultan t o n Richar d Attenborough's film biography of the star , Chaplin. Coincidentally, Attenborough had offered Depp the role of Chaplin, but Johnny had turned him down because he'd found the task overwhelming . Kamin first taught Depp the magic touches and sleights of hand, and then they worked up to pratfalls, like those that Keaton used to do. Kamin remarked, "Keaton's subtle movements are the hardest to capture, but Johnn y go t it, he did a marvelous job. But it wasn't a fluke — he was really committed to i t an d worked reall y hard o n everything from th e smallest moves on up. " Mary Stuar t Masterso n thre w hersel f int o he r rol e wit h equa l dedication. Man y o f th e painting s w e se e i n Joon' s hous e wer e painted b y Masterso n herself. She has fon d memorie s o f working

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with Dep p eve n though sh e had a difficult tim e durin g the shoot . "The firs t day on Benny 6- Joon, my husband and I had just split up, and I was in the hysterical funk you get in when you're trying to pull it together," she said. "But when Johnny walked in, the energy of the room changed . There i s really something amazin g about him , hi s generosity of spirit." Aidan Quinn is not a guy given to gushing, but he had only positive thing s t o sa y about th e movie . "I though t i t [Benny & Joon] turned out pretty much the way we hoped that it would," he said. "I thought Johnny Depp's performance was terrific, still do. At the time we made the movie , he was a question mar k in a lot o f ways as an actor — would h e go this way ? would he g o that way ? — but yo u watch him in that movie, and you try to forget al l that tabloid junk for a minute, an d you'l l se e an acto r wh o i s deeply committed t o being the best actor he can be." Chechik an d producer s Rot h and Arnold decided t o shoo t th e movie in Spokane, Washington. The wonderful Riverfront Par k was used a s a n outdoo r location , an d a n abandone d warehous e was converted into a soundstage for all the interior sets. The publicit y fo r Benny & Joon wa s unusual . Th e American promotional poste r feature d Dep p sitting on a stool with his head thrown bac k — and splattere d with s o much paint h e looks like a Jackson Pollock canvas. Depp i s very good a s the likabl e but mysteriou s Sam, but ulti mately the movie was just too odd for large audiences to warm up to. Depp tried his best to help the film succeed, willingly giving interviews. In one, he resisted attempts to slot the movie into a category. When th e interviewe r referre d t o i t a s a "dat e movie, " Dep p responded with a quizzical "Date movie? I've never heard that phrase before, i s it a new phenomenon?" H e went o n t o registe r his main complaint abou t Hollywoo d studios , a n opinio n tha t ha s bee n

The Le w Road refined over the years but has never changed in spirit: "People don't want to jus t se e tits an d screwin g and shooting s an d decapitations . I think movie executives have badly underestimated th e moviegoing public." On 21 June 1993, it was announced tha t the engagement of Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder was officially off . As an explanation fo r why the tw o had gone their separate ways, the report stated, "They're young and they grew apart." Ryder was combative abou t the breakup. Dep p was heartbroken. He altered his "Winona Forever" tattoo to read "Wino Forever," and he went into a downwar d spira l tha t onl y intensifie d a s the nex t fe w month s brought more disturbing events. Early in their relationship, when Ryder was asked to comment abou t her life with Johnny, she spat back, "I don't like discussing my relationship wit h Johnn y with th e press . It's nobody' s business . Ho w d o you explain a relationshi p anyway ? Nobod y know s anythin g abou t it , nobody. Not even friends know what my relationship is like. I don't even know. You try t o figur e ou t you r ow n feeling s an d interpre t the m fo r yourself, and you have these really incredible, powerful feeling s — an d then som e write r who doesn' t kno w th e firs t thin g abou t i t is writing about what it's like." Years later , lon g afte r he r relationshi p wit h Dep p ha d ende d an d Ryder was involved with Sou l Asylum singer Dave Pirner, she was still constantly being asked about her relationship with Depp. To her credit , she has never publicly uttered an unkind word about him, although she admitted to not followin g his career and not going to see the movies he made directly after thei r breakup. In Augus t 1993 , Johnny Dep p wen t int o business . Depp , alon g wit h Chuck E . Weiss, the subjec t of the Ricki e Lee Jones song "Chuck E' s in Love," bought a nightclub o n Sunse t Boulevard . (For the pas t severa l

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The Viper Room CHRISTOPHER HEARD

years, the clu b has been run b y Depp's pal Sal Jenco.) Th e entrance is on a side street, Larabee, and i t is fairly nondescript. I t is a small club, with a capacity of 200, that is painted black with a few glimpses of dar k green, and the y named i t th e Viper Room . Since opening , however, it ha s been th e sit e of a couple of newsworth y incidents , and i s referre d t o a s "th e notoriou s Vipe r Room " wheneve r it' s mentioned i n the press. What Depp envisioned when he bought the club was a cool little hangout wher e he an d hi s pal s coul d liste n t o Che t Baker , Frank Sinatra, and Billi e Holiday. He could invite bands to play or get up on stag e himself an d play when h e felt lik e it without th e pressure s of tourin g an d th e othe r thing s tha t ge t in th e wa y of musician s enjoying their music. "I liked the ide a of a sense of nostalgia for the

The Lo w tai l '208," said Depp. "So when we built the Viper Room, I built it in that style — an old speakeasy with vipe r music . When I thought of the dub, th e musi c of Fats Waller and Ca b Galloway was playing in my head. Nobody plays that stuf f anymore. " But th e wor d infamous seem s t o hav e followe d thi s clu b throughout it s history. When it was called the Central , it was owned by the murderou s thu g Charle s "Lucky" Luciano and wa s a known hangout for Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. Despite Depp' s intentions , th e Vipe r Roo m kep t u p th e trend , earning it s ow n "infamous " monike r o n Hallowee n nigh t i n 1993, when a tragedy unfolded there — a tragedy that has dogged Depp and th e clu b eve r since . O n tha t night , on e o f Hollywood' s fines t young actors dropped by after a long day of shooting. He had a guitar under one arm and his girlfriend, pretty actress Samantha Mathis, on the other . No t lon g afterward , River Phoenix woun d u p i n a convulsing hea p o n th e sidewal k i n fron t o f the club , his brother Lea f (later known as Joaquin) frantically calling 911 for help. River died of a drug overdose in the hospital shortly thereafter. He was 23 years old. What really happened that night, and why has Depp been tarred for life by the incident? The day began early for Phoenk, who was taken to the set of his latest film, Dark Blood, a vampire movie by Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer. Shooting wrapped just after 7 PM. River was driven back to his hotel, the Nikko , in West Hollywood. Hi s brother Lea f an d hi s sister Rain Phoenix were in town to visit their brothe r an d to audi tion fo r directo r Joh n Boorman fo r a movie calle d Safe Passage, to which River had already committed. He' d also signed to play the role of th e interviewe r i n th e high-profil e fil m versio n o f Ann e Rice's Interview with the Vampire with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. At the hotel, the party — and, reportedly, the drug use — began. River calle d dow n fo r som e vegetaria n snack s fro m roo m service .

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Before headin g ou t t o th e Vipe r Room , wher e th e Re d Hot Chil i Peppers were going to be playing an impromptu se t (bassist Flea and John Frusciante , who'd recentl y rejoined the band , wer e friends o f River's). River checked his schedule for the next day, then headed out to Depp' s clu b wit h hi s brother an d sister . He passe d his director , George Sluizer, on their way out of the hotel. Sluizer wished them well and told them to have a good time. River and his party arrived at the Viper Room at about midnight . River was seen talkin g to Fle a an d Frusciant e nea r a private roo m that Depp keeps at the club, set apart from th e main area by a twoway mirror fo r his privacy. Phoenix was then shown to a table near the bac k o f the club . Th e plac e wa s packed wit h people , man y of whom wer e wearing Hallowee n costumes , an d ther e wa s a lot o f noise. From here on, the facts get a bit dodgy. There have been published reports , including a lengthy account in a book on River Phoenix calle d Lost in Hollywood b y John Glatt, that sugges t Phoeni x wa s approache d b y a fe w dru g peddler s looking t o sel l drugs to a rich movi e star . Dep p hotl y denie d thi s story; he argued, quite reasonably, that if he allowed drug dealers to openly sell drugs in his club then in all likelihood it would be closed down. According to Glatt, a "musician friend " of River's approached Phoenix with som e Peruvian Brown, telling the young actor that it would mak e hi m fee l wonderful . Phoenix supposedl y accepte d i t and went into the men's room to take it. Immediately after snorting the substance , h e starte d t o shak e an d fee l weird . H e wa s the n violently ill. Other patron s i n the men' s roo m cam e to his aid and splashed col d wate r o n hi s face . "Someone" the n supposedl y gav e him some Valium to help him calm down. At about i AM, Phoenix was seen staggering through the club to his tabl e i n th e corner . At this time , Dep p wen t o n stag e to pla y music with Flea , Gibby Haynes fro m th e Butthol e Surfers , an d A l

The Lew Road Jourgensen fro m th e industria l meta l ban d Ministry . It was a loud jam session, and the four were having, by all reports, a great time. Phoenix wa s now havin g trouble breathin g an d ha d fainte d a couple of times. His body was battling a number o f powerful drugs . He asked his girlfriend to take him outside, and they headed out the back doo r o f th e clu b ont o Sunse t Boulevard . Rive r collapse d a s soon as he hit L.A.'s version of fresh air. He was slipping into and ou t of wild convulsions. By now, Leaf, Rain, and Samanth a were beginning t o panic . Bu t the y wer e unsur e whethe r t o cal l fo r medica l attention, knowin g tha t the y wer e well-know n peopl e an d tha t illegal drugs were involved. Two photographer s happene d ont o th e scene . The y wer e cruising th e club s lookin g fo r shot s o f celebritie s ou t celebratin g Halloween. One of them described seeing Phoenix "flopping around on th e pavement " i n a terrible seizure , his head bouncin g of f th e pavement an d hi s arm s flailin g about . The y rushe d ove r t o tr y t o help him. Neither of the paparazzi attempted to take photos of what was happening . On e rushe d t o a nearb y liquo r stor e t o summo n help; Leaf Phoenix had already made the decision to get to a phone and wa s frantically calling 911. Actress Christina Applegate came out o f the clu b and witnessed what wa s happening — sh e immediately burs t int o tear s an d ra n back around the corner . When the ambulance arrived, Phoenix was in deep trouble. He' d gone int o cardia c arres t an d ha d n o bloo d pressure . B y this time, word had spread to people insid e the club . Flea rushed ou t t o help his friend . H e go t outsid e jus t a s River was being loaded int o th e ambulance. H e begged to accompan y him t o th e hospita l an d was allowed to do so provided h e rode up front wit h the driver. By 1:45 AM, River Phoenix was pronounced dead. Depp responded to the tragedy by closing down the club for two

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weeks — mostly out o f respect for Phoenix but als o out o f concern that the club would turn into a ghoulish stop on the tourist bus trips through Hollywood . Johnny doesn't lik e to talk about that night, but he did open up about it to Playboy hi 1996. "When River passed away, it happened to be a t m y club . Now , that's ver y tragic, very sad, but the y made a fiasco of lies to sell fucking magazines. They said he was doing drugs in m y club , tha t I allo w peopl e t o d o drug s i n m y club . What a ridiculous fucking thought! 'Hey I'm going to spend a lot of money on thi s nightclu b s o everybody can com e i n her e an d d o drugs . I think that's a good idea, don't you? We'll never get found out. It's not like this place is high profile or anything, right?' That lie was ridiculous and disrespectfu l to River . But aside from River , and his family trying to deal with their loss, what about the people who work at the club? They have moms an d dad s in, like, Oklahoma, reading about the place where their daughte r tend s bar an d thinking, 'Jesus, she's out in Hollywood swimmin g around wit h these awful creatures.' " It wasn't generally known at the time just how deeply the whole situation affecte d Johnny . O n to p o f hi s ow n grief , h e wa s ver y concerned abou t hi s youn g niece s an d nephew s an d ho w they' d react to everything that was being written abou t their uncle and his nightclub. And as the media frenzy go t more intense , Depp's anger grew. For a while, Johnny refused to comment o n the tragedy, but he finally decided to issue a statement to the press: "Fuck you. I will not be disrespectfu l to River' s memory. I will no t participat e i n you r fucking circus. " The Viper Room was never meant to be an "in" place, at least not in th e wa y that i t ha s becom e one . I t i s now a tourist attraction . There are always long lines of fresh-faced young people from all over the world who are hoping to get in and hang with the seriously cool people they'v e bee n readin g about . And , despit e it s reputation , i t

TSte Lo w remains a legitimate club to launch hot new bands or have eccentric author readings or, in one case, host the victory celebration for the newly elected mayor of West Hollywood. Over the years, the Viper Room has played host to several eclectic acts. Timothy Lear y once held cour t o n tuning in , turning on , and dropping out . Th e Go-Go' s reunite d there . Member s o f Th e Sex Pistols play there, as does Johnny Cash. When Depp closed the club for remodeling , h e opene d i t agai n i n gran d styl e with Courtne y Love and her band Hole playing the first show. Brad Pitt was in the audience, as was Tom Hanks. The Viper Roo m als o became the hom e o f the ban d P — th e members includ e Gibb y Haynes, guitarist Bil l Carter, ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones, Red Hot Chil i Pepper Flea, Sal Jenco, and Johnny Depp. The ban d recorde d a n album , als o calle d P , that wa s released by Capitol i n th e summe r o f 1996 . Th e cove r feature d a n abstrac t drawing i n th e manne r o f Jean-Miche l Basquiat, a fac e wit h large teeth an d tw o skinn y arm s throwin g a pai r o f dice . Th e albu m includes song s wit h title s suc h a s " I Sav e Cigarett e Butts, " "Mr . Officer," "Whit e Ma n Sing s th e Blues, " an d "Michae l Stipe. " Th e music isn' t bad , bu t i t doe s soun d lik e a bunc h o f guy s goofin g around in a recording studio. Depp ofte n ha s big tough guy s looking afte r th e clu b fo r him , sometimes acting as unofficial bodyguards. "I get some real psychos hanging aroun d th e plac e sometime s — I'v e eve n gotte n deat h threats," he said. "There wa s this guy who was going around sayin g he was me. He would phone u p th e studi o heads an d say , 'This is Johnny Depp ; hey , I neve r go t pai d fo r Edward Scissorhands?" Another regula r stalke r i s a transvestit e wh o claim s tha t h e wa s legally married t o Johnn y in a private ceremon y several years ago and wants Depp to acknowledge him.

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Depp's next film, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, is one that Johnny has difficulty speaking about, partly because he has yet to see it. But it also represents one of the darkest times in his life away from the screen. At th e time , th e ostensibl e reaso n fo r hi s depressio n wa s th e breakup with Winona Ryder , but tha t wa s only part o f the story. "It has more to do with me," Depp explained, "with the difficulty of being inside my skin. I was doing what I could to numb that feeling, doing some in-depth poisoning." It was during this period, he admitted, that he dran k more than h e ever had before . "I was soused, really doing myself in," he recalled. "When i t gets constant, when you're goin g to sleep drunk, waking up, and starting to drink again, it will start killing you quick." Depp spiraled downward until he found himself living on booze, coffee, and cigarettes — no food and no sleep. His lifestyle soon caught up with him. "I was sitting around with some pals when my heart started running at 200 beats a minute," he recounted. "That's very scary. You mentally try t o slo w down your heart, but you can't. When my heart started racing, I . .. hoped it was just an anxiety attack, but whe n it went on for 45 minutes I knew it wasn't anxiety , it was all the shit I had done to my body. My friends got me to the hospital, where I got a shot of something — BOOM! — a shot tha t basically stops your hear t fo r a second. I could fee l myself curling up, going fetal. Then it was over. 1 went home." It was an experience that Depp described as "scaring" him "into shape. " Kevin Sessum s profiled Dep p a t th e tim e fo r Vanity Fair an d asked hi m i f heroin wa s a part o f his problem . "Oh, let' s no t tal k about that," he quickl y answered. "It was a very scary, sad time for me. I have never seen Gilbert Grape, I can't watch it." Depp has eve n suggeste d that his dar k time s migh t hav e been self-induced: "I don't kno w if I subconsciously made myself miserable fo r a littl e bi t becaus e I kne w that' s wha t thi s particula r character needed."

IBie Le w What's Eating Gilbert Grape is based on a novel by Peter Hedges. When asked about the casting of Depp in the title role, Hedges said, "I thin k i t i s absolutel y perfec t casting , I couldn' t hav e aske d fo r better." Aske d to elaborate , he added , "He ha s a n almos t burnin g desire to mak e ugl y choices. He come s to a movie wit h a physical beauty that' s jus t astonishing , an d a t th e sam e tim e h e ha s n o interest in being that. When I first met him, he had really long hair and was very quiet an d shy." What's Eating Gilbert Grape is about the struggle s of a family in a tiny town calle d Endora, Texas. Gilbert Grap e (Depp) works in a grocery store that is hanging on by a thread because a huge super market has just sprung up on the outskirts of town. Gilbert has been the man o f the house since his father's tragic suicide. He looks afte r his tw o sister s (playe d b y Laur a Harringto n an d Mar y Kat e Schellhardt), his mentally challenged teenage brother, Arnie (astonishingly wel l portraye d b y Leonard o DiCaprio) , an d th e family' s mother, a woman (valiantl y acted by Darlene Gates) s o obese that she has been unable to leave the house for years. Life in Endora just goes on an d o n — nothing muc h eve r happens there — an d frus trations ar e starting t o se t in fo r Gilber t and hi s sisters. He has an affair wit h the wife of a local insurance agent, but h e knows it's th e wrong thing t o do . The mos t excitin g event o n th e horizo n i s the upcoming iSt h birthda y o f Arnie, a near medica l miracle . The n a mother an d daughter traveling across the country driv e into town. Their mobil e hom e break s down , an d the y en d u p stayin g unti l spare parts arrive from anothe r town . Gilbert is instantly infatuated with the young woman (Juliette Lewis), and he starts to consider, for the firs t time , a life outsid e Endora . His dilemm a reall y resonated with Depp. "That mixed-up family and Gilbert having to be responsible, those issues really clung to me," he said. Because Johnn y was having a tough tim e durin g th e shoot , he

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once agai n attache d himself t o hi s director , Swedish filmmake r Lass e Hallstrom. Hallstro m was best know n the n fo r making th e wonderful , Oscar-nominated movi e My Life a s a Dog an d wa s later nominate d fo r another Osca r for making an emotiona l fil m fro m John Irving' s nove l Th e Cider House Rules. Hallstrom sai d o f Depp , "Johnny like s t o hid e Johnny with Gilbert Grape co-star, behind th e eccentric s h e Leonardo DiCaprio LISA ROSE/GLOBE PHOTOS plays. H e ha s rea l ambi tions, bu t h e i s deepl y afraid o f appearin g pretentious. " Dep p hun g aroun d a lo t wit h Hallstrom tryin g t o ge t hi m t o teac h hi m phrase s i n Swedish . Hallstrom complied , bu t al l th e phrase s h e taugh t Dep p wer e nonsensical (e.g., "Jag har en liten rotta I huset mitt" which means "I have rats in my house"). The pacin g o f th e fil m i s languid , bu t i t make s fo r a n oddl y compelling piec e o f wor k — mostl y becaus e o f th e fascinatin g performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, who blows everyone else off the screen. That is riot to sa y that the othe r actor s aren't good, because they ar e al l very solid; it' s mor e o f a testament t o jus t how goo d DiCaprio is . In fact, What's Eating Gilbert Grape showed for the firs t time wha t a serious, talented young actor h e is . At the time, many who wer e unfamilia r wit h DiCapri o assume d tha t Hallstro m ha d

The Lo w Hoad cast a real mentally handicapped boy. Years later, after he'd made The Beach for a reported $2 0 million, I spoke with DiCaprio. He said of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, "It i s the kin d o f rol e you tak e if yo u want to do this work seriously. You can either be a vain movie star, or you ca n tr y t o she d som e ligh t o n differen t aspect s of the huma n condition. I was interested in stretching myself to the furthest limits I could. " DiCapri o was just a teenage r when h e mad e thi s movie . When I aske d hi m abou t working wit h Depp , h e smile d broadly . "He's cool, " he said. "I was just a kid, and I wanted to hang around with him and be accepted by him — he played a lot of good-natured jokes on me. He's a great actor, and I was really proud to be working alongside him. " Some o f thos e good-nature d practica l joke s involve d Dep p paying young Leo to smell the most disgustin g things he could find — rotte n eggs , pickled sausages , a decayed honeycomb — because his animated reaction s to the odors amused Depp . "I think I ended up making about 500 bucks off Johnny," recalled DiCaprio. In a n interview, Hallstrom told me that th e Arnie role was "the toughest role to cast because I was looking for someone who wasn't that physically attractive, which doesn't describe DiCaprio. I had to look beyond what I was seeing. Leonardo was very in tune with what I wa s thinking abou t fo r Arnie; that wa s how h e ende d u p i n th e movie." In fact, DiCaprio was so in tune with the role that his work in What's Eating Gilbert Grape earne d hi m a n Academ y Awar d nomination. The movie brought together a very diverse and interestin g cast, including on e standout , Darlen e Gates , wh o playe d th e obes e mother. Although Depp doesn't like to speak about his experience on the movie , the on e thin g h e doe s discuss i s the wa y Gates inspire d him. Sh e was spotte d b y autho r Pete r Hedge s when sh e mad e a n appearance o n Sally Jesse Raphael t o spea k abou t no t leavin g he r

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house for five years. She courageously agreed to put herself on display in the film. "One of the things I hoped for What's Eating Gilbert Grape was tha t i t woul d chang e some people' s attitude s an d mak e the m more tolerant," she said. Depp was profoundly impressed with Gates. "The first time I met Darlene," he recalled, "I looked beyond her size, and I saw this sweet face and those soulful eyes, and I 'thought she was so beautiful. I found her very brave to unravel her emotiona l life i n front o f the whol e world — thi s i s someone who ha d neve r acted before in her life. " Depp's relationship to the character of Gilbert Grape was odd in that it cu t close to hom e o n a number o f levels. "There ar e things that happened in my life that directly parallel things in Gilbert's life," he said. Yet there are also several departures that allowed for a fascinating characterization from Depp. Gilbert is not a showy role, and this is no over-the-top performance; instead, it is reserved, measured acting. There were physical differences too. Part of his commitmen t to the role involved going to a dentist t o have his teeth bonded an d chipped. Dep p als o dyed his long, unrul y hair a particularly unat tractive shade of red. As with all of his roles, Depp thought Gilber t through carefully : "Gilbert Grap e would seem like a pretty normal kind of a guy, but I was intereste d I n wha t wa s goin g o n unde r th e surfac e — th e hostility and the rage and that he is only able to show it a couple of times durin g the film. I understand that feelin g o f being stuck in a place, whether it is geographical or emotional. I can understand th e rage of wanting to completel y escap e from it , from everybody and everything you know, and start a new life." Depp further describe d his character as having "at some point or another allowe d himsel f t o di e inside , slowl y kind o f killin g o r martyring himsel f fo r hi s family , becomin g a surrogat e fathe r — even to his mother. That kind o f loyalty may start ou t a s pure love,

The Low ioaii but i t ca n wor k against you , with lov e an d devotio n turnin g int o resentment an d guil t an d losin g yourself, which i s the wors t thin g that anyone can do, because then you hate other s becaus e of what you've done to yourself." Depp's persona l problem s wer e no t helpe d b y havin g t o liv e during the shoot near Austin, Texas, "a place," he said, "that seems to me wha t al l of America was like during the 19508. " The shoo t was long and tough, and the cast and crew weren't happy about spendin g three month s i n a plac e calle d Manor , Texas . Becaus e Lass e Hallstrom wa s a Swedis h filmmake r making a movi e i n Americ a about Americans , he wa s very precise about hi s locations an d th e way his characters presented themselves. He liked to shoot a number of take s o f eac h scene . Depp didn' t respon d wel l t o tha t method : "Whether h e shoots fiv e or 50 takes of the same scene, only the first two or three will contain anythin g worthwhile. " The film was released in 1995 with very little fanfare, and it disappeared from sight quickly. It received some respectful reviews but also some negative ones, mostly fro m critic s who complain about actio n movies and sequels cluttering cinemas only to dump on a movie that represents th e kin d o f remed y the y sa y they want . Depp too k th e brunt of the shit because his role was perceived as just another quirky outsider, the kind of character he was being criticized for playing too frequently. Watching the film today, it's hard to see past the brilliance of DiCaprio and the performance of Gates, but watch Depp's performance carefully and you'll see a wonderful bit o f acting. Speaking of quirky characters, Johnny Depp was about t o team up with Tim Burton again and to give his most ebullient and enjoyable performance to date . He was also about t o fal l i n lov e all over again.

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Chapter

Depp and Burtonf Burton and Depp - Part 2

"1 owe him a tremendous debt and respect him more than 1 can ever express on paper." Johnny Depp on Tim Burton

The secon d collaboratio n i n th e Johnny Depp-Tim Burto n symbiosis was a trul y bizarr e bu t ultimatel y Johnny with Martin Landau sweet an d upliftin g movie calle d Ed and Tim Burton at the Wood. Th e movi e tell s th e stor y o f Cannes Film Festival, 1995 real-life '50 5 and earl y '6os filmmake r BENITO GELY/GLOBE PHOTOS and author Edward D. Wood Jr., who made such films as Glen or Glenda?, Bride of the Monster, and Plan 9 from Outer Space, the movie that he is now most remembered for. Wood probably would have been a mere footnote in movie lore were it not fo r Th e Golden Turkey Awards-, a book written by the self righteous, pompous criti c Michae l Medve d and hi s brother Harry . This book labeled Wood the "Worst Director o f All Time" and Plan 9 from Outer Space the "Worst Movie of All Time" — neither of which can really be true given the highly subjective nature of film viewing.

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This chea p mudslinging, written abou t five years afte r Woo d died, stuck, and he became legendary for being the "worst" director in the history of movies. Wood was one of those dreamers/loser s who m bot h Depp and Burton find wildly attractive. Wood spent his whole life trying very hard to make it big in Hollywood, but i t never quite happened. He was spirited an d fough t hard fo r his dream. He was known fo r his fondness for angora sweaters; he was a known transvestite who hung around with the weirdest of the weird. In 1978, Wood passed away at the age of 54 in a seedy part of L.A. — he didn't live to see the bizarre acceptance an d reverenc e tha t hi s wor k attained . T o learn mor e about this fascinating, truly Hollywood story , read Rudolph Grey' s excellent history o f the filmmake r calle d Nightmare of Ecstasy: Th e Life an d Art o f Edward D . Wood Jr. (1992, Feral House). How Burton and Depp got together to collaborate on Ed Wood is another o f thos e classi c moviemakin g storie s o f nea r misse s an d almosts, but eventually the perfect combination o f elements emerged. Ed Wood bega n life i n the head s of two use film school graduates. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski had toyed with the idea of writing a movie about Wood during their day s at use, but the y went o n t o bigge r things upo n graduatio n — the tea m wrote th e extremely successfu l albei t trul y awfu l Problem Child movies . Fearing tha t Hollywoo d producer s woul d pigeonhol e the m a s writers of sophomoric comedy, the pair revived their ide a of doing a blac k comed y abou t Woo d an d th e Hollywoo d drea m factory . They constructe d a 10-pag e treatmen t an d too k i t t o a youn g director whom they went to use with, Michael Lehmann. Lehmann had mad e a very dark fil m calle d Heathers tha t attracte d a lot o f notice (he' d also make a movie that would be put dow n onto many lists o f all-time-worst movies , Hudson Hawk). Lehman n loved th e idea and discusse d it with Heathers producer Denise Di Novi, who

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp - Part 2 was now partnered with Tim Burton. All were in favor of making the film. It would be written by Karaszewski and Alexander, directed by Lehmann, an d produce d b y Di Novi an d Burton . Burto n ha d n o interest i n directing it because, at the time, he was very busy with a movie for Columbia Picture s called Mary Reilly. Mary Reilly was a retelling of the classi c Dr. Jekyll and Mr . Hyde story, told fro m th e perspectiv e of the housekeeper. Burton was all set to make the movie with Winona Ryder in the lead role. But then the studi o starte d exertin g pressure , telling Burto n tha t he had t o speed up the process. When he balked, he was informed that there were five directors lined up just waiting for the chance to make the movie i f he didn' t wan t to . Thi s approac h turne d Burto n of f th e project completely . Then the studio decide d that it needed the star power of Julia Roberts in the lead role. Burton backed out. He was replaced by British helmer Stephen Frears. In the end , the film was well made, but th e story was pointless, and the movie was a dismal failure at the box office . Having dropped out o f Mary Reilly, Burton turned his attentio n fully t o Ed Wood. But now he didn't just want to produce it — he' d been developing Mary Reilly fo r a long time only to se e it come t o nothing, and h e didn't wan t to waste another yea r not directin g a film. He told Karaszewski and Alexander that he was now interested in directin g Ed Wood, bu t h e wanted i t done soon. Six weeks later, they placed a 147-page screenplay on his desk. Burton quickly set the project up with Columbia Pictures . They got unde r way , and everythin g wa s goin g smoothl y unti l Burto n decided that the movie should be shot in black and white. Columbi a honcho Mar k Canton wasn' t thrilled and said he'd g o along with it only if the studi o coul d reserve the righ t to demand color if executives weren't happ y with blac k an d whit e afte r th e firs t fe w sets of rushes. Burto n balke d agai n — h e wante d tota l contro l ove r th e

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film. Canton decide d to cancel the movie, but fortunately the script sparked interest fro m just about every other studio in town. Burton decided to go with Disney because he'd ha d a terrific working relationship wit h th e studi o o n A Nightmare before Christmas an d because Disney promised him th e contro l ove r the projec t that h e sought. It then took only a month t o get Ed Wood under way again. When i t cam e time t o cas t the rol e o f Ed Wood, Burton's firs t thought was of his friend, Johnny Depp. "Johnny liked the material," said Burton . "He responde d t o it . Tha t i s wh y I fee l s o clos e t o Johnny, because I think that somewher e inside we respond to very similar things . . .. I t wa s interesting fo r me, afte r workin g with Johnny before, to explore a more open kind of thing. He really did a great job and found just the tone that I wanted." Depp wa s sitting aroun d a t home whe n the cal l came. Burton asked him how long it would take him to get to the Formosa Cafe, a famous Hollywoo d waterin g hole. Hard as he tried, Depp couldn' t pry ou t o f Burton what this meetin g was about. Dep p nonetheless agreed t o mee t him , an d the y hun g u p aroun d 8 PM . Depp wa s sitting i n th e Formos a Cafe " a t 8:2 0 and, ove r a beer , listened t o Burton explai n hi s nex t project . "B y 8:2 5 PM, I wa s completel y committed t o th e project, " said Depp. "I was already familiar with some of Wood's movies. I knew that n o on e coul d tell his story as well a s Ti m could . Tim' s passio n becam e m y passion. " Depp' s engagement with th e materia l really comes across — Johnny gives one o f the mos t broadly sketched performances of his career in Ed Wood. I n th e end , th e fil m i s a lo t mor e fictio n tha n fact , bu t i t perfectly captures Wood's spirit . Depp has been a voracious reader for most o f his adult life . He began his research into Wood by reading everything available about him. But that proved to be of little help, partly because no two things written abou t Wood agre e on anythin g an d partly because Burton

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp - Part 2 was not trying to make a rigidly biographical film . Johnny wanted to tak e the researc h as far as he could, an d tha t included th e transvestitism . H e wen t aroun d th e hous e wearin g women's shoe s and Wood's favorit e women's angor a sweaters. "I' m telling you, being a woman is hard," declared Depp. "You've got all the makeup and the bras and stuff— it' s a lot of hard work. You can never fully understan d what it is like to be a woman unti l you have to wear those clothes. And playing a transvestite is even harder. You have to mak e a real commitment to it . You have to hid e stuf f an d tuck i t away , and it' s reall y painful. I'm tellin g you, I have a lot o f respect for transvestites." Ed Wood i s on e o f thos e movie s tha t i s completel y wack y without bein g silly . The performance s b y Burton regular s Johnn y Depp and Jeffre y Jone s are wonderful. Also of note ar e Bill Murray playing the attempted transsexua l Bunny Breckenridge and Martin Landau a s Hungaria n bogeyma n Bel a Lugos i ( a rol e tha t woul d earn hi m a n Osca r fo r a wickedly funny , althoug h quit e embell ished, performance). Burton's decisio n t o us e black-and-white fil m wa s completel y appropriate because it gives the movie the atmosphere of the era in which it is set. The writing is first-rate and was published in screenplay form by Faber & Faber. The two screenwriters later continue d their succes s b y writin g tw o mor e high-profil e fil m biographies : The People vs . Larry Flynt an d Ma n o n the Moon, both for directo r Milos Forman . Bu t E d Wood isn' t biographicall y accurat e — Karaszewski and Alexander throw in hilarious fictional episodes to advance th e stor y an d deepe n th e audience' s sens e o f who Woo d was an d wh y hi s pett y dreams wer e s o importan t t o him . Fo r example, on e scen e has Wood stormin g of f the se t of Plan 9 from Outer Space i n a frustrated huff whil e i n ful l drag . He goe s into a dark ba r fo r a drink , an d sittin g ther e i s his hero , Orso n Welles .

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Welles, played by Vincent D'Onofrio (wit h anothe r actor's deeper voice dubbe d over) , share s hi s Hollywoo d frustration s wit h th e starstruck Wood . Woo d complain s abou t th e squeez e tha t th e money men ar e putting o n his latest film, and Welles replies, "Tell me abou t it . I'm suppose d t o d o a thriller a t Universal, and the y want Charlton Heston to play a Mexican!" The wonderful thing about Ed Wood is that it never makes fun of a guy who has already received more than his fair shar e of ridicule. Instead, the writers, Burton, and Depp treat their subject with kindness an d respect . Th e movi e focuse s o n th e tim e Woo d spen t making jus t thre e o f th e 3 0 movie s tha t h e finishe d — Glen o r Glenda?, Bride o f the Monster, and Plan 9 from Outer Space. I t ends with a triumphant premier e for Plan 9 from Outer Space — some thing tha t neve r really happened, but i t allow s an opportunit y fo r the grinning Wood/Depp to utter the lines "This is the one. This is the one I'll be remembered for." Martin Landau has been a terrific actor for decades but has only recently come into broad popular acceptance , largely a result of his work o n E d Wood. H e ha s som e interestin g thing s t o sa y abou t working with Johnny Depp; although it seems that one new actor a month i s called "the next James Dean," Landau thinks that Depp is the only credible heir. "Back in New York in the '505, James Dean was one of my best friends," recalled Landau. "It's very hard to compare the younger actors of today with Dean, yet I can honestly say I don't know o f anyon e wh o come s close r t o Jimm y than Johnny . They share a simila r subtlet y i n thei r work . Bu t Jimmy' s wa s a fragil e talent — not a s developed as Johnny's is." But Dep p was no rebe l without a cause; in fact , hi s charitabl e side showed through when his involvement with the Make-a-Wish Foundation brough t a little gir l to th e E d Wood se t for a n all-da y visit. The seriously ill girl was a huge Depp fan whose wish was to

Depp and Burton, Burto n and Depp - Part 2 meet him. Depp spent the entir e day with her , being as attentive as humanly possible. Her questions were answered, and she was made to fee l that she was Depp's good friend . Depp go t s o fa r int o hi s characterizatio n o f th e peppy , wildly optimistic Woo d tha t he' d ofte n tak e Wood hom e wit h hi m afte r shooting. Maveric k filmmake r Ji m Jarmusc h tell s a stor y abou t staying a t Johnny' s hous e fo r a whil e durin g th e shootin g o f Ed Wood. "Sometimes I would go and pick him up at the set so we could go out for dinner. It would tak e him thre e hour s to stop being Ed Wood. I would have to slap him t o get that stupid smile off his face . We'd b e in a Thai restaurant, and Johnny is going, 'Isn't this Pad Thai fabulous?' like Wood." Depp's involvement with the characte r cemented hi s symbioti c relationship with Burton. It was with this second film that Depp and Burton reall y found their rhyth m i n working together. There were no rehearsals. "We had a walk-through the day we started shooting, " said Depp. "It consisted of him saying, 'You know, it'd be good if you stood here.' Then he would let me get the feeling of what I would be doing and saying on that spot. Then we would move onto the nex t spot. We just walked, we didn't do any dialogue. But he had, I imagined, a vague idea. He would then say 'Action!' and you'd do it, and then there would be silence. And then, in your head, you'd be going, 'Okay, I fucked i t up bad'; then he would tell you that it was exactly what he wanted." If Depp thought the problems he had with the press during his relationship wit h Winon a Ryde r were bad, h e wa s about t o fin d ou t that they could get a whole lot worse. His next serious relationshi p would be a tumultuous four-year romance with British supermodel Kate Moss. Moss was born i n Addiscombe, Surrey, near London. When she

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was ver y young , he r famil y move d t o anothe r Londo n suburb , Croydon. Jus t lik e Depp , Mos s inadvertentl y stumble d int o he r career; she had n o idea she'd be involved i n modeling, neve r min d ending u p a supermodel. I n 1988 , or s o the stor y goes , Moss was discovered b y Sarah Doukas o f Britain' s Stor m Agency as the tw o passed one another in a waiting area at New York's Kennedy Airport. Less than a year later, Moss was featured in he r firs t film , a quasisoft-porn movi e called Inferno. I t was followed b y her firs t tast e of major exposur e whe n she was featured on th e cove r of the British pop cultur e magazin e Th e Face. Th e issu e containe d th e phot o layout that would give rise to the controversial "waif" look. Because of tha t shoot , Mos s is credited — o r blamed , dependin g o n you r point of view — for the widespread popularity o f that look in th e late '8o s an d earl y '905 . Millions o f youn g wome n strov e fo r th e emaciated look , an d Mos s cam e under fir e becaus e it ha d suc h a devastating effec t o n their self-image . Depp was defensive o f Moss. "Kate eat s like a champ," he said . "She eat s more tha n I do. She is thin, so what? She is being criticized because her metabolism is more active than most people's. " In 1993 , Moss hit th e bi g time, a contract wit h Calvi n Klein in excess of $1 million. Her rake-thi n bod y in Klei n ads drew a lot o f attention; on e o f th e mos t famou s feature s Mos s — completel y naked — stretched out on a worn sofa o n her stomach . When aske d about hi s reaction t o seein g these ads on loo-foo t billboards, Dep p said, "I think she' s beautiful. Calvin Klein is lucky to have her. If we are apart and I see these ads, it makes me miss her, not just because of the billboard bu t becaus e she is on my mind all the time anyway." Depp firs t me t Mos s a t Cafe " Taba c in Ne w Yor k City . I t wa s January of 1994. Kate was once asked by a journalist i f it had bee n love at first sight (a stupid question but one that entertainment jour-

Depp and iurton, Burton and Depp - Fart 2

nalists feel compelled to ask). She replied, "No, not the first moment I saw him, but afte r we talke d fo r a whil e I just knew we'd be together . Tha t has neve r happene d before." A couple of weeks later, they turned u p a t a clu b i n Lo s Angeles calle d Smashbo x — it was the first time they were photo-graphed a s a couple. It was mid-February , an d th e occasion was the unveiling of a shor t anti-dru g fil m tha t Depp ha d mad e t o benefi t the organizatio n D.A.R.E . (Drug Abus e Resistanc e Johnny with Kate Moss Education). At the en d of the RON DAVID/SHOOTING STAR film, the name Kate Moss can be seen in the credits, thanked for helping the filmmaker get it made. Before this party, the New York tabloids had already begun their scrutiny of the relationship, claiming that the couple were holed u p in the Royalto n Hotel in New York City waiting out a severe snowstorm. A mont h afte r th e Smashbo x party , Kat e an d Johnn y wer e photographed o n a beac h o n th e Caribbea n islan d o f St . Barts. Pictures of the couple kissing and cuddling on the beach were taken by another touris t who happened t o recognize one or both of them — an d the n fel t duty-boun d t o sel l the photo s t o tabloid publica tions al l over the world . The pair were back in New York on April 5th for the premiere of

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John Waters's new movie, Serial Mom, and the y staye d there fo r a while. While in New York, they caught a show by the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, at the Fez Club. Depp and Cash had met earlier when Cash played at the Viper Room — an evening that Depp still refer s to as one of the special nights in his life. Kate then agreed to appear in Cash's video for "Delilah's Dead. " In May , Depp got to se e Kate work for the firs t time . A special fashion event was staged in L.A. by Isaac Mizrahi to benefit the AID S Project. Johnn y watche d Kat e o n th e Mann' s Chines e Theate r catwalk an d the n joine d he r a t th e part y afterward . Th e pai r lef t early with model Linda Evangelista an d headed to another party at the Viper Room. Soon the couple were on the move again, this time to London to attend a launch at the Tramp Club for model Naomi Campbell's book Swan. Johnny had to return to New York to fulfill hi s media-relations duties before the release of Ed Wood. That weekend in September 1994 is on e o f th e mos t notoriou s o f Depp' s publi c lif e — i t wa s th e weekend of the "Mark Hotel incident." It was reported that the couple had ha d a n enormou s fight involving fisticuffs and furnitur e being thrown around in their hotel suite ... but more on that later. On September nth, a reception wa s held at the James Danziger Gallery i n Ne w Yor k Cit y i n celebratio n o f Th e Kate Moss Book. Pictures from the book adorned the walls of the gallery. As reporters and photographers surrounded Moss and Depp, all calling out questions, Johnny felt increasingly uneasy. When one reporter asked him if h e too k photographs , h e replied , "Yeah , I tak e Polaroid s o f m y dog." He was asked if he ever took any pictures of Kate: "No, just the dog." The dog was a black-and-white pi t bull mix named Moo — a gift fro m Kate . At the sam e party, Depp became something of a public activist . When photographer s aime d thei r camera s a t him , h e hel d u p a

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp - Part 2 poster opposin g Frenc h nuclea r testin g i n the Sout h Pacific. Depp later made a short film about hi s opposition t o the testing, and he and Mos s allowe d themselve s t o b e photographe d fo r antitestin g posters seen all over London. It was said at the tim e that this issue was brough t t o Depp' s attentio n b y a ne w acquaintance , Marlo n Brando, with whom Johnny was getting ready to work. Moss and Depp were seen together afte r that fall. He took her to the premier e o f E d Wood durin g th e Ne w York Fil m Festival . Th e following day , they participated i n a n even t fo r th e Pediatri c AID S Foundation, an d they were both seen playing with the children and having a great time. Later the same evening, at Metronome i n New York, Johnny threw a birthday party for his friend Micke y Rourke. When th e Christmas holiday rolled around , the couple decide d to spend it in Aspen, Colorado. A terrific photo was taken of the pair as they window-shopped. Kate is dressed in furry boots and a bright down-filled jacket; Johnny is dressed in black from head to toe, with sunglasses and a wool cap, a cigarette is dangling from hi s mouth, and h e is giving the photographe r th e finger. Kate reported t o El k magazine that sh e did some skiing and foun d i t quite enjoyabl e — no word on whether Johnny was on the slopes. When Kate's birthday rolled aroun d i n 1995, Johnny threw her a surprise birthday party at the Viper Room. He'd told Kate to put on a nic e dress because he was taking her ou t t o dinner . At the Viper Room, she was surprised to see that her parents had flown in fro m England, and designe r John Galliano ha d com e fro m Pari s for th e party. Moss recalled, "I couldn't believ e it. I just started shaking . I had t o rus h int o th e offic e fo r a few minutes t o compos e myself. " When sh e emerged , i t wa s t o a soulfu l renditio n o f "Happ y Birthday" by Thelma Housto n an d Gloria Gaynor. They also attended the Golden Globe Awards together in January 1995. Depp was nominated i n the Bes t Performance by an Actor in a

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Comedy or Musical category for his work in Ed Wood. They sat at a table with fello w nomine e an d costa r Marti n Landa u an d directo r Tim Burton. Every othe r day , ther e wer e storie s abou t th e coupl e i n th e tabloids. Coverage became more and more ridiculous as shows such as Entertainment Tonight starte d reportin g dail y tha t Dep p an d Moss were getting married o r splitting up. They did split up briefl y a few times — "It was always my fault," maintains Depp — but the y always foun d their wa y back t o on e another . O n Decembe r i/th, Depp agreed to participat e i n a n AO L on-line chat . The first question was whether or not he and Kate were on speaking terms; "As of about thre e minute s ago , yes, " Dep p answered . When Kat e was asked b y th e moroni c televisio n sho w Entertainment Tonight whether she and Johnny were soon to be married, she wearily said, "He's my boyfriend. That's all . We're not getting married. " The couple went back to Aspen for Christmas 1995 to celebrate the holiday s wit h Kate' s brothe r Nic k — thi s tim e Kat e ha d someone to ski with. Moss has a friend name d Me g Matthews, who was married t o Oasis foundin g membe r Noe l Gallagher . At on e point , th e tw o couples foun d themselve s vacationin g o n th e sam e Caribbea n island, Mustique . Johnn y and Kat e went to Mustiqu e many times during their relationship, usuall y staying at a villa called Stargroves (owned by Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall). When Depp and Gallagher found themselves there at the same time, they spent hours together talking about music . During one of these conversations, Gallagher mentioned tha t he had written a song for the new Oasis album that required som e slid e guita r music , but slid e guitar isn' t on e o f the many instruments that he plays. Johnny mentioned tha t he'd played a bit o f slide guitar, and Gallaghe r invited hi m to join the band t o record the song.

and Burton, Burton and Depp - Part 2

Johnny with one of his idols, Iggy Pop ROSE HARTMAN/GLOBE PHOTOS

Depp was very hesitant a t first — althoug h he' d recorde d wit h his ow n band s before , thi s wa s Oasis, an d thei r albu m woul d sel l millions o f copies. He finally agree d to d o the gig , but hi s schedule made it difficult. Th e song was being recorded in London, but eve n when Depp was there at the same time as the band it was difficult t o pin him down . In fact, he ended u p playing his slide guitar portio n of the track on a portable tap e recorder in a hotel room . When we hear the song "Fade in/Out" o n the Be Here Now album, th e some what hollow soun d in the slid e guitar portion i s the result o f using that tape recorder. When the drums come back up, we return to the music recorded i n the studio . Dep p als o appeared i n the vide o for the song; he is seen behind a bar in a split screen shared with footag e of the band playing on stage. I once asked Gallagher about Depp' s playin g on the album, an d he told me that "Johnny plays down the fact that he is a fucking good musician, because he doesn't think h e is. Well, let me tell you, he is.

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I tried for a long time to replicate his slide guitar stuff so I could play it on stage during concerts, and I never really got it," Depp would appea r with the band once again when "Oasis and Friends" contributed a song to a CD called Help. The proceeds of the album went to the victims of the senseless violence in Kosovo. Depp was now one o f the mos t well-know n young movie stars on the scene. He was dating one of the most famous supermodels in the world, an d h e wa s playin g musi c o n a n albu m wit h on e o f th e world's bigges t bands. H e wa s becoming a pop cultur e icon , an d Depp would begin to question wher e he was and where he wanted to go — both professionally and personally.

Chapter Eight

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"Did Beethoven get thrown in jail for it?" Johnny Depp, after being told by a reporter that Ludwig van Beethoven had once thrown a chair out the window of his Vienna hotel suite

Bad boy . Hellraiser. Brat . Johnn y Depp' s bee n called them all, mostly because of one extremely overpublicized even t earl y on e Septembe r morning at the Mark Hotel at //th and Madison in New York City. That Depp has had problems with authority figures over th e year s is without question , bu t Depp meets the NYPD much o f th e tim e he' s been reactin g t o th e WALTER WEISSMAN/ perception that he's being picked on specifically GLOBE PHOTOS because h e i s "Johnny Depp. " Back i n 1993 , he told Canadia n entertainmen t journalis t Johanna Schneller about an episode that happened when he pulled his pickup truck over to the sid e of the road to light u p a cigarette. A security guard immediately ran up to the truck and told him that he'd have to move it right away , that he wasn't allowed to stop there. 111

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Depp, abou t t o mov e o n anyway , mad e a wisecrack: "Yeah, yeah, officer, we'r e just looking at the angl e of light across the dashboar d here. It's important t o see it from just this angle." The guard wasn't amused and told him sternly that he wasn't to remain parked there. "Yeah, okay , right , hmmm " wa s Depp' s response . Johnn y the n proceeded to sit there without moving. When the guard said he was going to call the police, Depp finally moved off with a smirk. Not long afte r thi s incident, Dep p was arrested in Beverly Hills for .. . jaywalking . I have strolled aroun d Beverl y Hills a lot, and I have jaywalked on numerou s occasions , but no w that I know it is such a serious matte r ther e I will gover n m y action s accordingly . "The co p wa s on e o f thos e guy s wh o put s o n a uniform , an d suddenly he feels his penis begin to grow," Depp explained. "He's all bent ou t o f shape and har d as nails, a real idiot." As the office r wa s writing out the jaywalking citation, he demanded that Depp put out his cigarette. Johnny asked why that was necessary and sai d that he really didn't want to . The office r grabbe d his arm an d twiste d hi s wrist until the cigarette dropped to the ground. He then stomped i t out wit h hi s heel . Dep p proceede d t o ligh t u p anothe r cigarett e immediately. So, Depp continued, "H e and his partner grabbed me and put me in handcuffs. They then took me to a holding cell, where they kept me for a few hours." Depp explained that "I'm no t scared of thes e people; the y just make me angry . You get the feelin g tha t there i s nothing yo u ca n do , bu t ther e i s somethin g yo u ca n do . Don't tak e shit from them. " Spoiled-brat behavior fro m movi e star s and roc k stars is usually worn as a badge of honor. In the '6os and 'jos, rock stars who didn't trash hotel rooms were written about with wonder. Bands such as The Who (Roge r Daltrey , Keit h Moon , Joh n Entwhistle , an d Pet e Townshend) seeme d to mak e destroyin g hotel room s par t o f thei r daily life on the road. In fact, the members o f The Who ar e under a

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lifetime ba n fro m al l Holida y Inn s becaus e o f somethin g tha t happened i n Michiga n afte r a concert. Apparently , drummer Keit h Moon didn' t lik e bein g tol d tha t h e couldn' t hav e a n extravagan t room-service order filled at 2 AM and ra n amok : television sets were thrown through windows, and furniture was destroyed. For the grand finale, The Who drove a Rolls-Royce into the hotel swimming pool. Johnny Dep p wa s stayin g at th e Mar k Hotel , Suit e 1410 , because there was no room at his favorite New York hotel, the Carlyle. On the September night i n question, h e returned to his room afte r a frus trating day , and he was tired. He took som e of his frustrations out on th e elegan t furnishings . H e smashe d a pictur e fram e an d damaged a n antiqu e table. H e set the broken pictur e fram e ou t i n the hallway. He made enough noise to wake up the guest staying in the suite next door, so this gues t called down t o the fron t des k to complain . Security ma n Ji m Keega n wa s dispatched t o investigate . When h e arrived a t Suit e 1410 , h e immediatel y notice d th e broke n pictur e frame i n th e hall . Ther e was a loud commotio n insid e th e room . Reports stated tha t Depp was having a huge fight wit h Kat e Moss, but he has repeatedly denied this. Keegan ran g the doorbel l an d the n bange d o n th e door . Depp answered. He wasn't in the bes t shape . He wasn't drunk o r blasted on dope — he'd simpl y had a very bad da y and had lost control. In the process of venting, he'd knocked some furniture around. Keegan told Depp that he'd have to leave the hotel immediately or the police would b e called . Johnn y apologize d fo r th e rucku s an d sai d he' d immediately pay for any damage incurred. Keegan was adamant that he go . Depp argue d tha t ther e wa s n o legitimat e reaso n wh y he should be forced to leave the hotel at 5 AM. Keegan made good on his promise and calle d the police. At 5:30 AM, Johnny was escorted fro m

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the Mark Hotel by three police officers fro m the 19th Division of the New Yor k Cit y Polic e Department . Th e policeme n a t th e scen e reported tha t Dep p was in " a possible stat e o f intoxication." Kate Moss was also i n th e suite , wearing bright pin k pant s an d a pin k shirt. She was uninjured an d calm . When the handcuff s cam e out , Depp said, "Ah, c'mon guys, you aren't going to lock me up for this, are you?" He was taken t o the precinct and put int o a holding cell . Moss wasn't arrested. Depp told the cops, "She's probably really mad at m e now. " In fact , sh e left th e Mar k Hote l an d checke d into th e Royalton Hotel — supposedly the sit e of another huge public fight between Dep p an d Moss . Johnny has denied thi s rumor, however, saying that the Royalton i s a known hangout for journalists, so why would he make a scene there? Depp was then transporte d t o anothe r cel l at Central Booking , and from ther e he was taken to the infamous Tombs, located i n the back o f the Ne w York City Polic e headquarters. Wit h a few exceptions, he was treated like every other prisone r brough t throug h th e system — although fe w other detainee s are asked for an autograp h by every female office r the y encounter. And before yo u thin k tha t Depp is one of those guys who just dislikes the police, his comment s on the treatment h e received need to be considered: "The New York City cops that I dealt with were all really nice guys, and they treated me with ever y courtesy that I could hav e expected. They were just doing their job, man." When the Mark suite was assessed by Keegan, it was alleged that Depp had damage d 10 different items , but tw o of the things o n th e list were cigarette burns to a rug and a velvet chair. The entire dolla r value Depp was responsible for came to about $9,000 — the damage to the furnishings added up to only about $2,000 , and the rest was the regular bill for his stay in the $i,2oo-a-night suite. When Dep p appeare d befor e a judge the nex t day , the charge s

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against him were dropped in less than one minute. The judge added the condition that Dep p sta y out o f trouble for six months or th e incident would be revisited. "It wasn't a great night for me," recalled Depp. "I'm no t trying to excuse what I did or anything like that, because it is someone else's property, and you gotta respect that. But I got into a headspace, and I'm human. " Speaking o f respect : Dep p too k Marlo n Brando' s recentl y published memoirs, Songs My Mother Taught Me, to read in his cell. When th e boo k wa s returned t o him , h e foun d tha t i t ha d bee n defaced — cordial messages such as "Depp is an Asshole," "Fuck you, Depp!" an d othe r suc h pleasantrie s had bee n scrawle d acros s th e pages of the book . The mos t ironi c thin g abou t thi s entir e mino r mes s wa s the identity o f th e neighbo r wh o phone d i n th e complain t — i t was none othe r tha n Roge r Daltrey , former professiona l hotel trashe r from The Who. This incident , o f course , appears i n ever y profile o f Depp. Th e most quote d accoun t of the event s was written b y David Blum for Esquire magazine. It carefully details the events , but i t does so in the snidest fashion imaginable . It's on e of the most remarkabl y slanted, malicious bits of journalism perpetrated against a celebrity. I'm no t attempting t o defend Dep p across the board o n this, but i t seems to me that the embarrassmen t o f having a picture of him bein g taken away in handcuffs qualifie s as sufficient punishmen t for the severit y of hi s crime . Bu t Blu m fel t th e nee d t o exten d Depp' s sentenc e of humiliation. In his article, Blum reiterates something Depp told him and the n translate s i t int o hi s ow n sarcasti c version. For instance , when Depp commented that , at the time, he spent more time living in hotels than in a home of his own, Blum writes, "He pauses, as if to allow a nation o f home-dwellers to consider that remarkable fact."

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Blum also refers to Dep p landing on th e cove r of People magazine afte r th e arres t — h e mention s tha t Depp' s "only complain t about it was the poor choice of photo." But Depp's real response was "People did a piece on me like I was some sort of hellion on the road to ruin. And they went and found a picture of me that made me look the most unhealthy and disheveled and put tha t o n the cover. Such disgusting pigs." Blum's articl e i s one-sided . "H e [Depp ] cruise s aroun d Lo s Angeles in his black Porsche Carerra, parking wherever he feels like paying th e tickets, " Blu m writes , ignorin g th e fac t tha t Dep p ha s been known to cruise around poorer neighborhoods in Los Angeles to pass out $20 and $50 bills to the needy. Depp's response to the Esquire piece was telling. "There was this cretin at Esquire ... and they were cunts, man, this guy had a hardon for me in the worst way. It was so apparent, he wore it all over his face an d hi s clothin g — i t was all over him," Depp said. "When I showed up for the photo shoot, they had built an entire hotel room on a stage. And this fucking weak , pathetic photographer — glorified paparazzi — was going along with the obvious idea. And I said, 'What's thi s for? ' an d h e said , 'Well, we thought, o r th e magazine thought, you might enjoy taking the piss out of the incident and just beating th e shi t ou t o f ou r hote l roo m her e an d jus t fuckin g destroying it.' I said, 'Wow, this must have cost you a lot o f money, building this.' 'Yeah, it really did,' he said. And I said, 'I'm not fuckin g touching it.'" Is it necessary to constantl y point ou t th e negativ e behavior of celebrities? Shouldn' t th e positiv e things the y do be mentioned t o counter the less favorable press? Are stars rewarded enough without being celebrated for a few acts of charity? Is it sycophantic to defen d a celebrity when you know that his or her medi a representation is less than accurate ? Celebrities are public people by choice; a lot of

1410 them mour n thei r loss of privacy while having a full-time publicist on staff t o make sure their names sta y in the limelight. It has to be difficult t o have your every move scrutinized. Movie stars are human beings too , an d tha t mus t b e take n int o consideration . I a m a n admirer o f Johnny Depp an d hi s work. I think he's a n interestin g individual, but h e can certainly act like a goof at times. Then again, so can I, and s o can you. The Mark Hotel freakou t was bad enough, but on e night later Depp was bac k i n th e new s wit h anothe r assaul t rumor . Johnn y an d a couple o f friends, including tatto o artis t Jonatha n Shaw , were in a New York ba r calle d Babyland when th e fraca s supposedl y began. There was a headline splashed across page 6 of the New York Post the next da y tha t rea d "Depp , Pal s i n Eas t Villag e Brawl. " The ite m included suc h pith y comment s a s "It didn' t tak e lon g fo r Johnn y Depplorable t o show his wild sid e again following his hotel hijink s the othe r night . Dep p allegedl y sparked a fight. . . ." The victim i n this inciden t sai d tha t Dep p "slammed " int o hi m an d screame d "Fuck you! " Supposedly , a coupl e o f peopl e wh o wer e with Dep p then roughe d thi s fello w up . Whe n Dep p wa s aske d abou t it , h e shrugged it off, making a joke out o f it. "This guy walked past me in the bar. He then pulled ou t what resembled a penis — but I have a sneaking suspicio n tha t i t might hav e been a thimble — then thi s fucking guy says something like 'Suck my dick.' I had just gotten ou t of jail, and i t was on the conditio n tha t I stay out o f trouble for six months. M y first instinc t wa s that sam e animal instinc t tha t w e all have inside o f us — i t was to g o for thi s guy' s throat. Bu t nothin g happened. Hey , I le t i t go , man, wh o want s t o g o back t o jai l for something like that?" I find this tale interesting because I had a run-in with Depp a few months afte r thi s incident . I t happene d i n a hotel hallwa y in Los

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Angeles. A guy was standing i n th e hallwa y with hi s bac k t o m e talking t o a coupl e o f women . I starte d walkin g dow n th e hal l toward the elevators when the guy stepped back into my path. I tried to ste p around him but ra n ou t o f space and bumped solidl y into him. He turned around , and it was none other tha n Johnn y Depp. He said, "Hey, man, I'm sorry . I didn't see you there." I told hi m i t was all right, there was no harm done. He persisted in his apology, saying, "I wasn't being an asshole, I didn't hear you, man." Now what looks bette r o n pag e 6 : "Johnny Dep p swor e a t rn e an d ha d m e beaten up for running into him" or "When I ran into Johnny Depp, he was apologetic and polite"? Reports o f suc h misbehavio r seeme d t o bree d othe r tale s o f alleged barroom violence. Take the "Globe Incident" as an example. This story involved a man name d Jonatha n Walpole, a member of the British aristocracy (a direct descendant of Sir Robert Walpole), and an evening in a London club called the Globe. Walpole claimed that he was standing at the bar and moved to retrieve his drink — which turne d ou t t o b e no t hi s glas s bu t Johnn y Depp's . Dep p reacted t o thi s egregiou s affron t b y turnin g t o youn g maste r Walpole and , well , let' s hea r i t fro m th e aristocra t himself : "He pulled bot h my ears — very hard." Indeed. Coul d a claim b e any sillier? Walpol e sai d h e the n explaine d t o Dep p tha t tha t simpl y wasn't the way people greet one another i n England. He said Depp answered by "jumping on my back, grabbing me around the neck, and trying to force my head to the ground. " Nothing ever came of this allegation either. There have been more serious assertions — or at least they look serious whe n the y hi t th e paper s an d quot e som e loudmouthe d lawyer. In the earl y 'pos, Depp was sued by a woman who claime d she'd been showered with glass from a broken window in New York's Lone Sta r Roadhous e on 52n d Street . Th e inciden t allegedl y took

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place after a drinking binge by Johnny Depp and Iggy Pop. There have been othe r incident s — includin g som e that I will cover late r — bu t th e questio n her e i s whethe r a fe w incident s spread out over years of public life justify labelin g Depp a crazy hellraiser, especiall y whe n w e compar e hi m wit h th e like s o f Roge r Daltrey.

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CChaper Nine

The Icon of

'Johnny Depp has moved from massive clean-cut success on the US teen TV show 27 Jump Street to become a freak befriender and ultra-cool icon for the !90s." New Music Express

Johnny Depp' s nex t movie , on e o f hi s mos t delightful, connecte d Dep p wit h on e o f hi s idols, a ma n who' d becom e ver y clos e t o hi m and a help to him in a time of creative upheaval — Marlon Brando . Don Juan DeMarco i s about a youn g ma n i n present-da y Ne w Yor k wh o believes h e i s Do n Juan , th e world' s greates t HENRY MCGEE/ lover, bu t is , nevertheless, suicidal . He seduces GLOBE PHOTOS one last beautiful woman, the n decide s to en d his life , onl y t o b e rescue d by a psychiatrist wh o i s within day s of retirement. During his evaluation of the young man, the psychiatrist finds tha t aspect s o f hi s ow n lif e tha t hav e atrophie d ar e bein g reawakened. Depp play s Don Juan , Brando plays Dr. Mickler, an d

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the cast is rounded out with nice performances by Faye Dunaway as Mickler's wife and Bo b Dishy as his cynical colleague. The movie was born i n the imagination o f writer, director, and ex-psychologist Jerem y Leven. Hi s origina l screenpla y was calle d Don Juan DeMarco an d th e Centerfold i n referenc e to th e nud e model wh o touche s of f Don Juan' s delusional episode . On it s title page, Leven gives credit t o hi s inspiration, statin g that the scrip t is "Based in par t o n Do n Juan by Lord Byron." Leven's revised draft , dated 2 0 December 1993, is a good read , although i t i s a bit darker than th e film turned ou t t o be. Leven leaned more heavil y on th e psychoanalytical aspects o f the story . There i s also a lot mor e in k given t o th e rekindle d relationshi p betwee n Dr . Jack and hi s wife , Marilyn, including a slow-motion lovemakin g scene that, if it was shot a t all, was excised from the final version of the film . Leven is interesting in that he is so completely un-Hollywood in his backgroun d an d hi s aspirations . H e i s from Connecticut , an d before he turned to writing movies he served as everything from an off-Broadway theate r directo r t o a Harvar d Universit y facult y member. H e ha s eve n written tw o novels , Creator an d Satan: Hi s Psychology an d Cure, b y th e Unfortunate Dr . Kassler, JSPS. Leve n turned t o moviemakin g i n 198 5 when Creator was adapted int o a movie that starred Peter O'Toole. The following year, he wrote a teen comedy called Playing for Keeps that was made by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, soon to be the moguls behind Miramax. When Leve n finishe d writin g Do n Juan DeMarco, hi s backers , New Line Cinema, got a copy of the scrip t t o Depp. He was struck by the stor y an d wha t h e describe d a s its wonderfully poetic an d fluid dialogue . He told Ne w Line that he' d certainl y commit t o th e project, bu t h e ha d on e conditio n — he' d sig n o n onl y i f th e company could persuade Marlon Brando to play the role of Dr. Jack Luchsinger (changed to Jack Mickler when the film was about to go

The icon of into production). A t the time, New Line saw this request as a cruel joke. Leve n recalled , "I reall y thought th e movi e wa s dead a t tha t point. It had been reported i n the entertainment pres s that Johnny Depp wa s intereste d i n doin g th e movie , an d h e wa s absolutel y perfect for the role. To lose him would have meant that the momentum tha t th e project ha d woul d hav e deflated considerably. " Leven went through th e motion s o f getting the scrip t to Brand o an d was utterly astonished when he expressed interest in discussing it further. Depp wa s also surprise d b y Brando' s interes t an d the n b y his commitment to the project . Depp had made the suggestio n not to be a smart-ass but becaus e he idolize d Brando . His fantas y wa s to make this wonderfully written movi e with the person he considered the greatest actor ever. As it turned out , Depp wouldn't have been in the movi e were it not fo r the participation o f Brando, and Brando wouldn't have agreed to do the film were it not for Depp signing on. The initia l meetin g betwee n Dep p an d hi s her o too k plac e at Brando's Mullhollan d Driv e estate . Dep p recalled , " I wa s reall y nervous o n the way to the house. I kept thinking about wh o I was going t o mee t an d th e thing s h e ha d don e i n hi s career . But tha t vanished almost instantl y when I got there. Marlon said 'Hello' and invited m e into his house, and he was no longer this towering icon for me. He was just this great, wonderful guy that I was lucky to be working with. " Oscar winner Fay e Dunaway had worked with both Brando and Depp before, although she hadn't seen Brando in almost 30 years. She describes making Don Juan DeMarco i n he r autobiography , Looking for Gatsby. "The first day we were doing a table reading of the script , in come s this big man wit h a dog, which put u s al l immediately a t ease, and we started reading the script.... He [Brando] wasn't letting himself be bullied by the demands of the script. He just found a way to swim around these words, and search and fish and improvise. "

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Dunaway tells a wonderful story about the relationship between Depp and Brando on the set. "Marlon made it clear to everyone just how approachabl e h e intende d t o b e th e ver y first da y we started shooting," writes Dunaway. "Taped to th e doo r o f his trailer was a sign h e had made . In blac k block letter s it rea d 'Don't knock , th e door is open, come on in.' One day Johnny got there before him, and took the hundreds of scarves that were used in the harem scene and hung them throughou t Marlon' s trailer. You couldn't move in that trailer withou t eithe r brushing past a scarf or endin g up with on e clinging t o you , bu t Marlo n wa s quit e take n wit h th e bordell o Johnny had create d for him." The hare m sequenc e was a surrea l experience fo r Depp . It's a fantasy sequenc e i n whic h Do n Jua n stumble s int o a large roo m with a huge swimmin g pool . I n th e roo m ar e n o fewe r tha n 250 gorgeous nake d women . Durin g the shootin g o f this scene , Depp was gentlemanl y almos t t o a fault . H e spok e t o a s man y o f th e women as he could, asking them if they felt all right about the scene and i f the y wer e comfortabl e wit h th e nudity . Afte r th e sho t wrapped, Depp commented, "It was really strange. The first thin g I felt was uncomfortable. When you walk into a room with 250 naked women . . . it's impossibl e to focus o n it. There were so many girls, and they were all so nude, i t would have almost been more intens e if there had been three nudes. It would have been more shocking. I just wasn't able to take it all in." Depp was overwhelmed to be working with his idol. Like most young actors , he' d watche d a numbe r o f Brando' s film s severa l times over, trying to absorb technique, but h e was initially hesitant to as k Brando about acting. "We eventually did talk about it, " said Johnny. "I think he felt compelled t o tell me about his experiences, to offe r advice . He said I should pla y Hamlet, for one thing." Depp

TSieof said that th e scene s he playe d with Brand o in Do n Juan DeMarco were amon g th e mos t memorabl e moment s o f his career . "There are times when you are trying to get somewhere inside, but ther e is so muc h stuf f goin g o n aroun d yo u — th e gu y wit h th e slat e marker, th e gri p ove r ther e drinkin g coffee , th e directo r goin g 'Action!' when you aren't ready . Marlon was there for me then. He helps create an atmosphere that makes those moments easier . Even if it's just by laughing and looking at you. Marlon helped make the scenes between us totally private. " For his wonderful characterization of Don Jua n DeMarco, Depp used the influence of a few other famous people; there is a bit of Errol Flynn i n there , alon g wit h a pinc h o f Ricard o Montalba n an d Fernando Lamas. Because Johnny was having so much fun making this film — he was enjoying the material and was still in awe of the fact that he was working with Brando — he was relaxed and in the best of spirits. His makeup person , Patty York (who has worked with Depp for several years), describe d hi s demeano r durin g th e shoot : "H e wa s s o generous an d happ y that h e would giv e you th e shir t righ t of f his back. And I do mean that ; h e cam e into the makeu p trailer fo r his daily regimen, and I commented t o him that! liked his shirt. He took it off and gave it to me." Nor was it uncommon for Depp to treat the crew members to champagne at the en d of a long shooting day. Depp's wardrob e perso n o n Do n Juan DeMarco, Ken n Smiley, said, "Johnny is so totally different fro m mos t actors . He really likes who he is, and he is really secure in that. He treats people the way he wants to be treated. That's why we all stay with him. " Don Juan DeMarco was released to almos t universall y positiv e reviews an d bris k initia l busines s — i t would mak e a fairl y soli d $23 million durin g it s initial domesti c release . But the movi e was

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ultimately to o eccentri c to catc h on th e way Sleepless i n Seattle did. That said, it remains a movie often cited as one of the most enjoyable of Depp's career. Johnny Depp doesn't go out o f his way to appea r on T V chat shows or awards shows, but h e doesn't necessaril y turn them dow n either . He is free with his time when he is promoting a film and when he is asked to present an award; if it is for something or someone meaningful t o him , h e wil l d o it . H e won' t loo k lik e th e mos t natura l presenter in the world, but he'll do it. He agreed to be a presenter at the 199 4 Academy Awards — his first time on stage at the Bi g Show. When host Whoopi Goldberg introduced him, Depp sauntered onto the stage in a tuxedo with long hair and a mustache. "Tonight we also honor th e people who supply music for films. This song is a perfect example o f thei r art . T o sing hi s ow n compositio n 'Philadelphia, ' ladies an d gentlemen , Neil Young." Depp's opinio n o f the appear ance? "I haven't see n it, but peopl e tell me that it went okay. My face was probably frozen with fear, because there is this weird artificiality about those things. Backstage, all I could think o f was how do I get out o f this? I absolutely almost fled . I had a few options swimmin g around i n m y brain. Just collapse, fal l ove r unconscious , that was one. Projectile vomiting, that was another." During this period, Johnny Depp and Kate Moss were still a serious item. Whenever he spoke of Kate, it was always with sweet affection ; he'd sa y things suc h as , "She i s a wonderful girl, and I can' t stan d being away from her. " He made television appearance s — which he usually does only when promoting a movie — with Kate. He agreed to participate in certain projects just because she asked him to. Depp was described in the 22 October 1994 edition of the British music magazine New Music Express a s having "moved from massive

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Johnny Depp on Channel 4's "Big Breakfast," with Kate Moss, Amber, Lorraine, Lidija, and Naomi Campbell RICHARD CHAMBURY/GLOBE PHOTOS

clean-cut succes s on the U.S. teen TV show 21 Jump Street to become a freak befriende r and ultra-cool ico n for the '905." This isn't a very generous way of describing his friends, but it' s no t entirel y inaccu rate either . For instance , Dep p has bee n know n to han g aroun d ex-Pogues membe r Shan e McGowa n (wh o recentl y mad e new s when Iris h pop sta r Sinead O'Connor trie d desperatel y and unsuccessfully to get him of f dope). In 1994, McGowan and his new band The Popes were scheduled to perform o n th e long-running British music program To p of the Pops. As an added treat, Depp was invite d to go to England to surprise hi s friend an d introduce th e band. He flew i n from L.A . shortly before the show , and he was still sufferin g from je t lag when th e show' s host , Claire Steyes, introduced hi m as Johnny "Edward Scissorhands " Depp. Dep p sheepishl y introduce d the band and lef t the stage . He has explained that he did the sho w for tw o reasons : becaus e Shan e McGowa n i s a frien d o f hi s an d because Kate Moss convinced him it would be a cool thing to do.

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McGowan an d Th e Pope s ha d bee n th e attractio n o n openin g night for the Viper Room in 1993, and Depp later directed and starred in th e musi c vide o fo r thei r son g calle d "Tha t Woman' s Go t M e Drinking ," in which Depp plays a falling-down drunk to McGowan's bartender. Notable among Depp's TV appearances was his participation i n a PBS special called Th e United States of Poetry. The progra m featured Depp i n shadow y black an d whit e recitin g th e word s o f hi s hero , Jack Kerouac. Colorful scenes of American vistas , both urba n an d rural, ar e intercut with shots of Depp reading "America, I've give n you all , an d no w I' m nothing . Everythin g i s perfect , it' s no t happening, man.... Got up and dressed up, went out and got laid, then die d and got buried i n a coffin i n a grave." Depp has even been known to appear in print ads for clothing. As hard a s tha t ma y b e t o believe , h e ha s joine d a larg e roste r o f American A-listers who accept ridiculous sum s of money to appea r in ads with the strict provision tha t they run onl y in the countries in which the y wer e made . Everyon e fro m Harriso n For d t o Micke y Rourke has appeared in ads displayed only in Japan. Depp appeared in print ads for the European department stor e Hermes, as did bugeyed acto r Stev e Buscemi. Depp wear s an ope n blu e button-dow n shirt over a white T-shirt and khaki pants. He looks upward and away from the camera. Later in 1995, Depp was receiving myriad lucrative offers fro m majo r studios t o star in every movie that was simultaneously being offere d to the likes of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, including a film that would go on to make a rather large splash — Titanic. Depp decided to accept an offer to work with a filmmaker he'd always admired: Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch wante d hi m t o sta r i n hi s black-and-whit e revisionis t western called Dead Man, and he was only too eager to comply.

The ioeii ef Depp has made an entire career out o f playing eccentric characters i n interestin g movies. He ca n always be counte d o n t o deliver something of f the beaten path , but h e will never be confuse d wit h Tom Cruis e in term s o f box-offic e clout . Dead Ma n defie s categorization; i t i s a black-and-white psychological drama/western wit h some comedy thrown in , and it's unlikely to make even half as much money as Mission Impossible, Jarmusch ha s epitomize d th e ter m "independen t filmmaker " since hi s 198 1 debut , Permanent Vacation, whic h h e wrote , produced, directed, and edited. He followed it with the film that put him o n the map, Stranger than Paradise, then reall y hit his stride a couple o f year s later wit h Down b y Law, which feature d a thenunknown Italia n acto r name d Robert o Benigni . Thes e films got Jarmusch respect and awards all over the world, but the y didn't get his nam e anywher e near th e to p o f that all-importan t weekend grosses chart. With both Dep p and Jarmusch involved in Dead Man, it ended up being one big celebration of independence — they had license to do whatever they wanted. There is, for instance, a character named Sally, a frontie r transvestite , playe d by non e othe r tha n Igg y Po p (looking lik e a /o-year-ol d grandmother) . I n th e credits , Sall y is listed a s Salvatore "Sally" Jenco. In another in-joke , as Depp's character, William Blake , stroll s dow n th e mudd y street s of th e tow n called Machine , he see s a prostitute givin g vigorous ora l se x to a client beside a saloon. The client notices Blake staring and casually pulls out a pistol, aiming it at him to indicate that h e should be on his way . The clien t i s playe d b y Depp' s frien d an d Vipe r Roo m regular Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. Dead Man is a lush, beautifully shot western, but it' s as eccentric as they come. William Blake is an accountant from Cincinnati on his way ou t wes t to tak e a position i n a minin g operation . Whe n h e

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arrives in the vile, two-mule town where the job is , he is met b y a giggling, greasy-haire d English offic e manage r wh o inform s hi m that ther e i s no jo b — th e lette r h e receive d offering i t t o hi m i s dated thre e month s earlier , and, sinc e they' d hear d nothin g fro m him i n th e interim , the y assume d h e wasn't comin g an d gav e th e position t o someon e else. Blake is devastated because he has spen t everything he had o n th e tri p west . He demand s t o se e the firm's owner, who turns out to be a senile, shotgun-toting brute who hasn't a shred of sympathy for Blake. Blake meets a sympathetic local girl who invites him into her bed to be consoled. The pair are interrupted b y her boyfriend, a known gunslinger. A gunfight erupts, and the girl is fatally shot in the chest. Blake is able to gra b a gun an d shoo t th e gunslinge r several times, killing him, before noticing that he is badly injured himself. A bullet has traveled through th e girl and lodged in his shoulder. Although he is seriously wounded, he is forced to flee town — the gunslinger happened to be the son of the mine owner . Blake end s u p i n th e middl e o f nowher e an d passe s out. H e is revived by a Native American who goes by the name of Nobody (Gary Farmer), who nurses him back to health. When Nobody first learns Blake's name, he jumps to his feet an d scurrie s off, startled. It seems that Nobody believes Blake is the reincarnatio n o f the grea t English poet William Blake, whose words the young Nobody learned when he was forced to attend the "white man's school." Nobody decides that he must becom e Blake' s loya l protector . A poss e o f killer s hire d b y Mitchum's character is after Blake, so he and Nobody go on the run . As oddball a s it sounds , Dead Man i s a very good movie. Gary Farmer describes it as "a road movie, with a horse." Movies that are strange for the sake of being noticeably cool end up being little more than contrive d and self-indulgent. But this isn't the cas e with Dead Man. Jarmusch is an eccentric thinker; this is what a western looks

The Icon of cool like to him, and as it unfolds it just gets more and more interesting , especially in the interaction betwee n Depp and Farmer. Gary Farmer i s Cayuga o f the Wol f Clan , Ongwehon:we , fro m Ontario, Canada . He makes Nobody a delightfully and completel y unpredictable characte r tha t w e canno t tak e ou r eye s off ; hi s deadpan deliver y as he recites the poetr y o f William Blake is hilarious. Depp's performance inspired him. "Johnny goes through mos t of this movie pretty much hal f dead," said Farmer. "It takes a lot of patience t o be half dea d an d pla y down your energy , especially for someone like Johnny." Also par t o f th e wonderfull y divers e cast o f Dead Ma n wa s a great Hollywood personality in his final screen performance: Robert Mitchum, wh o play s th e min e owner . A glanc e a t th e lon g an d successful caree r of Mitchum reveal s many parallels with the career of Depp . Mitchum wanted , more tha n anything , to d o goo d wor k and would go to great lengths to achieve it. Like Depp, he was interested in working with diverse and interesting filmmakers from whom he could learn. His personal life was frequently the subject of newspaper stories, and he too had his share of run-ins with the law. Depp was initially intimidated by the cinematic icon. "He was about seven feet tall and in great shape," recalled Depp. "He was a real tough guy, but a tough guy who had an enormous heart." Jarmusch didn't arbitrarily select William Blake as his hero's name. "William Blak e was a visionary poet, painter , printer, and inventor . His work wa s revolutionary, and h e wa s imprisoned fo r hi s ideas, " explained Jarmusch. "I was reading books by Native Americans o n Native American thought, and it struck me that many of Blake's ideas and writings sounded as though they could have come from the soul of a Native American." Dead Man was a tough shoot . I t was filmed i n Sedona, Arizona, and Virgini a City , Nevada ; th e day s were ofte n ver y hot , an d th e

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conditions wer e less than idea l for living, let alone making a movie. There were dust storm s an d hig h winds . "Visibility was all but nil, " recalled Depp. "You couldn't se e the camera, and you couldn't see the other actors... which was kind of nice when you come to think of it." Always one for a little adventure, Depp stayed in a manor house called th e McKa y Mansion whil e livin g i n Nevada ; the hous e was supposedly haunted by the ghost of a little girl in a pink dress. Depp told a journalist tha t tha t wa s precisely wha t h e like d abou t th e place: "I wanted to see some spirits there. " Jarmusch an d Dep p ha d bee n friend s fo r severa l years befor e they found the time and the material to work on together, and their working relationship was unique and exciting. "He [Depp ] is one of the most precise and focused peopl e I have ever worked with," said Jarmusch. In fact, Jarmusch wrote the part of Blake with Johnny in mind. "What I love about him a s an actor is his subtlety and inter esting physicality , whic h i s underplayed, " sai d Jarmusch . "He ha s amazing eyes, which he uses to great effect. I didn't really appreciate his precision unti l I worked with him; he never makes a false move. " By the en d o f the makin g o f Dead Man, Depp was starting t o grow a little tired of playing outcasts and weirdos. "I hope this is the last o f these innocents tha t I play," he sai d a t that time . "This i s a naive youn g gu y wh o i s tryin g t o ge t hi s lif e together . Wha t i s different abou t this piece is that he is trying really hard to make his life wor k bu t end s u p slowly , literally, dying . And h e know s he i s dying. It's a beautiful story." Dead Man was unveiled at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival; despite Jarmusch's usuall y loft y statur e there , th e movi e wa s no t wel l received. Som e o f th e Frenc h journalist s openl y turne d o n Jarmusch, standing up at the end of the screening and yelling toward where he was sitting, "Jim, this is a piece of shit. "

The teo n o f Ceo B Oddly, Depp would play another innocent o f sorts in his next film , but this time he was an innocent who could com e up with the goods when th e situatio n require d it . It was a big-studio film , an d Dep p was criticized fo r eve n agreeing to mak e it. It was widely reporte d that the usually staunchly independent acto r had taken the role as a deliberate stab at widespread commercial success. Nick o f Time was a gimmick y thrille r mad e b y commerciall y oriented directo r Joh n Badha m (Saturday Night Fever, Blue Thunder). I t wa s gimmick y becaus e th e stor y o n th e scree n was supposed to unfold in the real-time 90 minutes tha t it took to watch the rnovie . It didn' t reall y come of f that way , but that' s ho w it was sold. The movie is essentially a remake of one that Alfred Hitchcoc k made in 1934 and then remade with James Stewart in 1956: The Man Who Knew Too Much. In Nkk o f Time, Depp plays an accountant with a small daughter. Recently widowed, h e i s going into Lo s Angeles by trai n wit h hi s little gir l for a job interview. He is met a t the statio n b y a couple of unsavory stranger s (playe d b y Christophe r Walke n an d Rom a Maffia) name d Mr . Smith and Ms. Jones. They are conspirators i n a plot t o assassinat e a candidat e fo r nationa l office ; thei r pla n i s to grab someone who has no possible motive to commit the crime and force him to do it by holding a loved one hostage. Despite reports to the contrary, Depp didn't look at Nick of Time as the movie that would propel him into the upper echelons and get him the scripts usually reserved for Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise. He liked the story . And eve n though h e had n o childre n o f his own at the time, he said, "I have some nieces and nephews that I absolutely worship, and if anything happened t o them! would go crazy and do anything at all to save them." Depp wa s aske d by Playboy magazin e abou t doin g "th e Kean u thing" an d th e criticis m h e receive d for it. His initial respons e was

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"Who cares? " But he went o n to elaborate : "I'm intereste d i n stor y and characte r an d doin g thing s tha t haven' t bee n don e a zillio n times before. When I read Nick o f Time I could see the guy mowing the grass , watering the lawn , putting o n th e Wate r Wiggle in th e backyard for his kid, and I liked the challeng e of playing him," said Depp. He also expressed an interest in working with Saturday Night Fever director John Badham. The $4-$4.5-million paychec k couldn't have hurt either. When I spoke to Badha m about Nick o f Time, he remarked that even h e initiall y ha d reservation s about castin g Depp. "I knew he was a great actor because I had seen him in enough interesting roles to se e his diversity, " Badham said, "but h e had neve r played a guy who wears a suit and tie and has a nine-to-five mentality." Another big reason Depp signed on to d o Nick o f Time was the opportunity t o ac t alongsid e anothe r acto r who m h e deepl y admired: Christophe r Walken . Walken is clearl y on e o f th e fines t actors ever ; he has an incredible versatility an d range, having don e everything from Shakespear e to song-and-dance musical theater to his Oscar-winning role in Th e Deer Hunter. In Nick o f Time, Walken plays one of his stock villains — a guy who is ruthless but not particularly bright, a volatile combination . Nick o f Time began principal photography on 2 April 1995, with almost al l o f th e locatio n shootin g bein g don e a t th e Westi n Bonaventure Hotel right in the middle of downtown Lo s Angeles. John Badham had scored with a couple of big-budget films (e.g., Blue Thunder and Dracula), but thi s movie presented him with the opportunity t o try something a bit different — he shot the film in a style usuall y reserve d fo r documentaries . Also, the stor y an d th e gimmick behin d i t mean t tha t th e fil m ha d t o b e sho t i n mostl y chronological order. So some of the scenes were shot on the fly — in Ed Wood style — without any time to go back and redo them if they

The loon of Cool weren't perfect . Thi s woul d normall y frea k a directo r out , bu t Badham wa s delighted becaus e it gav e th e fil m tha t cinem a verit e look he wanted. I sat down with Badham in the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto just after he' d mad e Nick o f Time, and I aske d him abou t workin g with Depp. I wanted to know whether the Depp whom he knew by reputation wa s the Dep p wh o showe d u p t o wor k with hi m o n th e film. "That's interesting," sai d Badham . "Because I am not unlik e anyone else out there — I read magazines, and I watch television, s o the stuf f I kne w abou t Johnn y Dep p fro m thos e source s painte d hi m a s someone that I would more than likely have a hard time with. So when his name came up fo r Nick o f Time, I was a bit cautious. " To assuage his uneasiness, he started to ask around about Depp, talking to people who'd worked with him before . "The informatio n I was getting back was fascinating because, of all the people I asked who had worked with him, to a person they all reported that he was shy and quiet and dedicated and hard-working." And, as it turned out , they were right. "He was all the things the people who had worked with him ha d sai d he would be, " Badham continued . "Wha t wa s even more interestin g t o me wa s that h e ha d alread y read th e scrip t ove r a fe w times an d connected on the points that I was hoping to steer him towards." I aske d Badha m ho w he' d describ e Dep p t o a colleagu e wondering abou t th e experienc e h e ha d workin g wit h Johnny . Badham chuckle d a bit befor e saying , "He was wonderful to wor k with, really . I mean , ther e wer e days , severa l day s actually , when Johnny would sho w up — on time, mind you — for his very early call, and one look a t him tol d m e that he had no t been to bed yet from the night before. But he was prepared to shoot what needed to be shot, and he handled what was expected of him." Nick o f Time didn't really work, not becaus e it was poorly acted or made , but becaus e it became predictable very quickly. It starte d

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off wit h a n interesting premise, but hole s that develope d earl y on couldn't be filled. And the fact that it was sold as a gimmick project, a real-tim e thriller , didn' t hel p becaus e i t didn' t fee l lik e i t wa s unfolding i n rea l time. No r di d i t reall y need that gimmic k t o b e interesting. When I read the Ebb e Roe Smith an d Patric k Dunca n screenplay of Nick of Time (dated 27 January 1995), it was interesting as a political thriller , but i t lacked the intricacie s that mak e cover t assassination plots compelling to an audience. The story as laid out by Smith and Duncan was poorly thought out and never had a realistic hope of succeeding. As fo r Depp' s performanc e a s a n accountan t name d Gen e Watson, it doe s take a while t o ge t used to seein g Johnny play an everyman in a suit and tie. But he does well in the role of a frustrated father pushed to extraordinary measures to protect his daughter. The criticism levele d agains t him fo r sellin g out t o the lucrativ e actio n movie scene was silly because Nick ofTimeisrit a n action movie, nor did i t hav e a particularl y larg e budget . A t th e end , Nick o f Time brought in a disappointing $ 9 million during its domestic release. Johnny Depp's friendshi p with Marlo n Brand o had deepene d since their initia l meetin g o n Do n Juan DeMarco. Afte r finishin g Nick o f Time, Dep p wa s give n a chanc e t o wor k wit h Brand o agai n i n a project tha t woul d en d u p demonstratin g jus t ho w precariou s creating a movie can be, no matter how big the names involved in it. In fact , th e event s surroundin g th e makin g an d th e unmakin g of Divine Rapture mak e on e wonde r wh y this kin d o f thin g doesn' t happen a lot more often hi the huckster-driven world of filmmaking. Divine Rapture i s set in Ireland and wa s supposed to have been shot there . I t i s something o f a satirica l look a t miracle s an d th e Catholic Church. The wife of a fisherman (Debr a Winger) dies and comes back to lif e with th e help o f a local priest (Marlo n Brando)

TSie 9con of Cool who has been linked to miracles in the past. An American reporte r (Johnny Depp) goes to Ireland to investigate/debunk th e story and raise questions abou t the woman's fat e an d the nature of miracles. All reports indicate d tha t Brand o wa s really excited abou t th e project and loved Ireland from th e start. He rented a large house in Shanagarry — at a cost of $7,500 per week to the production — and hired several local people to work for him as assistants. Depp stayed in a house in nearby Ballymaloe. Kate Mos s planne d t o joi n Johnn y i n Irelan d fo r som e o f th e shoot onc e her modelin g obligations i n Pari s let up. In the mean time, Depp was rattling aroun d i n a small Irish tow n with nothin g to do. He happened to run int o fello w acto r Val Kilmer, who was in Ireland recoverin g fro m a nast y breaku p wit h hi s wife , Joann e Whalley. Depp and Kilmer were often see n drinking together. The director o f Divine Rapture, Thorn Eberhardt, was feeling a lot o f hea t eve n befor e shooting . Becaus e this wa s t o b e a fairl y low-budget independen t movie , both tim e an d mone y wer e very tight. Brand o wa s pai d $ 1 million u p fron t a s a nonrefundabl e bonus fo r signin g hi s nam e t o a contract , bu t Dep p lowere d hi s price considerably fo r the opportunity to work with his friend and teacher once again. The shooting schedul e was a tight eigh t weeks, and a s the star t date loome d th e shootin g location s couldn' t b e use d becaus e arrangements hadn't been properly made. Saying that "Churches are divine and sacred places, they are not film sets," the bishop of Cloyne put the kibosh on plans to use a local church for the central location. The director had nowhere to set up his cameras. Weather becam e Eberhardt' s nex t enemy . The skie s in Irelan d had been ideal for weeks on end during preproduction, bu t a s soon as the camera s were ready to rol l the weathe r quickl y turned ugl y and unpredictable .

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Filming go t unde r wa y i n earl y Jul y 1995 , and Depp' s wor k amounted to only a few days of shots that didn't require any acting or characterizatio n — "I jumped ove r a fence i n one of the shots," he sai d — before productio n wa s forced t o hal t o n Jul y i6th. The money had drie d up. Eberhardt assure d everyone that the break in production wa s only temporary, that everything would be straightened out by July 2ist. Depp was told he could leave Ireland if he wished, so he headed to Paris to spen d som e time wit h Moss . He would never return t o the Irish location . When July 24th rolled around and there was still no sign of more money, it was announced tha t Divine Rapture had been cancelled . Depp now found himself without a project to work on and in a position t o relax and mull over what to do next. Others involved were less fortunate. One of the producers, Barry Navidi, ha d investe d ove r $ 2 millio n o f hi s ow n mone y i n th e production, an d it was lost forever. But he didn't seem to be all that upset — an y producer know s that investin g i n film s i s as risky as drilling for oil. You can drill 1,000 holes looking for oil and come u p with sand , but sometime s whe n yo u dril l th e nex t hol e yo u hi t a gusher that erases all the previous disappointments. Navidi was more upset at the loss of a potentially interesting movie ; he was saddened that he'd never get to see the film he'd worked so hard to create. When I aske d Dep p fo r hi s tak e o n th e whol e Divine Rapture debacle, he said , "You want m y experienc e o f it ? I had gotte n th e script from Marlon. He said, 'Hey, man, come over here and join me in Ireland. We'll do this thing. It'll be fun.' I said, 'Sure.' I went over. We started shooting, and we were having a great time. Everything was really good. Next thing we knew, they were saying, 'It's over.' And that was that. It was like being in the middle of good sex and then having the lights come on, and your mother is standing in the room. "

Theof

There were a few offers that Depp could now think seriously about. He wa s intereste d i n makin g a fil m calle d Th e Cull befor e tha t project was torpedoed by financing woes. He was also being pursued to sta r i n a live-actio n fil m versio n o f th e popula r cartoo n Speed Racer. But perhap s th e mos t interestin g offe r wa s a literary wor k being developed into a film —'• Depp's favorite book, O n th e Road. For a number o f years, director Franci s Ford Coppola had bee n talking abou t makin g a fil m fro m th e classi c Jack Keroua c novel, which ha s inspired s o many othe r youn g writers an d artists . He' d even mad e i t t o th e screenpla y stage . Ever y youn g acto r i n Hollywood would kill to have the chance to work with Coppola an d to ac t i n th e fil m versio n o f O n th e Road, and , sinc e Dep p ha d a special relationshi p wit h th e book , th e projec t woul d hav e mean t even mor e to him . Th e film, however, simply hasn't been made — perhaps for the best. When I was speaking with Depp about his adaptation o f another renowned piec e o f America n literature , Fear an d Loathing in La s Vegas (mor e on that later) , we touched o n the subjec t of the movie version o f the Kerouac book. "I was excited as hell to talk about O n the Road as a movie, but a t the same time the idea made me queasy," said Depp. "The idea that I would be embodying that character .. . I wanted badl y t o d o it , but I wasn't sur e I wanted t o d o it , if that makes any sense. If I did it, there would be a finality to it, rather than just thinking, 'I would love to make a movie from On the Road!" What Depp decided to do next was something that he'd wante d to do for years but thought he needed to grow into. He would direct his first feature film. He would cowrit e the scrip t wit h hi s brother and sta r i n the film — which would ultimatel y be a n exhilarating, challenging, and heartbreaking experience.

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Ten

Flie Brave

"They live in a country and communities where it is not customary to look forward into the future, for they live without incurring the expenses of life, which are absolutely necessary and unavoidable in the enlightened world; and of

YORAM KAHANA/SHOOTING STAR

course their inclinations and faculties are solely directed to the enjoyment of the present day, without sober reflections on the past or apprehension on the future." George Catlin, North American Indians, 1832

Of all the things that Johnny Depp has done, The Brave is one of the most fascinating ; it i s als o th e mos t revealin g of th e wa y he feel s about his profession and the way he is misunderstood by the public . It is a movie that hardly anyone has seen, yet when Depp is profiled it is always mentioned a s being a colossal vanity project that die d a thudding deat h — not a fair representation . 141

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Having watched The Brave a few times, and knowing what Depp invested i n th e projec t emotionally, physically, an d financially , I'd argue that i t is probably the most intriguin g film h e has ever done. It is certainly worthy of close examination. At th e tim e o f writing , Th e Brave isn' t availabl e fo r genera l consumption. I t ha s neve r bee n release d i n an y for m i n Nort h America. I t playe d a t th e 199 7 Canne s Fil m Festiva l an d wa s s o soundly savaged by the press that it was unable to find distribution for eithe r broad theatrical o r video release. Sometimes th e stor y behin d th e makin g o f a fil m i s s o compelling that it overshadows the film itself. The struggle to get the legendary sequel to Robert Towne's Chinatown made is incredible if you ar e interested i n th e vagarie s of the fil m worl d (th e film was finally mad e b y director-actor Jac k Nicholson , with disappointin g results). Germa n directo r Werne r Herzog' s Sisyphia n struggl e t o make FitzcarraIdo resulte d i n on e o f the finest "making of " docu mentaries eve r made, Les Blank's Burden o f Dreams. Johnny Depp's The Brave is one o f those projects . The stor y o f the productio n o f this film sound s more like the legacy of an Egyptian curse than th e making of a movie. The Brave had been kicking around Hollywood for a number of years. Th e stor y was firs t tol d i n a novel, Raphael, Final Days., b y Gregory MacDonald. A young writer at the use film schoo l name d Aziz Ghazal thought th e novel was cool and obscure. He adapted it into a screenplay and started shopping it around. The premise of the story was so weird tha t th e scrip t starte d gettin g som e attention . Oliver Ston e wa s interested i n i t a s a film h e migh t produc e fo r a younger, emergin g filmmake r t o direct . Jodi e Foste r considere d producing and directing a reworked version of the story. In spit e o f al l this positiv e professiona l momentum, however , Ghazal was struggling with some personal demons. In 1994, he went

The Brav e on a rampage that startle d th e movi e community , which i s muc h more used to conjuring up fake violence than having to confront the real thing. Ghaza l killed both his wife an d his young daughter, and then he killed himself. At that point, those connected to the nascent project quickl y distanced themselves from it . One might think that with thi s ghoulis h histor y n o on e would g o near Th e Brave again, but soo n enoug h tw o young producers, Carrol l Kem p and Rober t Evans Jr. (son of legendary producer Rober t Evans, no strange r to controversial projects himself) , snappe d u p the rights to the book and the screenplay. A littl e mor e tha n a yea r afte r th e Ghaza l murder-suicide , someone gave the screenplay to Johnny Depp's agent. Depp carefully reads all the script s that Tracey Jacobs puts in his hands. "I hated it immediately," sai d Depp. "It was full o f cliches, a sort of Christ-lik e allegory that was a long funeral marc h withou t th e slightes t bit of humor." Suc h a hars h assessmen t suggest s that th e scrip t passe d right back out of his hands, but there was something about the story that h e jus t couldn' t shake . "I n spit e o f everything , I foun d tha t central ide a compelling, " sai d Depp. "Could yo u sacrific e you r lif e for love? " The Brave i s a stor y abou t a youn g Nativ e America n name d Raphael who i s living in abjec t poverty with hi s wife an d tw o children in a small trailer without running water. He has been in jail and has had a drinking problem . When h e answers an a d for a job a t a downtown warehouse , a wheelchair-bound sick o named McCarthy (Marlon Brando ) give s Raphae l a ba g ful l o f cash . It' s a dow n payment for the job that Raphael has accepted — to sacrifice his life in a snuff firm for a fee of $50,000, which will go to his family once he is gone. Depp was so fascinated by this story that he decided to talk to the producers abou t th e project . Evan s an d Kem p were startle d tha t

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someone o f Depp's calibe r was interested i n their movie , an d the y were floored by his plan: Depp said he'd consider talcing the lead role in the film on the condition tha t he be allowed to rewrite the scrip t and direct the movie himself and have final cut. In a televised interview in France in November 1998, Depp told interviewer Chiar a Mastroiann i (daughte r o f Catherin e Deneuv e and Marcell o Mastroianni ) wh y he' d decide d tha t thi s projec t should be his directorial debut : "The onl y true reaso n I wanted to direct Th e Brave wa s tha t I wa s to o inarticulat e t o tel l anothe r director what I wanted, you know," he explained. "What I wanted it to look like, or be like, or what the pace should be like, or what the rhythm shoul d b e like, or wha t i t shoul d fee l like , you know . Just because I couldn't express that, you know." Depp and his brother, Dan — "D.P. Depp" on the cover page — extensively rewrote the screenplay before presenting it to the young producers. Their draft, dated 30 October 1996, is a compelling read; it is much darker and more dismal than the film ended up being. Having Depp on board to write, direct, and star, however, didn't mean that the major studios were instantly on the phone with offers . This was still a very difficul t story . S o Depp, his brother , an d th e producers headed to the Cannes Film Festival, where they managed to dru m u p a lot o f varied interes t i n the projec t and t o secur e a good chunk of money, estimated at $15 million, fo r the film. Now it was time to actually make the movie. No matte r ho w man y film s yo u hav e bee n involve d with , i t seems, when you walk onto a set as a first-tim e director, everything is entirely different. And it's even more difficult i f you're starring in the film at the same time. "To tell you the truth , I found doin g bot h difficul t fo r a lot of reasons, some common, some personal," Depp recalled. "But mostly because as an actor you have to put yourself in a trance, you have to

Tfse Brave lose contact wit h reality . But when you direct, it is the exac t opposite. Those two opposites are really stressful t o be incessantly going back an d fort h to. " O n th e persona l side , Depp found particularly difficult on e aspec t of directing tha t h e hadn't eve n considered. " I trusted my feelings and my crew, so I didn't have the classical symptoms of stage fright going on," he explained. "But what really freaked me out wa s watching myself in the rushe s for the first 15 days. That was really painful. I hate seeing myself onscreen, and I never go to the rushe s on the films I've just acte d in . For those first couple of weeks, I couldn't judge anything because I was blocked. I got used to it. I still didn't like it, but I got used to it. " The comple x organizationa l requirements o f big-tim e movie making are something no young director i s ever truly prepared for. Depp recalle d "dealin g wit h money , wit h insurance , wit h trade union guys . N o kidding , ca n yo u imagin e hearin g a n assistan t yelling 'Lunc h brea k i n five minutes!' whe n you'v e go t a n hour' s worth of work before losing the light or having someone come onto the se t and sa y that th e youn g acto r yo u ar e working with ha s to leave in no more than 10 minutes when you know you have hours of work ahead of you or you will fall behind schedule? I would say that having all those mosquitoes buzzing around and trying to ruin your life — there are fucking rule s that make you fee l like stopping what you ar e doing an d goin g home. It reall y is a nightmare. If I direc t again, i t wil l b e wit h fiv e guy s an d a 1 6 mm camera . N o mor e hundred-man crew , it's too much to handle." Depp chose the somewhat seedy Hollywood Suit e Motel on th e west en d o f Hollywoo d Boulevar d a s hi s comman d pos t an d production offic e becaus e i t wa s nea r th e run-dow n location s h e needed for the film. Then he enlisted the help of his friend Igg y Pop to d o the musica l score . "As soon a s I made the suggestio n to Igg y that I woul d lik e hi m t o d o th e music , h e immediatel y started

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working o n th e idea s i n hi s head," recalled Depp . "In n o time , he brought m e a few demos that were very interesting an d exactl y the kind o f thing that I wanted — in some cases, I was listening to th e things that were exactly what I wanted before I even really knew that that's what I wanted. It is very strange that Iggy is so very differen t from the image that most people have of him. " Making th e movi e was , a s the y say , a baptism b y fir e fo r th e rookie director . Mos t difficul t wer e th e seve n week s o f locatio n filming in Ridgecrest, a small town outside Los Angeles on the way to Death Valley. Depp has remarked that they were the hottest seven weeks of his life and that he dreamed of heading somewhere cold the minute he could — and staying there. But it wasn't just the sun — that is , after all , why they heade d towar d Deat h Valley. Depp also found it tough to handle the heat of being the guy everyone came to with all their questions . To make things easier , Depp surrounde d himsel f wit h familiar faces. His directo r o f photography was Vilko Filac, also the DO P on Arizona Dream. His set designer was also from Arizona Dream. His script supervisor came from Dead Man. Johnny also sponged a s much a s he could off the director s he' d worked with who had impresse d him the most — Emir Kusturica, Tim Burton, John Waters, and Jim Jarmusch. Depp pointed ou t that his director friends were openly encouraging when he told them he was about to step behind the camera. Jarmusch faxed him a letter of encouragement o n th e firs t da y of shooting, an d Kusturic a called . "Emir tol d m e no t t o hesitat e t o cal l hi m i f I ha d th e slightes t problem," Depp recalled. "He also wanted to giv e me one last piece of advice: 'Don't forget, Johnny, fuck them all!'" "The firs t da y o f shooting , I wa s feelin g overwhelmed, " sai d Depp. "Everyone was asking me a lot of questions at the same time, and I had a lot of trouble clearly explaining what I wanted. It was as

Tfie Brave

if I found myself faced with a colossal mathematical problem. Bu t I didn't panic. Deep inside, I had total confidence in the film." To star t ou t o n th e righ t note , acto r Floy d "Re d Crow " Westerman performed, at Johnny's request , a Lakota Sioux sunrise ceremony to bless the film. Right after th e ceremony , when the su n was comin g up , Dep p too k a sea t fo r th e firs t tim e i n th e canva s director's chair , o n whic h hi s nam e ha d bee n stenciled . A t tha t moment, Dep p received an encouraging call on his cell phone fro m Marlon Brando. At th e en d o f tha t firs t da y o f shooting , Dep p wa s clearl y exhausted — "I've been on a lot of film sets before, but I never knew how physically taxing directing was," he said. But the day didn't en d with shooting ; afterward , Dep p huddle d wit h hi s cre w i n th e production traile r t o plo t ou t th e nex t coupl e o f days . Depp was taking his job a s director ver y seriously, assuring th e cre w that this was definitely not a vanity project. In spit e o f hi s inexperience , th e cas t an d cre w were impresse d with their director from the first day of filming. They appreciated the care tha t h e too k i n speakin g wit h everyon e directl y rathe r tha n having an assistant d o it. It wasn't uncommo n t o se e Depp helping the crew members carry equipment. As it turned out, Brando's phone call on the first morning of the shoot was auspicious. Depp said that he'd writte n th e rol e o f McCarth y wit h Brand o i n min d bu t ha d refused t o mentio n i t to hi m fo r fea r tha t i t would b e perceived as taking advantag e o f thei r friendship . Whe n Brand o calle d tha t morning, Depp told him he was about to direct a movie for the first time. Brand o was supportive an d filled with advic e — h e ha s als o directed one film so far, One-Eyed Jacks, a vastly underrated western from 1960 , whic h Brand o decide d t o direc t afte r bot h Stanle y Kubrick an d Sa m Peckinpah lef t th e project . Brando then inquire d about the theme an d story of Depp's film. Johnny filled hi m in with

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a brief but fairl y detaile d descriptio n o f the movie . Brand o wished Depp luck. A week later, Brando called again to see how things were going, and the two ended up talking abou t the characters in Depp's film a t length . Brand o aske d Dep p who m he' d cas t i n th e rol e of McCarthy. "I told him that I hadn't decided that yet," said Depp. "And then Marlon simply said, Tm going to play McCarthy.' I was stunned and delighted. " Brand o als o said he' d appea r in the fil m gratis . He wanted to help his friend i n any way he could. Depp was thrilled — having Brando in any movie is bound to make it interesting. Monday, 8 October 1996, was Brando's first day on the set of The Brave. Shooting too k plac e in a n ol d warehouse in downtow n Lo s Angeles. Those on the set said that when Brando arrived the atmos phere becam e a lot mor e serious , eve n though h e wa s jovial an d open with th e crew members. I know fro m interviewin g actor Kar l Maiden, who' s worke d wit h Brand o man y time s o n fil m an d o n stage (includin g starrin g in One-Eyed Jacks), tha t Brand o is one o f those actors with that special something that keeps your eyes locked on him at all times when he is working. There were no schedule s or contracts between filmmaker Depp and acto r Brando ; they were just friends workin g togethe r — thi s from a n actor who made a French journalist sig n a legal documen t saying that, if anything Brando said to him appeared anywhere other than the Frenc h magazine Studio, the journalist woul d have to pay him $100,000 . Ther e wasn' t a lo t o f in k connecte d t o Brando' s appearance in the film because no one knew Brando was in it. Even the young producers were stunned t o learn that their little film was now starring both Depp and Brando. By Wednesday, October loth , Brand o an d Dep p wer e working easily together. As is his custom, Brando remained in his trailer while a stand-in was used to block and light scenes. Brando likes to report to the set at the last possible moment to keep the work as spontaneous as

The Brave possible. On the day Depp and Brando filmed the first long dialogue between McCarthy and Raphael, it needed to be done several times to get maximu m coverag e fo r Dep p t o us e i n th e editin g room . Fortunately, Brando can say his lines over and ove r without makin g them sound repetitious; he effortlessly add s something subtle to each take, giving his director a wide array of interpretations to choose from. After shootin g wa s finall y done , Brand o heade d bac k t o hi s trailer t o rela x while Dep p an d hi s cre w gathered around a video playback unit to view the footage. Everyone was silent — they were all stunne d a t Brando' s abilit y t o us e th e slightes t expression s t o convey the most extreme emotions . Johnny paid close attention to Brando during the shoot, always trying to mak e him comfortabl e and discussing every detail o f the work with him. Depp had two reasons for being so attentive: he was trying to be a good director by making his star performer as relaxed as possible, and he was an awestruck actor trying to absorb as much as he could from th e master. On th e las t da y o f locatio n filming , a t a plac e calle d Re d Mountain, there was a cheer of celebration an d relief as "It's a wrap" was finally shouted . There were still some scenes to b e shot i n Los Angeles, but al l the tough location shooting was finished. Before the cast and crew left the area for good, they were invited into the desert to take part in a Native American ceremony to ask the spirits of Red Mountain to protect all those involved with Th e Brave. As he headed into the final stretch of filming, Depp was asked by Christophe d'Yvoir e abou t th e difficultie s i n translatin g hi s ow n written words to visual images. "Our screenpla y was only meant to be the skeleton of the film," answered Depp. "Then you have to give it flesh on the set, depending on the setting and the atmosphere, and its own mood. I would say that 70 percent of what we've shot wasn't written as such in the screenplay."

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He's right; there are glaring differences between the two. The first noticeable change s come i n th e compellin g firs t meetin g betwee n Raphael and McCarthy. In the screenplay, McCarthy's intentions ar e clear, as is Raphael's understanding o f the situation. In the final film, Depp has trimmed the scene down to a strangely amorphous conversation. We can sense what is being discussed, but ther e i s room for doubt, which make s the scen e a lot mor e effectiv e an d creepy . Can they really be negotiating that? There are also words and lines taken out of the finished film that change the way the character s are perceived. In the film, McCarthy asks Raphael, "Are you afrai d o f dying?" Raphael responds, "No, are you?" I n th e screenplay , the line s read , "Ar e you afrai d t o die , o f dying?" "Yeah, but i t couldn't be much worse than living. Are you?" In th e film , Raphae l ha s give n u p o n hi s ow n life , bu t i n Depp' s screenplay he is still grasping at a faint hope for the future . Later in the same long sequence in the screenplay, McCarthy uses North American Indian folklore and tradition t o communicate wit h Raphael. There i s a long exchange about a ceremony known a s the Sundance, performe d afte r brave s hun g themselve s fo r day s b y wooden skewer s driven through thei r ches t muscles. None of this is in the finished movie. Also absent is the starkness of the language in the screenplay . When McCarthy and Raphae l are talking about th e remuneration involved , McCarthy tells him, "Well, that depends on how willing you are , how brave you are , because the mor e you are able to withstand, spiritually, physically, the more money you will be paid." In the film, Raphael answers with an ominous nod and a look of deepening understanding o f what he will be subjecting himself to for money . I n th e screenplay , there i s a much mor e explici t reply : "What d o you mean by that? Do you want to fuck me, to torture me, will you kill me?" At the end of this truly grim sequence is another glarin g depar -

Tfie Brav e ture from page to screen. In the script, as Raphael leaves with a paper bag filled with his down payment, he is confronted b y the characte r known a s Larry , McCarthy' s henchman . Larr y spits, "Hey , Tonto , this is a snuff rnovie . People pay big money to watch people die in pain. He is going to strap you into that fucking chair, scoop out your eyeball with a spoon and carve your dick up the middle with a knife, pull your guts out like a fire hose. You are going to die. You are going to die screaming." Larry then lets out a scream to illustrate his point. The term "snuff movie" is never heard or seen anywhere in the film. Five pages later i n th e screenplay , there i s a horrifically explici t dream sequence. Raphael is dreaming in sepia, and there is a clutter of soun d lik e "gliding u p an d dow n a n A M radio dial. " Th e scrip t describes a man's arm being strapped to a rusted metal chair, then a lone crow sitting on a fence. A tongue is slashed, and a penis is cut off. The crow stares back at us in a closer shot. A fingernail is pulled out wit h pliers , an d a n eyebal l i s gouge d fro m it s socke t wit h a spoon. In the finished film, no imag e even remotely that gruesom e appears. The director Depp showed a restraint that the writer Depp chose not to exercise. In their screenplay , the Dep p brothers includ e a subplot abou t the impendin g demolitio n o f th e squatte r traile r villag e wher e Raphael and his family live. It is a major concern in the script and is returned to often. This side story is barely mentioned in the finished film; director Dep p chose to concentrate on the personal and spiri tual problems o f the main character and his family. Toward the end of the screenplay, the Depp brothers onc e again include a specific referenc e to Nativ e American tradition and ceremony that doesn' t mak e it into th e finished film. It is curious tha t Depp went thi s route , because his concer n abou t th e treatmen t of Native American s i s symbolically reference d throughou t th e film . These omissions bolster the argument that Depp was pressured into

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delivering the movie before h e was ready; if he'd had th e time an d resources to properly edit and prepare it, it might have been a more even and palatable film . It i s i n th e endin g tha t th e mos t radica l departur e fro m th e screenplay is evident. In the film, Raphael comes to terms with th e deal he has made with the devil, it seems, and resigns himself to his fate. H e simpl y return s t o th e warehous e wher e the bargai n was struck and disappears into the guts of the building. The screenplay has a much more complicated and violent ending, which involves a long confrontation between McCarthy and Raphael. Raphael shows up a t the warehouse t o tel l McCarthy that h e has no intentio n o f fulfilling hi s par t o f th e deal . McCarth y trie s t o brib e hi m wit h more money , but Raphae l refuses it . McCarthy then rise s from hi s wheelchair to walk, showing Raphael that h e has been duped, and leaves hi m alon e i n a roo m wit h th e tortur e chai r an d a vide o monitor showin g the torture an d murde r o f a young girl. Raphael ends up killing McCarthy with his own gun. The trimmin g o f thi s scen e coul d hav e ha d a lot t o d o wit h Brando. Although he was open to working with Depp for as long as Johnny needed him, Brando was originally told that it would take no more tha n tw o days to fil m hi s scenes. He ended u p stayin g much longer afte r h e suggeste d that McCarth y retur n a t th e en d o f th e movie fo r a coda, but ther e ma y not hav e been tim e t o shoo t th e entire ending from the screenplay. Brando also may have had moral objections t o som e o f th e thing s h e was supposed t o sa y and do , causing the scen e to b e radically reorganized; Brando had taken a stand while filming The Appaloosa, stipulating o n his arrival that he wouldn't appear in any sequence depicting the shooting or killing of Indians, a stand that caused emergency on-the-spot rewrites . In the script's final confrontation, McCarthy spits at Raphael, "Now, listen. I want you to listen to me, you little red nigger spic. There's a lot of

Tfie coloreds ou t there , poisonin g thi s country . A lo t o f decen t whit e Americans wh o put swea t and blood and tears int o the building of this country are not goin g to let nigger farts like you fuck i t up. We're going to burn you r churches , and we're goin g to burn you r houses and bur n you r tac o stands . You understand? Get your stink as s up. Come on, sweetheart, get up i n the high chair. Up, up, up. Get up in the chair. " Thi s venomou s speec h get s eve n mor e vil e befor e McCarthy is killed, and it changes the way that McCarthy is perceived. In th e film , however , he i s a n oddl y sympatheti c an d charismati c character. We are scared of him becaus e of what he represents, bu t Brando plays him with such a soft voice and a quiet emotion that we can't help but see the tortured bein g sitting in the wheelchair. In the screenplay, h e i s nothin g bu t a n evi l thug . Th e Dep p brothers ' McCarthy is a monster who pays the desperate and unfortunate for his own profit an d amusement . Thi s starkly written endin g would not hav e fit well with what came before it. The final sequence was to be shot on Brando's last day on the set. They were supposed t o star t shootin g b y 1 0 AM. By 6 PM, though, Depp an d Brand o were still huddle d i n the trailer , rethinking an d rewriting th e ending . Perhap s the y neve r resolve d ho w th e fil m should end , decidin g instea d t o leav e i t ambiguous . I f yo u ge t a chance to see The Brave, ask yourself at the end if it would have been trashed b y critics the wa y it was if the credit s had rea d "A film by Wim Wenders " o r i f i t ha d bee n th e firs t featur e b y som e highl y touted bra t fro m th e us e film school. There have been directoria l debuts a lot less thoughtful and well made that have received much greater prais e fo r thei r maker s — but , the n again , the y weren' t dating supermodels an d being featured on the cover s of magazines the world over, so they could be taken more seriously. Several of Depp's sequence s stuck with m e afte r I had watche d The Brave for th e firs t time . Som e o f the m ar e obviou s symboli c

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references, bu t the y ar e captivatin g nevertheless . Ever y scen e that Brando appear s i n i s riveting. Ther e is a scene b y a stream wher e Raphael is gathering water in jugs, which he carries home on a pole across his shoulders. When h e turns aroun d wit h th e water o n his shoulders, there is a distinct ech o of Christ o n the cross. There is also a nice performance by Clarence Williams III , who, despite doin g terrific work for years, will always be known a s Line from Th e Mo d Squad. William s play s a pries t wh o i s deepl y committed to the community h e serves. He has a great moment wit h Raphael, who confesses to him what he is about to d o and ask s the priest to mak e sur e tha t his family gets the promise d money . Th e priest struggle s with the implications fo r a moment an d then turn s him down . If there is one performance that stand s out fo r its weakness, it is that o f Frederic k Forrest , a fin e acto r who i s ofte n give n to wildl y over-the-top performances, which end up being quite distracting. He does so in Th e Brave and recently in Joel Schumacher's Falling Down. Depp's performance as a self-directed actor i s understated an d controlled. Johnn y coul d hav e writte n himsel f severa l majo r speeches an d frame d himsel f glowingl y (se e Th e Horse Whisperer, directed by and starring Robert Redford), but he deliberately didn't. He keep s th e actin g simpl e an d straightforward . H e effectivel y portrays hopelessness in a man wh o i s full o f love and compassion . The battles he has fought and the obstacles in his path hav e beaten him dow n physicall y and spiritually . The offe r h e accept s i s gruesome, but h e sees it as a bizarre ray of light fro m th e depth s o f hell — it presents him with his one opportunity t o do something to save his family. As a director, Depp handles himself prett y well too. The movie is very languidly paced, but it should be. This isn't an action movie; it is a story about love and death and moral dilemmas . Depp doesn't tr y

Tlse Brave to jazz up the proceedings by overstyling the film with camera tricks. He ha s learne d fro m th e grea t director s he' s worke d with , an d i t shows. The ending of the film is especially haunting and well handled. Depp is quite willing to talk about the movie, and through his words his passion i s apparent. Just afte r filmin g wa s completed, h e mad e the extraordinar y admissio n tha t h e hadn' t rea d th e nove l tha t served as the original source material for his screenplay. It is hard to imagine writing a screenplay based on a book tha t yo u have never read, but Depp and his brother were really working from the existing screenplay by Aziz Ghazal. At the time, Depp said, "I haven't read the book yet ; I probably will , though. I did mee t th e author , Gregory MacDonald. He's a great guy. The strange thing about him is that he is known mainl y for writing funny stories . He came to visit the set one day, and I told hi m tha t eve n though I hadn't rea d the book it strangely served as a real inspiration fo r me. He smiled an d told m e it was okay because he hadn't read our screenpla y either." Terry Gilliam , who directe d Dep p i n Fear an d Loathing in Las Vegas, remembers seein g The Brave. " The Brave was a painful expe rience, I think, for Johnny because of the process," he noted. "He had this projec t tha t h e fel t deepl y about, h e directe d it , an d the n th e money guy s wanted i t a t Canne s — bu t h e neve r really had th e chance t o finis h th e fil m properly. " Gillia m wen t o n t o asses s the film: "If there is a weakness in the film, it is these two sides of Johnny that haven' t quit e found a middle ground, how you put i t together. Because there are scenes in the movie that ar e like Kusturica's stuff ; they're fabulous , outrageous. And then th e other part o f the film is incredibly dark and real." What happene d t o Dep p an d Th e Brave when th e movi e wa s unveiled for the public is an excellent example of some of the things that ar e wrong with modern moviemaking .

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By al l accounts , tha t firs t showin g o f Th e Brave a t th e 199 7 Cannes Film Festival was the mos t agonizin g experience of Depp's entire career . "You walk u p th e re d carpet , you know , th e whol e thing," he recalled, "go up there, wave, go in and sit down and watch the film with 2,500 people. The film goes through the projector. No coughs. No moving shoes. You're charged, you're out of your mind , you're everything . You'r e dying , you'r e read y t o vomit , you'r e shaking, you want nothin g bu t t o ge t horribly drunk . And a t th e same time you are really proud, and you're embarrassed because you feel exposed , you know ? You feel like you've just ripped you r chest cavity open and begged someone to shit in it." The film was first shown for the press at 8:30 in the morning — a ridiculous time to watch such a dark and heavy movie. I have done it before; seein g a movie such as Michael Winterbottom's gruelling Jude a t 8 AM significantly changes the wa y the film affect s you . That first time, I almost ran from the theater, but when I watched the film again, after having interviewed Winterbottom an d his cast, and later in th e day , it was a completely differen t experience . I appreciate d what I was seeing so much more. The reports out of that early press screening o f Th e Brave wer e tha t peopl e wer e booin g th e film . Maybe they did, but th e reaction t o the film at its official premier e later that night was much more positive and supportive. Depp's friend John Waters was at that premiere with Johnny and Kate Moss. Asked about the film, he said, "Well, it's very serious, but it's certainl y arty . He didn' t mak e a commercial kin d o f a movie , which I think is good. People loved it. " Then the scathingly bad reviews started appearin g in the majo r show-business publications. A number of them mentione d tha t the premiere screening audience had booed th e film, which wasn't th e case at all. Depp said, "Hollywood Reporter, Variety, al l these fuckin g things, they come out and they say,' The Brave was booed last night.'

The

Well, they lied. And the distributors were scared shitless. It was a film that was over two hours long, and they thought it was booed off the screen. It's like , people i n .. . [Lo s Angeles] play follow-the-leader , man. If Joe down the stree t has a really nice pair o f shoes, but, yo u know, Bob doesn't know if he likes them o r no t unti l h e see s Sue's boyfriend Lanc e wearing them. Then , if two people like them, I' m there, you know . That kin d o f mentalit y i s like a fucking disease. " Reading thos e reviews , you hav e t o wonde r abou t th e reviewers ' agendas — the movie is a bit confusin g at times, and it is dark, to be sure, bu t i t i s simpl y no t th e breathtakingly ba d fil m tha t thes e supposedly big-time critics were telling people it was. "The reviews for Th e Brave were written before the reviewers even saw the movie," explained Depp. My own reaction to Th e Brave has changed each time I've seen it. On the first viewing, I was prepared to see a work of vanity and self indulgence tha t woul d b e difficul t t o watch . M y preconceive d notions evaporate d almos t immediately . There's a lot t o admir e in this movie. Is it grim? Certainly. I s it ponderous? Definitely . But in forming a n opinion o f a movie, you have to conside r the su m of all its elements — not just those elements that pla y to your particular tastes. A film has to be evaluated base d o n wha t it is, not o n what you wanted it to be when you sat down in the theater. The first thing I noticed abou t Th e Brave was the striking musi c by Iggy Pop; the sounds are eerie and ominous but appropriate . My attention was also immediately drawn to the pacing. The movie gets off t o a slow start and never really picks up, and this languid pacing accentuates th e sense of growing dread and impending horror. As I watched the film for the first time, I was eagerly anticipating the first appearance of Marlon Brando , and h e doesn't disappoint . When he rolls in, he is in a wheelchair and sports a willowy ponytail. He ha s th e sam e stron g presenc e tha t Franci s For d Coppol a

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captured s o effectivel y i n Apocalypse No w — th e sens e that h e i s some mysterious , intellectuall y superio r bein g who has lost touc h with the rest of the world. Even though Brando is on the screen for only a fraction o f the film's running time, he makes a big impact. He delivers a great, i f a t time s somewha t unintelligible , speec h (a s in Apocalypse Now) that draws us out of our seat s and into his space. Upon reflection , however , th e par t o f th e movi e tha t feature s Brando is indicative of the weakness of the movie overall: that slowness. The lines are delivered slowly. The slowness creates atmosphere at firs t bu t quickl y becomes tedious . Perhaps with mor e tim e an d more editing , th e pacin g could hav e been tightene d up . That said , the point s tha t Johnn y an d Da n are making with thei r screenpla y came across well. Raphael is a character who cannot outwardly show love because he has never had it shown to him, although that doesn' t mean he doesn't hav e the abilit y to love very deeply — in fact, he's willing t o sacrific e hi s ver y lif e fo r it . Th e treatmen t o f Nativ e Americans i s als o a centra l issue , fro m racis t remark s casuall y thrown abou t a s jokes t o th e depressin g squalo r i n whic h man y Natives are forced to live. There has been a lot of curiosity about Th e Brave since it was shown at Cannes , bu t i t ha s ye t t o pas s throug h a projecto r i n Nort h America. As I write this, a few countries hav e released the fil m o n videocassette; you can find it with Japanese, German, or Portuguese subtitles, but i t is not availabl e yet in North American video stores . It wa s reported i n Studio magazine tha t Winon a Ryde r begged her ex for a private showing of the movie, but Dep p couldn't oblige , explaining that th e fil m wa s locked awa y in a vault somewher e and that he had no access to it. Ryder was very sympathetic toward Depp during this tune, saying, "I think what happened to him surrounding the makin g o f th e movi e strangel y echoe s th e treatmen t o f th e

Tfiea Indians in general." Ryder was raised by hippie parents, so the cause of Nativ e American s wa s no t a bandwago n sh e jumpe d o n a s i t passed. The commune i n northern Californi a where she lived when she was young shared its land with Californi a Indian tribes, and she has bee n a long-tim e supporte r o f th e America n India n Colleg e Fund. Ryder has been quoted a s saying, "Native American culture is American cultur e an d w e can al l learn fro m it . I t i s so profoundly important t o preserve all of our country's cultures." Depp discusse d ho w h e feel s abou t hi s ow n Nativ e bloo d i n a piece in Studio in 1992: "I've got Cherokee blood running through my veins bu t I reall y didn' t star t thinkin g abou t tha t unti l I wa s a teenager. I was in Florida at the time and there is a lot of racism there. In high school the kids started giving me a hard tim e — calling me things lik e 'dirty Indian.' I go t completel y confuse d becaus e I have always thought o f myself as just being an American. I had completely forgotten abou t m y India n blood . Bu t thos e littl e narrow-minde d ignorant guys reminded rne of it and I have to say that I am glad they did. Becaus e whe n I starte d t o ge t t o kno w mor e abou t India n cultures, I realized that I still had a lot of them i n me. Their way of thinking an d relating to things is something I inherited." In the end , Johnn y Depp seems to have been reconcile d to th e experience of making The Brave. In some respects, it was an abjectly negative experience; "The film hurt a lot to make," said Depp. "I was very naive initially. I thought, 'Well, yeah, I can do this. I can direct, and I can do this; I can do both.' But at the same time . .. it's really . . . it's almost impossible. They're opposite things. " This prompt s th e obviou s question : wil l he direc t again ? "Yes, definitely. I don't think I would direc t a movie that I chose to be in in the lead role, but I will definitely, yeah. I'll do it again." One of Depp's actors in The Brave, Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, is a Dakota Sioux who plays Raphael's father in the film. Asked about

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his impression s o f th e youn g director , h e said , "At first, I though t Johnny was taking on more than he could handle with Th e Brave. I had only seen one other guy who directed and acted in the same film. That was Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, but I saw Kevin break a couple of times and tear after someon e and ge t angry. I didn't see that in Johnny. He goes beyond getting angry. He likes off-center, arty roles as an actor, and he is that way in his personality too." The movi e ha s a n interestin g footnote . There is a strange little symbol in the film: it's a round body with a skeletal face on top of it, and above the face is a question mark. Depp saw the symbol painted on a wal l somewhere , an d i t freake d hi m ou t s o muc h tha t i t appeared not onl y in the film but als o on the poster advertising the film. Significantly, what isn't on th e poster i s a picture o f Depp. In these times , whe n th e siz e o f a n actor' s fac e o r th e siz e o f th e lettering use d to spell his or her name on the poster is a negotiated contract item , Depp's attitude is rare and refreshing . Although Johnn y maintains tha t h e ha s neve r worke d fo r th e sake of the money , he did put a lot of his own cash into Th e Brave. When you read mat a movie cost $16 million o r $67 million o r $120 million t o make, it seems like an abstract notio n — until you have to start coming up with the millions yourself. That was the case with The Brave. To make the movie he wanted to make, Depp had to use hefty chunks of his own resources. The natural assumption was that he'd recoup that money when the movie was bought for distributio n — but i t wasn't picked up, and he lost his money. By this time, Depp had alread y committed t o his next film, the terrific gangster movie Dannie Brasco. But the next role he accepted was the lead in a science-fiction/horror movie called The Astronaut's Wife, whic h earne d hi m hi s hefties t pa y packet yet , a reporte d $ 8 million.

Flie Brave So, as a direct result of making The Brave, one of his most interesting piece s o f work , Johnn y ende d u p agreein g t o b e par t o f a movie tha t woul d b e th e leas t interestin g — with on e o f the best screen performances o f his life sandwiched in between.

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Chapter Eleven

Anti-Hero

"It seems I have built a career on being a failure." Johnny Depp February 2001

After bein g a professional actor fo r 1 5 years, Johnny Depp finall y found a project that got people who' d dismisse d hi m a s a flak e t o reconsider that opinion. It was 1997'$ Donnie Bmsco, an d i n i t Dep p woul d pla y a rea l person fo r th e firs t time : Jo e Pistone , wh o was alive and living in the witness protectio n program. When th e fil m wa s released, critics remarked that Depp had now reached maturity as an actor and was finally playing adults. Those who'd bee n following his career knew

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that thi s assessmen t wasn' t reall y accurate , bu t the y wer e pleased because i t represente d a ste p u p i n th e respec t tha t Johnn y wa s getting for his work. Like many terrific movies — and Donnie Bmsco is a terrific movie — thi s on e kicke d aroun d fo r a number o f years before th e righ t

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combination of elements allowed it to be made. The movie is based on a book written by former FBI undercover agent Joe Pistone abou t his infiltration into the Bonnan o mafia famil y i n New York. Called Dannie Brasco: My Undercover Life i n th e Mafia an d cowritte n b y Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley, it details the strang e situation that Pistone , a.k.a . Donnie Brasco , foun d himsel f i n when h e began to care about the gangsters whose lives he was covertly trying to destroy. He started asking himself questions about his own life and character — was he a good guy pretending to be a bad guy, or was he one of the bad guys who was just pretending to wear a white hat? Producer Louis DiGiaimo had known Pistone since they were in high school together. Since that time, they'd gotten together a couple of times a week to play basketball or go out fo r beers. Then Piston e just vanished on e day , and DiGiaim o didn' t hear from hi m fo r six years. When his name finally turned u p again , it was in New York newspaper headline s trumpetin g hi s successe s a s a n undercove r mafia buster . Once th e case s that Piston e wa s involved i n wer e blown wid e open, he got in touch with his pal DiGiaimo and suggested they have dinner. DiGiaim o wa s fascinate d b y wha t ha d happene d t o hi s friend an d suggested that the wild tale be turned into eithe r a book or a movie. Piston e wa s interested bu t insiste d tha t the y couldn' t even begin to discuss it until all the various trials were completed. It would be another fou r years before the story could be told. Pistone's book was published in 1989, and DiGiaimo immediately bought film rights to it. He took it to two producers he knew would be intereste d i n suc h a movi e project , Mar k Johnso n an d Gai l Mutrux a t Barr y Levinson's Baltimore Pictures . The y were, at th e time, working with Levinson on Rain Man, but they were impressed enough with the material to put it into active development. The producer s turne d t o a grea t screenwriter , Pau l Attanasio,

Antl-Horo who'd writte n the brilliant Quiz Show for director Rober t Redfor d and th e pilo t episod e for Levinson' s T V series Homicide: Life o n th e Street, to turn the book into a screenplay. He wrote a detailed scrip t that came in at a whopping 153 pages; it deftly maneuvered through the life-and-deat h episode s in the boo k bu t ende d u p bein g mor e about loyalt y and the limits o f the human psyche . One particularly striking thing in the book is how Pistone recounts the often horrifi c events in a very detached, level-headed manner. Depp remarked that it reads like "it was written by a machine." Attanasio was determined to make it human. The book begin s with a case that Piston e wa s involved with i n Florida, which leads him back to New York and the infiltration of the Bonnano crime family (the Bonnano name is never mentioned in the movie). Attanasio streamlined th e story , focusing on th e Ne w York case, becaus e h e wa s committe d t o respectin g al l th e rea l people involved by doing them justice in the film. He spent a lot of time with Pistone doin g research . "Joe introduced m e to a bunch o f differen t guys involved in this stuff , bu t I was much les s interested in them, " said Attanasio. "I also met al l of Joe's family, his wife, his kids; I spent a fai r amoun t o f time with al l of them. The y were real people with real feelings an d live s — I had t o be consciou s of that al l the time. " Later, when Dep p became part o f the project , he to o worke d wit h Pistone. "Donnie Brasco was a motherfucker of a movie," said Depp. "I spent a lot of time with Joe Pistone. He's got an interesting rhythm to his speech, I did my best to get that. I put grea t pressure on myself to make it fucking right for the guy. He lived it. I was just pretending." When aske d if Pistone was allowed to rea d what Attanasio was writing, Attanasio said, "Yeah, he read everything. He was very, very easygoing abou t it , which i s surprising because it's hi s life." I n th e end, Pistone said he was very happy with the finished film and especially with the way Depp portrayed him.

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A few directors were considered, and British filmmaker Stephen Frears remained attached to the project for some time. Planning was under wa y whe n Marti n Scorses e release d hi s gangste r fil m Goodfellas, an d i t se t Dannie Brasco back a bit. Attanasio felt quit e strongly about hi s script; he considered himself somewha t respon sible for making sure that, if a movie were ever made about Pistone' s life, Joe be properly represented. As Attanasio explained, "I really did feel responsible fo r Joe, because all of us could go off on our merr y way and ont o differen t things , but h e had just one life an d on e lif e story to tell." Year afte r yea r passed, and Attanasio was called on t o write differen t draft s o f his screenplay to appeas e this producer o r that produce r a t som e studi o o r other , bu t directo r Frear s kep t telling Attanasio that the whole project hinged on Al Pacino. Pacino was fascinated by the Left y Ruggiero character, maintaining that he wanted to play this guy and would d o his best to be available when everything was finally put together. One o f the quirkie r element s of moviemaking is that th e really worthwhile films alway s see m to com e together exactl y when they should, eve n if years of development hav e already gone into them . Had Donnie Brasco come together earlie r than i t did, it would have been an entirely different movie . During all those years of development, Frears had left, and a new director had signed on. Mike Newell had mad e a ver y chea p bu t ver y enjoyabl e movi e calle d Four Weddings an d a Funeral-, which mad e a global star o f Hug h Gran t and a hot propert y o f Newell. Six months befor e shootin g began, Newell — wh o wouldn' t eve n hav e bee n a candidat e earlie r — agreed to direct Donnie Brasco. When the time finally came to shoot the film, it had grown into a $40-million project for Columbia Pictures. Newell got together wit h screenwriter Attanasi o to plo w throug h th e mountai n o f differen t drafts. The y ende d u p revertin g t o th e origina l draf t because , as

Anti-Hero Attanasio said, "the other s went of f i n th e wron g directions — my initial instincts o n what this movie should be were correct." The shootin g scrip t fo r Dannie Brasco (dated 22 May 1996) is a nice piece of screenwriting that ha s earned the respec t of everyone who's rea d it . Newel l remaine d quit e faithfu l t o th e screenplay , although a fe w mino r character s an d situation s wer e excise d t o improve pacing . Fo r instance , i n th e screenplay , Sonn y Blac k (Michael Madsen) is constantly hitting on a waitress at their socia l club who is from Ontari o — he keeps telling her to "say somethin g Canadian." Th e dialogu e an d eve n th e waitres s are gone fro m th e finished film . Given his previous experience with uniformed authority figures , Depp was initially unsure about the project. It had a lot of positives, including a great true story, but he'd be playing a cop. "I didn't thin k I woul d lik e Jo e when I started hangin g aroun d wit h him, " sai d Depp. "I thought h e would b e this gung-h o cop , this cold , uptigh t kind of guy, but Joe' s a neat person. We actually became friends." Director Mik e Newell was delighted to have Depp as part of the cast; he recognized that this was the perfec t par t for the actor . "This particular role interested him because the whole character had to run beneath th e surface , a s it were," Newell explained. "Johnny is one o f those actors who acts in a kind o f long term. You stay with his characterizations throughout a film becaus e he tells you his stor y in his own good time — and, more important, you are willing to wait for it." I chatted with Newell when he was in Toronto making the black comedy Pushing Tin, and I asked him what he'd wanted his Donnie Brasco to look lik e and how Depp worke d into that. "Well, Johnn y got down deep into this character, a few levels deeper than I thought he would, in the earl y stages of our working together," said Newell. "That was wonderful because I knew he was capable of it. I was told by a few people who really had no idea that casting Johnny in a role

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as complex as Donnie Brasc o was risky — those peopl e ha d neve r either worked with him o r really looked at his work. He is not onl y a good actor on his own, but h e can hold i t up alongside anyone he acts opposite of. " I tol d Newel l that I though t th e chemistr y betwee n th e acto r who playe d Donni e Brasc o an d th e acto r wh o playe d Left y Ruggiero was crucial t o th e succes s of the film . "Precisely, yes," he agreed, "and A l Pacino, God , what prais e ca n I heap o n Al Pacin o that hasn' t alread y been sai d man y times? He is a wonderful pres ence t o hav e i n you r film . H e i s on e o f th e grea t actor s o f th e century and is also a very nice man an d very easy to work with. He gets along with anyon e who shows up to work prepared and takes the wor k a s seriously as he does . Chemistry wa s what allowe d Joe Pistone to bond with these guys he was trying to get next to, and it was necessary that Johnny and Al play off one another correctl y for the piece. I knew instantly that things were clicking when I watched them do their first couple of scenes together. I saw them playing off one another. " I asked Newell if he'd ha d the sam e preconceptions abou t Dep p that ha d initiall y cloude d Joh n Badham' s views . "Onl y slightly, " Newell told me. "I met him before I really developed a lot of preconceived notion s abou t him . I base d m y opinio n o n th e ma n wh o presented himsel f to the project . He's a nice fellow who happens t o be a great actor. He is also more ... regular than mos t peopl e think . He i s very well read, and h e take s his work ver y seriously." Newell went on to say that some people in Hollywood had told him this was the rol e that man y studi o peopl e had wanted t o se e Depp try — a brutal, strong , manl y rol e — eve n thoug h tha t wasn' t wha t ha d attracted Dep p to it. "He is an unplowed field, a man unencumbere d by ego, and increasingly confident of his gift for transforming himself into anythin g he wants to be," said Newell of Depp — but h e coul d

Anti-Horo just as easily have been talking about Joe Pistone o r Bonnie Brasco. Just before the shootin g bega n on Dannie Brasco, Al Pacino was asked abou t workin g wit h Johnn y Depp . " I lik e him, " Pacin o responded. "He knows what he is doing, and he is easy to be around. Depp is a lot better acto r than he is given credit for." Donnie Brasco wa s release d t o resoundingl y positiv e reviews . Depp wa s showere d wit h accolade s for hi s controlled , witty , an d subtle performanc e as a guy who pretend s t o b e anothe r guy . His dilemma i s slowly reveale d unti l th e audienc e feel s sympath y no t only fo r Joe/Donni e but als o fo r th e poo r dum b gangste r Lefty . Pacino's performance was accurately described a s one of the best of his career, and predictions of Oscar nominations ran g out — which, unjustly, didn' t corne true. The film did reasonably well at the box office; i t wa s no blockbuster , but i t wa s never expecte d t o b e one . Donnie Brasco can easily be listed as one of the best American gangster movie s i n th e pas t 2 0 years , fittin g int o th e categor y o f hard-hitting America n film s mad e b y non-American s (e.g. , Joh n Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy). Probably the most importan t endorsemen t o f the movie — and the onl y opinio n importan t t o Dep p — cam e fro m th e real-lif e Donnie Brasco , Joe Pistone. "He brought a sensitivit y t o th e part . That's a side of me that a lot o f people don' t see, " said Pistone. "It was amazing — a lot of times during the shoot I'd close my eyes and say, 'Christ, that's me talking!' It was eerie. The kid's a good actor. He doesn't see m to put much effor t i n it, he just does it." In wha t i s probably hi s stranges t attemp t a t commercia l success , Johnny Depp made his least interesting and least satisfying movie so far, Th e Astronaut's Wife. Eve n though Depp kept his chin up before , during, and after the movie, it was clear that he did it almost entirel y for th e money . He'd foun d himself in something o f a hole afte r th e

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enormous financia l drain o f Th e Brave, and Th e Astronaut's Wife presented a great opportunity to make some money. The fil m ha s a n interestin g premise , bu t unfortunatel y i t jus t never gel s int o anythin g ver y scar y o r interesting . Writte n an d directed b y Rand Ravich , i t i s about a n astronau t name d Spencer Armacost (Johnn y Depp ) an d hi s partne r Ale x Strec k (Nic k Cassavetes) who are on a space shuttle mission. They are walking in space to repair a satellite when they are overwhelmed by some kind of weird energy that knocks them both out, putting them completel y out o f contact with Earth for two solid minutes. They make it home safely but are badly shaken up, unable to answer any questions about what happened to them during those missing minutes. Not lon g afte r hi s return , Spencer' s schoolteache r wife , Jil l (Charlize Theron), starts having strange dreams and thinking weird thoughts abou t he r husban d — tha t h e isn' t th e sam e perso n anymore, for instance. Her fear s multipl y whe n both Alex and hi s wife suffe r untimel y deaths within day s of one another. Spencer abruptly resigns from NAS A and takes a high-paying job with a n aerospac e fir m i n Ne w York City , a plac e h e ha s alway s claimed to profoundly hate. Shortly after th e Armacosts move into a ridiculousl y large apartment i n Ne w York, Jill learns tha t sh e is pregnant wit h twins . He r sens e of unease keeps growing, and sh e starts feeling like there is something wrong with the babies growing inside her. An ex-NAS A ma n name d Sherma n Rees e (Jo e Morton) know s that something terrible happened in space and that the space agency is covering it up. He approaches Jill to get her to side with him. Reese is an interesting character, but th e fact that he never really discloses anything o r answer s any of the question s th e movi e raise s is frus trating. Th e inciden t i n spac e i s onl y eve r referre d t o a s "wha t happened up there" — we never find ou t what that was.

Antl-Hero Such movie s tr y t o ge t b y unde r th e "psychologica l thriller " moniker, but the y only work when they get us asking questions an d then giv e us answers that we weren't expecting. The central questio n in Th e Astronaut's Wife ha s to d o with ho w well spouses really know each other. As a filmmaker, if you can take the paranoia everyone has felt abou t a spouse an d amplif y it int o dark , gut-wrenchin g terror , then you have a great psychological thriller. Bu t Th e Astronaut's Wife doesn't d o that; i t set s up a scenario tha t make s us wonder what is going on without ever giving us any real answers or a satisfying payoff . Writer-director Ran d Ravich said , "In Th e Astronaut's Wife, w e witness th e unsettlin g terro r o f a woma n wh o sense s somethin g unnatural is taking ove r her lif e and her pregnancy — and the on e person sh e loves is at the center of it. ... I wanted to write a story that woul d carr y th e audienc e alon g o n a n impendin g sens e o f doom." Ravich managed that part, but because the characters are flat we don't really care what happens to them . There ar e severa l re d herring s too , includin g on e tha t ha s Jil l admitting t o a doctor tha t in the past she had a rather serious bout with mental illness and would probably not have gotten through i t without he r husband' s help . Instea d o f makin g th e stor y mor e complex, this stuff just confuses th e issue. Producer Andre w Laza r romanticize d thi s horror-movi e plo t even further : " I immediatel y sa w this a s a stor y tha t revive s th e intense, sophisticated psychological horror movie. I think what really sets us apart is that it' s no t just a very scary movie; it's a tragic and passionate lov e stor y abou t a romanc e that goe s terribly wrong , a romance that becomes something terrifying, evoking our most basic and primal fears. " Lazar explained that he was drawn to this project because "the story keeps you guessing as to who the people really are, what i s real , an d wha t i s not . Yo u cannot b e sur e i f Jil l i s going through he r ow n interna l nightmar e o r somethin g fa r more mali -

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clous. Up until the last moment, you are caught up in her desperate anxiety, until the truth i s revealed." Now, that sound s good, but it' s just another example of how movie producers tend to underestimate audience sensibilities. If you go to the trouble of setting up this eerie story, and it ends up that nothing happened in space, that Armacost is a goo d gu y afte r all , an d tha t everythin g wa s i n th e pregnan t woman's head , ho w much fu n would th e movi e be to si t through? There has to be something sinister at work or it isn't a horror movie. Depp was offered thi s movie for the right reasons — whether he accepted it for the right reasons is entirely his business. Ravich said, "Johnny Depp is, in my mind, the best actor of his generation. I felt that h e would brin g th e necessar y element t o th e rol e o f Spencer Armacost: truth. " Executiv e produce r Mar k Johnso n wen t eve n further wit h hi s praise for Depp : "Depp's classi c rugged American good looks combined with a sense of mystery going on behind th e eyes works incredibly well for his character. He brings that quality of underlying dange r t o Spencer , th e sens e o f unpredictability , th e feeling o f never really knowing who this man i s and wha t his true intentions are. " Producer Lazar elaborated : "Depp ca n be both th e consummate gentlema n an d the mos t siniste r sourc e of evil at the same time." I spok e to Charliz e Theron abou t th e movie durin g a visit she made t o Toronto. Sh e has a chameleon-like appearance; her shor t blonde loo k i n Th e Astronaut's Wife ha d bee n transforme d into a stunning, glamorous '405 movie star look, for her role in The Legend of Bagger Vance. When th e subjec t o f Johnn y Dep p cam e up, sh e grinned and spoke very highly of him. "He is a really gorgeous man," she said , "bu t h e i s als o a wonderful , instinctiv e actor . I love d watching him work , watching him layerin g on the complexitie s o f his character." What she liked most about the movie, she added, was "the ide a that a great horror movie, or a great horror nove l for that

Aiiti-Hero matter, works a lot better when it taps into normal everyday fears as well as the huge unimaginable ones. " Theron doe s respectably well in the rol e of the terrorize d wife ; she mainly has to frown an d look scared throughout th e film. As for Depp, he seems to just walk through this one. He's not really believable as an astronaut, an d onc e he is no longer an astronaut he only pops u p no w an d agai n a s the fil m become s more abou t hi s wif e looking scared. Depp alway s chooses hi s jobs base d o n th e scripts , the storie s being told, the characters he'll play, and the people he'll be working with. He has said that he decided to play Spencer Armacost because he liked the perversity of the character. "It was fun to play a redneck, an ail-American gone wrong," said Depp. "What intereste d me was not th e ide a of some kind of being possibly inhabiting his body. It was that whatever happened in space just allowed him to reveal who he really is. He's got this imag e of being a n all-American gu y with bleached white teeth and sun-kissed hair, but he' s an awful person. " When asked what he thinks the movie is about, Depp said, "I'm not s o good at talking about m y own movies. Go see it; it's worth while, and I don't say this out of promotional considerations . Okay , it's a thriller in layers. I play an astronaut, my wife is a schoolteacher who notices something weird about her husban d afte r a mishap in space . .. what the hell, just go see it." The Astronaut's Wife wa s shot i n Lo s Angeles and Ne w York by cinematographer Allen Daviau. Daviau has been nominated fo r five Oscars an d ha s sho t suc h wonderful-lookin g film s a s Th e Color Purple, E.T. th e Extraterrestrial, Empire o f th e Sun, Avalon, an d Bugsy. He's also part of an interesting footnote to movie history; in 1968, he sho t a n experimenta l shor t fil m calle d Amblin fo r a kid named Spielberg . When Universal Pictures boss Sid Sheinberg saw the film, he immediately offered youn g Steven Spielberg a directing

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contract — he was so impressed with th e loo k o f the fil m tha t he offered Alle n Daviau a contract too. Daviau deserves praise for his work o n Th e Astronaut's Wife; h e give s it a wonderfully lush loo k that create s a creepy , unsettled atmosphere . It' s jus t to o ba d th e story can't sustain it. The Astronaut's Wife wasn' t release d i n theater s unti l Augus t 1999. I t took a critical drubbing, comin g an d goin g without bein g noticed a t all by audiences. By this time, the relationship betwee n Johnny Depp and Kat e Moss was over. The breakup was, of course, subject to countles s rumors. One claimed that he'd moved into her New York apartment to make a seriou s commitmen t an d tha t the y couldn' t ge t along . Another rumor held that Kate had called off the romance but publicly stated that she wanted to continue seein g Depp off and on — an arrangement tha t didn't interest him . Someone close to Moss said that th e two had called it off because they were having too many fights. And "official spokespersons" continued to deny that anything was wrong. In the end, the relationship was over, and Depp later shouldered the blame. "We would still be together if I had not behaved like such an idiot, " h e onc e admitted . "Sh e wa s th e bes t thin g tha t eve r happened t o me , but I blew it because I was too mood y an d to o miserable t o b e around . I hate d myself , an d sh e couldn' t tak e i t anymore. I don't blame her on e bit. I would giv e anything to have Kate back in my life. I don't blame her one bit." The next couple of years would bring many ups and downs for Depp. He'd mak e a movie that would lead him dow n a weird and twisted path , takin g hi m deepe r inside a character tha n he' d eve r gone before. Once it was over, he'd head to Europe, where his life, as he describes it, would start .

Chapter Twelve

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro

". . . just another freak in the Freak Kingdom." Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Perhaps th e mos t extrem e piec e o f wor k Johnny Dep p ha s don e i s th e 199 8 Terry Gilliarn film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the landmark book by journalistprovocateur Hunte r S . Thompson, Docto r of Gonzo Journalism. Although the movie tells a largely true story, it was written as a novel to avoi d possibl e criminal prosecu tion. It first appeared in 1971 in serial form Johnny Depp on the road with in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, and Dr. Hunter S. Thompson it ha s bee n require d readin g fo r hipster s ROSE HARTMAN/GLOBE PHOTOS ever since . Therein lie s the basi c proble m with tryin g t o tur n thi s boo k int o a popular fil m — i t is simply to o wel l known. I n fact , the nove l ha s been elevated to cult status; it has become the definitive combat-zone documentary of the dying days of drug culture. 175

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The book originally began as a 250-word job captioning photo s of a deser t motorcycl e rac e fo r Sports Illustrated. Thompson, however, had somethin g els e in mind . He decide d t o tak e a thick notebook an d just fill it with note s about hi s road trip to Las Vegas — and just publish it as it was. "That way," he explains in the book's jacket copy, "I felt th e eye and the min d o f the journalist woul d be functioning a s a camera. The writing would be selective and necessarily interpretiv e — bu t onc e th e imag e wa s written, th e word s would be final." In th e novel , a journalist name d Raou l Duk e ( a thinl y veile d Thompson) i s on assignment for Rolling Stone; he is supposed to go to La s Vegas t o cove r a motorcycl e rac e acros s th e desert . While having drinks at a Beverly Hills hotel with his lawyer, Oscar Acosta, they decide to make the weekend more fun by loading up thei r car with booze and dope before heading to Las Vegas. Duke is also asked to cove r a Las Vegas convention o f American district attorneys . But the weekend turns into a drug-hazed freakout, a kind of wake for that strong, glorious , an d confuse d time know n a s the '6os . The boo k ends with Duk e heading back to Beverly Hills afte r "layin g a savage burn" on Las Vegas — "just another freak in the Freak Kingdom." There was interest fro m th e star t i n makin g a film fro m Fear and Loathing i n La s Vegas, bu t n o on e ha d bee n abl e t o d o so . Jac k Nicholson showe d earl y interes t i n th e book , a s di d esteeme d novelist Larr y McMurtry attempted t o write a screenplay. Nothing came of either man's interest . Then, i n 1980 , a curious movi e calle d Where th e Buffalo Roam was released by Universal Pictures. The movie wasn't based specifically on Fear an d Loathing in Las Vegas, but i t wa s about th e wil d exploits o f Dr. Hunter S . Thompson an d hi s lawyer. The poster for the movi e rea d "Base d o n th e twiste d legen d o f Dr . Hunte r S .

the iolog iils Weird, file Weird Turn Pro Thompson." Saturday Night Live comi c acto r Bil l Murra y played Raoul Duke (Thompson) , and Pete r Boyle was Acosta, the lawyer . Murray, a fine actor when he is allowed to play to his strengths, had had som e success with low-budget comedies suc h as Meatballs an d Stripes, and he was ready to try to stretch his career out a bit. As for whether h e di d a credibl e jo b a s Thompson , th e wor d fro m Thompson himself is that "I'm still friends with Bill Murray." In th e end , however, the movi e wa s eccentric and pointless . I t bombed, making the idea of a movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — which would probably be only a variation on what was done with Where th e Buffalo Roam — considerably less appealing. Another 15 years would go by before the idea of filming this book — still popular enough to be repeatedly reprinted — surfaced once again. I n 1992 , young producer s Stephe n Nemet h an d Harol d Bronson teame d u p t o star t a productio n compan y calle d Rhin o Films. They wanted Fear an d Loathing in La s Vegas t o b e th e firs t movie produced under their banner. Nemeth and Bronson talked to a young director name d Jef f Stei n who ha d n o feature-fil m experi ence but ha d directe d a numbe r o f award-winnin g musi c videos ; they also considered a Cuban filmmaker named Leon Ichaso (Sugar HUT). Bu t when they were asked whom they'd most like to direct the movie, they said British director Alex Cox. Cox is no stranger to cult status, having made Repo Man, starring Emilio Estevez , an d th e brillian t Si d and Nancy, abou t th e lat e Sid Vicious ( a movie that introduce d t o th e worl d a truly grea t actor , Gary Oldman) , on e o f th e bes t film s release d in 1986 . My favorit e among th e film s directe d by Co x is a little-seen 198 8 gem with E d Harris called Walker. This bizarre film is based on the true story of a man name d William Walker who walked into Nicaragua in 1855 with a band of mercenaries and declared himself president of the country. Unfortunately, althoug h Harri s delivere d on e o f hi s bes t scree n

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performances, only about two dozen people have ever seen the film. Cox and his writing partner, Ted Davies, were very interested, but they weren't about to start work until the situation was more certain. Two solid years of negotiations with Hunter S . Thompson followed; he finally granted Nemeth and Bronson the proper rights in 1994. The film appeared to be set to go, and it was given a $5-million budget. Given the imagination and ingenuity that go into Cox's films, it was hardly a stretch to imagine that Cox could pull off a film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Bu t there was a stumbling block — Thompson. It wa s o n 1 2 January 1997 that th e weirdnes s really got rolling . Cox and Davies went to Owl Farm, Thompson's house, for their first meeting wit h th e eccentri c writer . Thompso n wa s read y fo r th e event. He had th e footbal l game on an d was cooking up a batch of his favorite sausages. To make sure that Cox and Davies knew which house was his, Thompson place d a blow-up se x doll covered with fake blood in his front yard. Cox and Davies arrived with an attitude. "It didn't go very well," Depp reported. "I think it could have gotten much uglier than it did. As far as I understand it, Alex and Tod went up to Woody Creek, and, like a person could easily do when you spend time with Hunter and you know his day-to-day routine and intake, a person could think he is a madman and try to overtake him i n a condescending way. They were very precious abou t thei r script , whereas Hunter ha s written one of the greates t pieces of 20th-century literature — I would say that that is something to be precious about, not a screenplay." When Thompso n wa s asked abou t th e meeting , he responde d with wonder . H e firs t commente d o n th e blood y blow-u p doll: "I keep al l thes e thing s aroun d — good-humored. " Furthermore , Thompson believe d they didn't appreciat e his efforts a t hospitality: "I cooked my special sausage, and th e ball game was on. And, Jesus

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Torn Pro Christ, i t was the classi c example of how not t o work , as a director, with writers," he said. "First,... [Cox] hated football — he refused to watch football. And then I cooked real good sausages, which I prize, and h e disdaine d tha t — vegetarian. Here in m y house come s thi s adder, this asp. And he persisted to soil the best parts of the book. It's just a miracle I didn't fucking sta b him with a fork." The version o f this stor y told by Alex Cox and To d Davies has a considerably differen t slant . Co x remember s bein g summone d t o Thompson's hous e for a meeting at 2 AM on the night the pair arrived in Colorado. Cox refused, saying he wanted some sleep and preferred to begi n wor k fres h th e nex t morning . Thi s ticke d Thompso n off, because he, according to Cox, "isn't used to getting anything but his own way." When they arrived at the house the next day, they found a videographer following Thompson around , taping everything he said and did. "Whe n the y [Thompso n an d th e videographer ] weren' t watching football, they would put on videotapes of dinners that had been hel d i n th e pas t t o hono r Thompson . I t wa s really a deepl y pathetic scene," recalled Cox. He observed that, whenever Thompso n coughed, he'd insist that the videographer turn off the camera so that Thompson wouldn' t appea r weak on the tape. "And his head is just one big bucket of alcohol," sai d Cox. "From abou t 10 in the mornin g on, he had a giant beaker of ice and chea p liquor. Then he would go off i n hi s ca r an d com e bac k claimin g tha t h e ha d drive n ove r a hundred mile s per hour. All we would say was, 'I bet that was fun for you.' It wa s as if he was desperat e to impres s us . Bu t what i s really worrying i s that he was suffering. H e was in a really bad way. Even though he has all these pilgrims and admirers going over to tell him how great he is, the guy needed to check in to a hospital. He's an alcoholic, an d h e need s t o ge t better. It's to o ba d becaus e he i s a great writer, and the worst thing for a writer is to not write. "

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When i t cam e tim e t o discus s thei r script , Co x an d Davie s reported, Thompson wa s hostile, threatening to veto it — althoug h he had not even read it. "He kept sitting there all morning trying to read th e firs t thre e pages, " said Davies . "He'd the n ge t up an d ge t another drink and say, 'Let's do some acid.'" At this point , th e fil m right s t o Fear an d Loathing in Las Vegas were hel d b y Rhin o Films . Everything was developin g slowl y bu t surely, in spite of the obstinate relationship between Thompson an d the filmmakers. Then Universal Pictures stepped in and made a deal with Rhin o to bolster th e financin g and distribut e th e fil m world wide. The movi e no w had a budget o f abou t $1 7 million an d wa s starting to look like a studio movie . Alex Co x wa s growin g mor e an d mor e unhapp y abou t ho w things were shaping up with this movie, which he'd originall y envisioned as a tight little film that would reflect the wildly independent nature o f the book. He was also resentful o f the way Rhino Films, a company run b y neophytes, was handling the developmen t o f the movie. The newcomers had brought Cox into the project, but it was Cox and his partner who'd gotte n the script together and attracte d the top-notch cas t (Depp was keen, and actor Benecio Del Toro was committed to playing Acosta, Thompson's lawyer and sidekick). Cox and Davie s were dismayed to se e the two young hucksters take this attractively developed film property — their hard work — and shop it around to the studio s for as much money as they could get. Cox and Davie s decided t o wal k away before th e projec t turned int o a big-budget, commercially driven movie . Soon Nemeth and Bronson were racing against the calendar. The pair would lose the film rights if they weren't shootin g by January 1997; i n Octobe r 1996 , they ha d n o scrip t an d n o directo r firml y attached to the project. The cast was more certain. Keanu Reeves had been considered as

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro a possible Raoul Duke, but the producers knew they couldn't affor d him. John Cusack was then approached; he is a fine young actor, and he'd directed a stage version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for his theater compan y in Chicago . The producers also loved the choices that Johnny Depp had been making with his career, so they decided to offer th e role to him and see what happened. But, being inexperienced producers, they made the mistake of offering i t to both Depp and Cusac k a t th e sam e time . Cusack' s schedule , however , was booked solid, and the role went to Depp — who'd been Thompson's choice in the firs t place. When Dep p wa s approached abou t th e project , it wasn' t hi s first encounter wit h Thompson . Th e first-eve r meetin g betwee n Thompson an d Dep p was , a s on e migh t expect , strange . "At the time, I would have done just about anything to be in a film version of Fear an d Loathing in Las Vegas — I loved the boo k that much, " said Depp. "But that first meeting had nothing to do with the film at all." In fact, their initial meeting took place in Aspen, Colorado, of all places, during the Christma s holiday of 1995. Depp and Kat e Moss had heade d out o f L.A. in search of snow. "We were with a friend of ours in the Woody Creek Tavern, and another guy nearby says, I' just got off the phone with Hunter, and he says he's coming right down,'" recalled Depp. "So I was thinking, 'My God, I'm finally going to meet Hunter S. Thompson, someone I have admired fo r so many years.'" Depp wasn't disappointed. Soon the tavern doors burst open, and in strode th e larger-than-lif e Doctor o f Gonz o Journalism . A s Depp recalled, "He was wearing a hunting jacket, sunglasses, and a hat and was flailing his arm s aroun d constantly . H e had a stun gu n i n hi s right han d an d a three-foot cattle prod that was fully electrifie d in his left hand . He was swinging them aroun d as he talked to people, and the other patrons were scurrying about trying to get out o f his

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way." Thompson mad e his way over to th e tabl e where Depp was sitting. H e joined them . "H e didn' t za p m e wit h th e cattl e prod , thankfully. But we did explode a can of mace all over the tavern wall. We then headed back to his house, where we built a bomb, and I shot at it with a 12-gauge shotgun. That was within the first two hours of knowing him." Next, Thompson accepted an invitation fro m Depp to appear on stage a t th e Vipe r Roo m o n 2 9 September 199 6 fo r a n evenin g of oration wit h th e Sunse t Boulevar d crowd . Th e smal l clu b wa s packed t o th e rafter s a s Dep p too k t o th e stag e t o introduc e Thompson; h e staye d o n a s a hos t an d moderator . Thompso n rambled on for hours, and the audience loved every minute of what they were hearing. Thompson the n invite d Dep p t o joi n hi m i n Ne w York fo r a special 25th-anniversary part y fo r th e book ; everyon e fro m To m Wolfe t o Mic k Jagger was there. Talk of the movi e buzzed through the party, with the main topic of debate being who should play the lead role . Consensus indicated that th e choices were down to lohn Cusack, Mat t Dillon , an d Johnn y Depp , bu t Thompson , wh o believed he had a greater measure of control over the choice than he actually had , ha d alread y decided . Thompso n said , " I tol d hi m [Depp], 'Don' t worry , son , I'l l mak e yo u a Kentuck y color'" — which, in the language of Hunter S . Thompson, means "You've got the part." Getting to know Thompson made Depp even more enthusiastic to pla y him on-screen . At the time , Thompso n wa s only slightl y aware of Depp's work: "I saw part o f Cry-Baby; I didn't see all of it because 1 was doing acid, and the whole thing was incredibly long." Yet he wanted Depp to play him on-scree n because he felt a freakish kinship wit h him . Dep p ha d th e suppor t o f Thompson , bu t Thompson didn't have the contractual authority to choose the actor

When th e Going Gets Weird, the Weir d Tur n Pr o for th e lead role — although his endorsement certainl y didn't hurt. Depp observed the producers' scrambl e from a distance. The intru sion of commerce into art is his least favorite part of the world that he inhabits. He wa s fairly certai n tha t th e rol e o f Duke was his, so he decided t o ignor e the mes s an d simpl y sta y focused on th e tas k a t hand — becoming Hunter S . Thompson. Dep p and Thompson ha d already started spending time together, so Depp decide d t o sta y the course and hope for the best. "Johnny is a very cool guy, a great actor, and a committed pro," said Cox. "He had wanted to play this character for a long time, so he simply concentrated on that. He did a good job in a movie that should have been so much more than it was." Thompson wasn' t losing any sleep over the departure of Cox and Davies from th e project, and the searc h for a replacement began. It was suggested t o Dep p tha t Terr y Gilliam o f Monty Pytho n fam e might connec t with the material; Depp was very keen to work with him; and Gilliam was quite interested in working with Depp on this project. I t wasn't , o f course , Depp's decisio n t o make , but Johnn y was pretty firmly attached to the project by this time, so his opinion was valued. Befor e Gillia m an d hi s writin g partner, Ton y Grisoni, would g o an y further wit h negotiations , however , they insiste d 011 meeting with Johnny Depp, Del Toro, and Hunter S. Thompson. Gilliam remember s that first meeting wit h Thompson . "I t was very late one night, and I was told tha t Hunte r wa s at the Chatea u Marmont Hote l an d wanted to talk about the project. I wasn't sure if he was actually going to be there because I had heard that he had been arrested the night before for some mischief charge or another, " Gilliam recalled. But Thompson wa s there, and he did want to talk seriously about the movie. "I remember him telling me that the one thing he wanted understood wa s the fact that he was a serious journalist a t th e tim e o f th e writin g o f th e book , an d Acost a wa s a

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serious lawyer; what was written i n the book was a detailing of the happenings of one weekend. Once he saw that I got that, we were all right, and we moved forward." Once Gillia m wa s officially attache d t o th e movie , th e budge t swelled again, and he and Grisoni rewrote the screenplay. Then the shit really hit the arbitration fan of the Writers Guild. After they left, Cox and Davies held no ill will toward the project; in fact , they were very curious as to how Gilliam's interpretation o f the book would differ fro m theirs . Davies said, "Terry Gilliam has a very unique an d individual vision, and we were looking forward to seeing his script, which we thought woul d be very interesting an d completely different fro m our take on it." When they managed to get their hands o n the script, they read it with increasing chagrin. The first 36 pages, according to Davies , were almost exactl y as they had written them. Their original structure had been followed like a road map. Cox and Davies had been particularly proud of the way they'd reconstructed th e endin g o f th e boo k fo r thei r screenplay ; they claimed tha t Gillia m an d Grison i use d the sam e ending they had, even though that ending differs fro m th e one in Thompson's book. "It was so blatant," sai d Davies. "I thought the y had jus t used ou r script t o mak e the producer s angr y for som e reason. Gilliam an d Grisoni must have literally just put our script on a disk, put it in the computer, and typed over it." Cox put th e episode in perspective. "It is because so many directors workin g for th e studio s fee l thei r position s ar e insecure, " he explained. "The directo r i s just a n employe e with n o jo b security . You can't be a maverick when you are directing a movie with Johnny Depp, becaus e h e call s th e shots . I fee l sorr y fo r Terr y Gilliam , because working on a movie lik e this wit h a big studio mus t have been an anxiety-filled occasion. If he puts one foot 'wrong, they will fire him and bring in Peter Medak to finish it up."

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro Gilliam was less philosophical about the situation. When I asked him i f lie and Grison i rewrot e th e Cox-Davie s scrip t fro m scratch , his respons e wa s quic k an d adamant . "No , t o sa y we rewrote th e screenplay is not a n accurate way of describing it. I never even read their fuckin g scrip t i n th e firs t place . When I signe d o n t o d o th e film, I told th e studi o tha t I wanted t o g o through th e boo k wit h Tony Grisoni, an d w e would fashio n a screenplay that we though t would work . I was already familiar with th e book, s o I already had definite ideas of where I wanted to go with it. " Gilliam los t th e Writers Guil d arbitration ; th e committe e rule d that the screenplay credit for the film would go to Alex Cox and Tod Davies. I asked Giliiam how an arbitration committe e coul d rule that he used a large chunk o f the previous screenplay when both set s of writers were using the same source material. O f course, there would be similaritie s — eve n verbatim dialogu e sequence s — sinc e both were usin g Thompson' s words . "Than k you , tha t wa s exactl y m y fucking point, " said Gilliam . The explanatio n o f the Writer s Guil d "was a kind of'rules are rules' bullshit response . I guess because they adapted the book first or something." Gillia m and Grisoni got something o f a last laugh when Applause Books published their Fear and Loathing i n La s Vegas screenpla y an d th e subtitl e rea d "NO T th e screenplay by Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni." Even withou t th e screenpla y fiasco, Gilliam ha d a n interestin g job ahea d o f him . H e wa s taking o n a well-known book , an d h e wasn't the first director chosen for the project. He was also working with a star whom he' d neve r worked wit h before , an d he' d ha d n o say in th e castin g decision . I aske d Gillia m i f he' d though t Dep p could pull this off. "I was completely sure," he said. "I had to be, or I would not have gone forward. He was a part of this before ! was, so it might be better asked of him i f he thought I could pull it off. But I saw how he threw himself int o th e role and int o that weir d plane

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of existenc e tha t Hunte r Thompso n inhabits . I knew that I didn't have to worry about him at all, and I didn't." I wanted to know if Gilliam's ideas about the book and Johnny's take o n Thompso n clashed . " I don' t kno w i t happene d quit e a s starkly a s you r questio n implies, " Gillia m responded . "W e ha d disagreements on certain things; I would have been disappointe d i n him if he hadn't banged heads with me at least a few times — that is how the creative process works. But I found that when these disagreements happene d we both ended up agreeing to each do it the othe r way, and the n we would decid e together wha t way worked the best . He is a great collaborator that way — extremely cooperative." Johnny Depp's perspectiv e on th e developmen t o f the movie was a bit different. Depp agreed to do the movie almost immediately when it was mentioned t o him, even though the project looked a bit shaky at the time. The book is one of his favorites, and he is very intrigued by the er a it so accurately depicts. "I was only eight years old when the book cam e out, s o obviously I didn't read it when it first cam e out, bu t I ca n vividl y remembe r th e time, " sai d Depp . " I ca n remember watchin g Vietna m o n T V as we sa t dow n t o dinner . I remember very vividly watching th e Watergate hearings on T V as a little kid. Those were pretty strong images for me." The other pivota l event o f tha t er a especiall y capture d hi s imagination . " I ca n remember standin g wit h m y next-door neighbo r a s the me n were landing o n th e moon . I t was dark, an d we were looking u p a t th e moon. The guy was saying — and thi s was very heavy for a kid t o hear — 'When the first man step s ont o th e moon , th e moon wil l turn to blood.' That was our neighbor! " When Dep p wa s officiall y offere d th e role , h e immediatel y accepted it. Soon Thompson wa s asking him to accompany him to Louisville, wher e Thompso n wa s goin g to d o a readin g fro m hi s

Mien the Ooitig Gets Weird, the Weird Tiirsi Pro

Promoting Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at Cannes with Benicio Del Toro and Terry Gilliam STEVE FINN/GLOBE PHOTOS

work. I t was originally planne d a s a small even t to hono r a native son, but when Thompson describe d it to Depp in a fax it turned int o "a huge historic event where the mayor will present me with a key to the city onstage at Memorial Auditorium wit h a SRO crowd of 8,000 and flute s playin g an d nymphet s dancin g o n perfec t gold-strun g hearts and teenage winos fighting in the aisle s for autographs. Th e scene is set for a beautiful public drama about Righ t and Wrong and about what happens to the high-life in Bluegrass County when Billy the Kid returns more or less from the dead to settle many old scores. And never mind th e fact tha t he might be certifiably insane ye gods they're giving him the key to the fucking city. " This even t turne d ou t t o b e anothe r piec e in the puzzl e of the character o f Raou l Duk e tha t Dep p wa s assembling. Afte r th e ke y ceremony, Thompso n too k Dep p o n a tou r o f Louisville . Dep p drank i t al l in. "I was so fuckin g excite d t o b e par t o f tha t whol e Louisville extravaganza," he raved. "It was fantastic." From here, Depp went in ful l tilt. He actually asked Thompso n

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if h e coul d mov e int o th e basemen t o f Ow l Farm , Thompson' s home. He'd spen d just over a week there, absorbing every detail of Thompson's life . I t was really important t o Dep p to ge t it perfect . As he explained , "Hunter wa s the deepes t I'v e eve r gotte n int o a character. I lov e an d admir e th e guy . I reall y wante d t o ge t hi m down right. " Once insid e th e house , Dep p becam e a bi t apprehensive ; h e wasn't sur e ho w muc h h e coul d tolerat e o r ho w wel l Thompso n would tolerat e him. "I told Hunte r tha t I intended o n becoming a pain in the ass," Depp said, meaning he'd ask a lot of questions, take notes, and record conversations . He told Thompson tha t he would become like his "parole officer. " Dep p later said , "He neve r kicked me out, which was good." At th e tim e tha t Dep p was living at Ow l Farm, Thompson wa s preparing the firs t volum e o f hi s letter s fo r publicatio n i n a boo k called Th e Proud Highway: Saga o f a Desperate Southern Gentleman 1955-1967 (The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 1). Thompson informed Depp that if he was going to sta y in his house he'd b e put t o work helping to organize and edit the papers. That kin d o f intens e scrutin y can' t b e comfortable , bu t Thompson didn' t mind Dep p playing Body Snatcher. "I was aware of what he was doing," Thompson said. "If I hadn't liked him...." In other words , ha d Dep p been a "waterhead," as Thompson like s to describe a person he doesn't have time for, he wouldn't hav e put u p with the suffocating attentio n for a minute. Of hi s livin g quarter s a t Ow l Farm , Dep p said , "I calle d it th e dungeon. It was this little room with these makeshift bookshelves and a lot of spiders, and a small little sof a thing that folds out into a bed, and thi s enormous ke g of gunpowder which he let me know about only after I had been smoking in bed next to it for about five days." Becoming this character would involve more pure research than

When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro Depp had eve r done before for a movie. He was thrilled to discover that Thompso n ha d kep t al l the materia l he' d use d in writing th e book — including the original notebooks, the clothes he'd worn, the car he'd driven, and even the souvenirs he'd taken from La s Vegas. Depp used his time with Thompson to absorb the rhythm of his life. "A normal day with Hunter has him getting up at about eight or nine a t night , watchin g ESPN , watching sports , o r watchin g CNN, " explained Depp . "Debora h Fulle r [Thompson' s truste d assistant ] would coo k breakfas t an d giv e u s vitamin s — she' s a saint . No t much dialogue for the firs t hour o r so while he wakes up. And then we would si t aroun d an d tal k fo r hour s an d hours , an d the n we might drive into a nearby town and have a drink or two, then come back and talk and talk until about three or four in the afternoon." Depp wa s tryin g t o stud y Thompso n b y osmosis . Johnn y explained that he spent a lot o f time "watching the way he thinks ; you ca n actuall y see the wheel s turning an d se e the idea s coming. That wa s really the ke y for m e becaus e he i s thinking constantly , there are no lulls, and he is very quick-witted." One thing that Depp decided to do — which took considerable humility — was to read pieces of Thompson's own writing in fron t of Thompso n an d le t hi m critiqu e th e performance . This i s ho w Depp manage d to captur e Thompson's od d half-mumbl e aroun d his cigarette holder. One day , while rooting aroun d i n boxes of papers in th e basement, Dep p struc k gold . He cam e acros s three carton s tha t wer e marked "1971 — The Vegas Book." As he sat in Thompson's kitche n going through th e papers an d souvenirs , he came across the spira l notebooks that contained the original notes for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Depp devoured the pages. "It's al l true, and there's more," he marveled. "There is much more . The notebooks and th e actual manuscript, it's more insane than the published book."

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Depp got his own notebooks an d copied out Thompson's notes . He dug out the clothes that Hunter had worn during that trip in 1971 and started wearing them — even though they probably hadn't been washed since then. And to cap off his transformation into Thompson, Depp borrowed, wit h Hunter' s blessing , the Re d Shark, the bi g red Chevrolet convertible that is such an integral part of the story. Depp drove the beast fro m Colorad o t o Los Angeles; he left th e Owl Farm at 3 AM on a freezin g mornin g i n a convertibl e with th e to p stuc k open. Dep p eve n listened t o th e sam e musi c tha t Thompso n an d Acosta ha d listene d t o o n thei r epi c journey across the desert . The excursion succeeded in putting the final pieces of the puzzle together for th e acto r — whe n h e finall y arrive d i n Lo s Angeles, Depp was Raoul Duke. He had dinne r with a flabbergasted Terry Gilliam, who noted, "He was wearing Thompson's clothes , and he was speaking like Thompson speaks . It was very strange and exciting at the same time." Depp woul d visi t Thompso n onc e mor e befor e th e fil m wen t into production. This time he arrived with his head shaved to match Thompson's bal d pate . Thi s bot h impresse d and , accordin g t o Rolling Stone writer Chri s Heath, "freaked Thompso n ou t a little." Depp was wearing a hat, and Thompson initiall y asked him not t o remove it . H e soo n relente d becaus e his curiosit y got th e bes t o f him. Thompson inspected Depp' s bald head, and then both decided that th e hairstylis t in Lo s Angeles hadn't shave d it closel y enough. Hunter said , "I ca n fi x this," getting a can o f shavin g foam an d a couple o f blu e plasti c disposabl e razors . H e quickl y go t dow n t o business. "I trusted him completely," recalled Depp. "I really did. He was very gentle. No cuts. No weirdness. He wore a mining light so he could see. He's prepared for fucking everything. " As an aside, Depp told a funny stor y about being bald to inter viewer Chiara Mastroianni in their TV interview in November 1998. Depp and Chiara sat cross-legged on the floor in what looked like a

When the ioing Oefi Weiril, the Weird Turn Pro comfortable sittin g roo m a s Depp smoke d an d the y bot h sippe d wine — this was in France. "I got an offer to do a shampoo commer cial during th e shootin g o f Fear an d Loathing" Depp said . "I can' t remember where it was from, but i t was for a lot of money. My agent calls rn e an d says , 'Listen,' and sh e tells me abou t thi s commercia l offer fo r a ton of money that will only be shown in the one European country. I kept telling her, Tracey, I'm bald. Listen to me, I'm baldl"' Depp's research was thorough, but i t was hardly difficult. I n fact , half o f i t wa s pure pleasure , especially since Dep p an d Thompso n clicked. When aske d if he see s any similarities between himself an d the good doctor, Depp replied, "Actually, I do. We sort of connect on many levels. But the initia l bonding wa s in the ide a that h e i s fro m Louisville, Kentucky, and I was from Owensboro , Kentucky. So there was that initial connection ; ther e i s a kind o f innate understandin g between Kentuckians — we are from the dark and bloody ground, as they say." They continued t o correspond afte r Depp' s visit, and the y created a flurry of letters by fax that was quite funny o n both sides. Depp did some costume tests for the film and faxe d th e images to Thompson for his opinion. Thompson faxe d back a tirade against the look the movie Raoul Duke was assuming: "Clothes all wrong — ugly, screwy, flashy." About the body language that Depp had chosen, he wrote, "Jesus! The stance is too exaggerated. " Thompson finishe d off hi s fa x by describin g how thei r correspondenc e would unfold. "Any formal, polite correspondenc e woul d b e false . It' s in keepin g with th e natur e o f the rapport we'v e founded. A little beating here and ther e i s goo d fo r you. " Depp , t o hi s credit , di d no t le t Thompson's mad-hatte r person a intimidat e him . He fire d back , "Doctor, Too late ... fuck you! The Colonel." Thompson responded , "Okay, Go ahead and make an ass of me on the screen — your turn will come + history will not absolv e you. Beware." Depp's carefull y worded answer was meant to be only partly humorous.

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Hunter, Please know that I am not, i n any way, i) trying t o make an ass of you on film, 2) turn yo u into som e over-thetop caricature , 3 ) fuc k yo u ove r i n som e cartoon y kind o f way, 4) treat this material like an episod e of Th e Red Skelton Show, 5) disappoint you , o r anythin g clos e to an y of thos e things. I am doing the best to combine piece s of you (the you of toda y tha t I hav e gotte n t o know) , the yo u tha t I have studied fro m som e olde r vide o material , an d th e characte r from the book, Raoul Duke. We are at the beginning of a hideous ride, and things are starting to take shape, only starting! S o don't freak out. Give it, and me, a chance. The wardrobe is not where it needs to be yet, and I want your help with it. Fuckin' A! Understand tha t I am not a scumbag and that all I want out of this thing is for you to be proud o f my work, and the film. Nobody's getting fucking ric h here, believe me. I am an actor and can only do what I can do. I am NOT an d CANNO T be you. But I can come pretty fucking close , and will. This is my work!!! If you remember bac k abou t a year o r s o ago , I aske d you i f you were sure that I should be the acto r to pla y you in the film . Your reply was "yes." Well, it was at that point that I told you that i f I was able to d o i t properly, and d o eve n a remotely good job o r accurat e portrayal , that yo u would mos t likel y hate m e for the res t o f your life . Tha t i s the ris k that I ru n here, and oka y fine, I'll dea l with that. Bu t don't eve r thin k that you can throw a bunch o f shit at me and expect that I'l l eat it . You've got the wron g boy in tha t case . I respect an d admire yo u greatl y an d hol d ou r friendshi p i n ver y hig h regard, bu t don' t trea t m e a s i f I wer e a weake r animal , because I will surprise you. Your work i s yours. My work is

Mien fiie Going Gets Weird, the Heirii Tin-n Pro mine. We need to remember that. Call or write or not. Yours in love and war, The Colonel . To thi s word y statement , Thompso n fire d bac k onl y a shor t reply: "Chee r up . I wa s just answerin g you r question s abou t th e wardrobe. Yr. real fears are still to come." It went unsigned. I first saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas i n a screening room on th e Universal Picture s lo t severa l week s befor e it s release . Th e movi e starts wit h a black scree n an d Johnn y Depp' s voice-ove r quotin g Thompson: "W e were somewhere aroun d Barsto w o n th e edg e of the deser t whe n the drug s began to tak e hold." I was immediatel y encouraged, hopeful tha t Gilliam and Grison i had crafte d a starkly literal translatio n o f th e book , lik e Joh n Husto n di d whe n h e adapted Th e Maltese Falcon. Since i t i s all there i n th e book , wh y change anything? Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was that — almost . I spent the next couple of days after seein g the fil m talking with Depp, Gilliam, and Beneci o Del Toro about th e film. Depp arrived for our interview wearing a nice brown suit with a n open shirt; he' d already taken on most of the physical characteristics he would need for hi s next role, Dean Corso in Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate. I asked him about his concern for Thompson's opinio n o f the film. "I wanted him to be proud of it in a strange way," said Depp. "I wanted him t o fee l that his work was properly represented by us." Thompson's approval , however, couldn't hav e been a consideration o n a daily basis when they were making the film. "That woul d have driven m e ou t o f my fucking mind . I had t o make sure of all that stuff before we started so I was sure that we were paying Hunter and hi s work th e prope r respect . This i s a great piece of literatur e after all ; we weren't makin g a movie based on a novel by some kid that the producers bought in galley form before anyon e had read it.

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That really goes for all the work I do. I keep the audience out of the equation. I' m thinkin g abou t tha t momen t an d gettin g tha t littl e piece of work done properly." Depp isn't entirely sure how Thompson reacted to the film in the end. "I think h e has seen it, I know he has seen at least part o f it, " Depp said. "He must think it is all right because he told me earlier on that if he didn't he would come after me . I think he called me a 'fucking little hillbilly' or something right afte r that. " Depp very much wanted to please Thompson. "He had the most beautiful line [i n the book]," said Depp. "It was 'It's an eerie trumpet call over a lost battlefield.' Which I thought wa s just s o beautiful." Depp wanted to do justice to his words — and he did. I als o talke d wit h Dep p abou t th e proces s o f translatin g a n abstract book into a film; when you are reading a book, your min d can creat e an y image s yo u choos e t o hel p yo u interpre t wha t i s happening on the page, but when you present that abstract material on film you are reducing it to the specific images of the director an d the actors . "It certainl y is, a s you say , completely abstract, " Dep p agreed, "not onl y visually but verball y a s well. From m y point o f view, I have to rel y on my director to keep me on track. Again, we were trying to make the movie as the best version we could make of Hunter's book. " I speculate d tha t tha t woul d b e tough give n th e collaborative natur e o f filmmaking , that ther e mus t b e numerou s interpretations swirlin g around. "Not several, " he explained. "A few, but tha t stuf f i s all sorted out in the script development stage." I aske d Dep p abou t hi s workin g relationshi p wit h Gilliam . " I connected with Terry Gilliam right away," he answered. "I am hoping to actually work with him again sooner rather than later on a project called The Man Wh o Killed Don Quixote [that film went into production in October 2000 , but shootin g was suspended when one of the lead actors, Frenchman Jean Rochefort, badly injured his back halfway

When the ioiog Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro through shooting] . Terry has a real sense of uniqueness and a great sense of noncompromise in a place that specializes in the opposite of both those things. If a studio guy doesn't like his vision or his take on something, h e simpl y say s 'Fuc k 'em ' an d goe s ou t an d raise s the money for his films for himself. I have enormous respect for that way of doing things; I wish there was a lot more of it out there. " I wondered i f Depp was familiar with Gilliam' s work before this film. He was . "Well, I ha d me t hi m a coupl e o f time s a couple of years before w e worked together, and, yes, I was very familiar with Ms work — I just loved the T V stuff h e di d with Monty Python — and hi s earl y films fucking kille d me . I remember laughin g all the way through Monty Python an d th e Holy Grail an d the n seein g it years later and laughing just as hard even though I knew where each laugh was coming." I told Depp that I knew he loved Thompson's boo k and had read it a number o f times, so I asked him what it was about the book that he loved,"! actually love just about everything Hunter has written," Depp said . "His stuf f reall y makes me laug h ou t lou d whe n I ar n reading him. There is only one other writer I've read that can do that — Terry Southern. [Fear an d Loathing in Las Vegas] . . . fascinated me because it was like reading a firsthand account of a time an d a n attitude tha t simply doesn't exis t anymore." Dep p will have anothe r chance to film his hero's words; he will produce and star in an adaptation o f Thompson's "long-los t novel," The Rum Diary. I spok e with the brillian t Beneci o Del Toro about working with Depp on the film. Del Toro had t o go through a remarkable trans formation fo r hi s role as Acosta in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; he gained 50 or 60 flabby pounds and grew his hair into a bushy, unruly mop. When I sat down with him, he'd alread y shed the pounds and was somewhat better groomed . "I loved working with Johnny, " said Del Toro. "It is always great to work with another actor who you can

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see putting the same stuff int o a role that you are. He had the head shaved, an d h e di d thi s weir d thing wit h hi s walk . What i s great about working with him als o is the fac t tha t h e respect s everyone around him . He respects his fellow actor s and the director and th e crew guys. He had a great respect for Hunter that was quite tangible on a daily basis." Terry Gilliar n als o ha d goo d thing s t o sa y about Depp , an d talking with hi m wa s a treat. Gilliam has a wide-eyed enthusiasm about everything and an easy, infectious laugh. When I talked with him, he was wearing white linen pants and a blindingly bright flow ered shirt. I asked him about Thompson's relationship t o his movie — did Hunter make suggestions, was he a consultant, was he an onset presence? "Are you kidding? I didn't want him around . Having him aroun d th e se t would hav e meant chao s would hav e been a daily expectation. We couldn't hav e that. I knew how to reach him if I needed his input — that was good enough." As wel l a s havin g t o underg o Writer s Guil d arbitratio n an d losing the writing credit, Gilliam had to figh t a battle even after th e grueling proces s o f shootin g th e film . H e an d hi s editor s cu t together a promotional traile r for use on television and in theaters. Even trailers must be submitted t o the Motion Pictur e Association of America for scrutiny. The MPA A determined that the trailer could not run on television during the evening hours because the association believe d the book to be "pro-drug use." Gilliam was told that he'd have to prove to the association that his film did not reflect th e philosophy o f th e boo k i f th e traile r wa s t o b e allowed . He was stunned. Why would he make a movie that wasn't reflective o f the book that it was based on? And why did he have to prove himself to this army of bureaucrats? He later told talk show host Charlie Rose about the incident: "It worries me because it's that kind o f censorship whic h i s on e o f th e thing s tha t w e use d t o figh t ver y hard

When the 6ol§i g Gets Weird, tlie WIsM Tur n Pr o against. And one feels that creeping back in. I don't know how much it has to d o with th e 'Mouse, ' y'know, owning AB C and thing s lik e that, but it's worrisome." When the movie finally reached the movie screen s of the world in the early summer of 1998, reaction was mixed but generall y negative. It's a savagely funny retelling of the novel, but i t strays from th e intellectual — which the novel ultimately is — and into the surreal and th e gros s fa r to o often . Dep p doe s a fantasti c job, perfectl y capturing Hunte r S . Thompson physically , and he proves without a doubt tha t he was the perfect acto r t o play this part. But the movi e itself became too mixed up in drug and alcohol consumption, hangovers, and weirdness — too much fo r an audience to stomach . You'll have noticed tha t whe n Dep p speak s about Thompso n i t is not merel y a s one frien d talk s about another ; when th e subjec t of Thompson arises , Depp' s voic e take s o n a ton e o f respect , eve n reverence. "He's ver y original, I think he is a genius. I really believe that he is one of the greatest minds o f the 20th century," said Depp. "I pu t hi m righ t u p ther e wit h Jac k Kerouac , Alle n Ginsberg , William Burroughs, al l those guys." Speaking o f Ginsberg , on e o f Depp's nex t project s was to tur n his momentous meetin g with one of his idols into a piece for Rolling Stones 8 July 1999 issue called "The Night I Met Allen Ginsberg." In it, Depp documents the profound impact that Kerouac and the Beat poets ha d o n hi s life . "I had th e hono r o f meetin g an d gettin g t o know Allen Ginsber g fo r a shor t time . Th e initia l meetin g wa s a soundstage in New York City, where we were all doing a bit i n th e film Th e United States of Poetry. I was reading a piece from Kerouac's Mexico City Blues, "the and Chorus," and I was rehearsing it for th e camera, I could see a familiar fac e out of the corner of my eye: 'Fuck me,' I thought, 'that's Ginsberg!' We were introduced and he imme -

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diately launched int o a blistering renditio n o f said chorus, so as how to sho w me the prope r wa y for i t to b e done . 'As Jac k would hav e done it, ' he emphasized . I was looking straigh t dow n th e barrel at one of the most gifte d an d important poet s of the loth century, and with al l the trut h an d gut s I coul d muste r up , I sai d i n response , 'Yeah, but I' m no t readin g it a s him, I' m readin g i t a s me, it's m y interpretation o f th e piece.' " Dep p goe s o n t o describ e ho w h e waited ou t the endless moments i t took Ginsberg to answer him and his deep relief when Ginsber g simply smile d an d nodded i n agreement. At the en d o f the piece , Depp describe s the Beat s as "angels and devil s wh o onc e walke d amon g us , thoug h mayb e just a bi t higher off the ground." I've always held the opinion that comparing Johnny Depp to James Dean or Marlon Brand o isn't entirely accurate — comparin g hi m t o Kerouac , Cassady , an d Ginsber g hit s closer to the mark . When th e troupe heade d to the deser t for the shooting , thing s proceeded i n a wild an d wack y way. It wa s hot an d dust y i n th e desert an d strang e an d colorfu l i n La s Vegas. When aske d fo r hi s impression o f Las Vegas, Johnny Depp said "I actually find Las Vegas very sad. You can see people there wasting their social security, their pensions, inserting their last nickel into a slot machine and sitting at them endlessly. " Depp admitted t o gamblin g i n a casino onl y onc e and that was "just to say that I'v e played against a Vegas dealer." By the tim e Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas reached theaters, Johnny Depp was starting a new life. He was working on a film with Roman Polanski, an d h e wa s finally becoming happ y abou t wh o h e was away fro m th e screen . Dep p wa s in Paris , an d h e wasn' t lookin g back.

Chapter Thirteen

Leawing Home

In 1998 , Johnny Depp headed to Pari s to sta r i n Roman Polanski' s super-natura l thrille r Th e Ninth Gate. Dep p ha d bee n a n admire r o f Polanski's work for some time, so he was eager to be in the film. It was also a chance to ge t out o f Los Angeles and spen d tim e i n Paris . He woul d never look back. For Depp, The Ninth Gate began at the Cannes Film Festiva l i n 1997 . " I me t Roma n a t tha t festival, an d h e tol d m e abou t thi s script h e was writing based o n thi s novel," recalle d Depp . "He asked m e i f he coul d sen d it over to m e to rea d when h e finishe d it. " Depp was a huge Polansk i Outside the Ed Sullivan fan alread y — " I thin k withi n th e firs t thre e Theatre in New York minutes o f watching a Roman Polanski film, you HENRY MCGEE/ GLOBE PHOTOS feel some kind of uneasiness, a sense of instability in th e cente r o f your bod y — h e i s the kin g a t that," said Depp. Of course, he said he'd be delighted to read the script. A few months went b y before th e screenpla y arrived on Depp' s doorstep. Shortly thereafter, Polanski called Depp. "Johnny, what did 189

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you think of the script?" the director asked. "Do you want to do it?" Depp paused for a moment before saying "Yes," and then he headed to France . "Roman was, yeah, instrumental i n this transformation , this chang e i n m y life," Dep p commented . Th e experienc e woul d give hi m ne w maturit y a s an actor ; i t would als o give him a new family and new happiness. Roman Polansk i ha s le d a lif e mor e fascinatin g than an y movi e could ever be. He fled Nazi persecution i n Poland a s a child only to wind up in Los Angeles as a revered Hollywood filmmaker. He made the horror masterpiece Rosemary's Baby and the classic Chinatown, which is often on lists of the top American films of all time. Between these films , Polanski' s wife , actres s Sharo n Tate , wa s brutall y murdered by the Manson "family" on their rampage . Several years later, Polanski wa s charged i n a n inciden t o f sexual activity with a minor in a hot tub in the home of his friend Jac k Nicholson. A trial, a psychiatri c evaluation , an d jai l tim e followed . Durin g a wor k release, Polanski fled the countr y fo r Paris and has lived there ever since. In the ensuing years, he has made some interesting firms, such as Frantic, with Harriso n Ford , an d Death an d th e Maiden, wit h Sigourney Weaver. An d h e almos t mad e a big-budge t fil m calle d Double, with John Travolta. Double collapsed when Travolta backed ou t a t the las t minute , allegedly because the nudity and sex in the film mad e him uncom fortable. This wasn't the first time that he'd backed out of a film for this reason. In 1980 , he was all set to pla y American Gigolo's Julian Kay. Giorgio Armani had outfitte d him , an d the shootin g schedul e had bee n set . Then h e had secon d thought s abou t wha t playin g a male prostitute woul d do to his image and left th e project; Richard Gere stepped in and has had a successful caree r ever since. Messy lawsuit s ar e stil l pendin g involvin g tha t nonexisten t

Leaving Home movie, so Polanski decided to return to th e real m o f the macabre , where he' d alread y ha d grea t succes s — Repulsion, Th e Fearless Vampire Killers, Rosemary's Baby, and Th e Tenant. But it wasn't th e macabre theme that attracted him to Th e Ninth Gate; "This is simply a good, interesting story," he explained. "I liked the novel. I liked the idea of a mystery story set in the world o f books. Simple as that." The Ninth Gate is not th e most exciting movie you'll ever see, but i t does delive r o n it s promise. It' s a creepy, very European, macabr e mystery that is a nice change for movie fans sick of the like s of End of Days and American Pie. The fil m i s base d o n a terrifi c nove l calle d E l club Dumas b y Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte. Polanski is a perfect match for the book; it begins with a line that might have come from on e of his movies: "The flash projected the outline of the hanged man onto the wall." I n fact , when Polansk i firs t rea d th e novel , h e immediatel y thought o f making it into a movie. Perez-Reverte's tale is, he said, "a fun stor y — right up m y alley. Devils and vampires an d suc h make great stories." He also immediately saw Depp as the main character, Dean Corso , a rare-book dealer on th e hunt fo r a book sai d t o b e able to conjure up the devil. "Reading, you imagine the characters in the book as physical beings," said Polanski. "I realized right away that the character was very close to what Johnny looks like: his smile, his charm, an d hi s wickednes s combined. " Polansk i als o appreciate s Depp's talent: "It is rare that you find such a good-looking man with his abilities. " Depp arrived at the set of Th e Ninth Gate filled with enthusias m even though he'd hear d the charges made by departing Double star John Travolt a tha t Polansk i wa s a tyran t an d impossibl e t o wor k with. Travolta claimed that Polansk i was making demands o n hi m that were far in excess of what he was contractually obligate d to do .

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When I asked Depp i f he'd ha d an y apprehensions abou t working with Polansk i afte r hearin g th e stories , h e said , "I ha d hear d tha t Roman could be pretty focused and rigid, but he never actually tried to give me line readings [something that Travolta strongly objected to during the early shooting on Double]. If he had, I'd probably still be i n jail. " Dep p foun d workin g wit h Polansk i mor e challengin g than he'd anticipated. "It was not an easy film to make," noted Depp. "Roman i s pretty set in his ways. There isn't much room for collaboration or discussion. He was definitely a bit too rigid for my liking." That said , Depp enjoye d playin g Dean Corso. "I think Cors o is very passionate about books, but he is also a hard-nosed businessman and a great cynic," said Depp. "I think he is probably a failed writer, so he has great hatred for that thing that he loves in a strange way." Polanski wa s thrilled wit h Depp' s work. "The wa y he played it gave a n unexpecte d colo r t o th e character, " h e said . "I imagine d Corso a bit differently , bu t Johnn y always sounded righ t whe n h e was saying a line. He never sounds phony, there was never a wrong tone i n hi s delivery. " Polanski wa s gratefu l tha t a s soon a s they'd started working, Depp's instincts a s an actor revealed themselves in full force . "Wit h som e actors , yo u hav e t o b e ver y specifi c an d explain ever y detai l t o ge t th e performanc e ou t o f them, " note d Polanski. "With Johnny, there is no need to do that — his approach is completely instinctual. " Depp's performanc e i n Th e Ninth Gate wa s criticall y wel l accepted eve n thoug h th e movi e wasn't . Charle s Taylo r o f Salon remarked tha t "Nothing seem s impossible for Depp as an actor.... [Fjrom ou r firs t glimps e o f him , a s he screw s a greedy , bourgeois couple out of a book collection, Depp is right in tune with Polanski's beat. Depp's performance here is so understated i t is nearly subterranean." Indeed , i n Th e Ninth Gate, Depp give s on e o f hi s mos t controlled performances . Because the movi e hinge s on th e believ-

Leaving Home ability of his performance, it's important that it both stands out fro m and fit s i n with the tone and the theme of the movie . He succeeds, and his acting creates the atmosphere that Polanski wanted. Dean Cors o (Luca s Corso in the novel ) is a well-known merce nary in the world of buying, selling, and tracking down rare books. He is a slightly rumpled character who i s always digging in his wellworn canvas shoulder bag for something. Corso, like Depp, is a chain smoker, and th e characte r is always searching his well-worn clothe s for a cigarette. But he is also charming an d witt y an d wel l spoken, and he knows the book world intimately. When Corso takes notes, he does s o with a Mont Blan c pen. When h e buys a book, he doe s so with a wad of cash from a n envelope he fishes ou t o f his pocket. Corso i s hired b y a mysterious America n businessman name d Boris Balkan ( a character that i s radically changed from th e novel) to hunt down two remaining copies of a book called The Nine Gates of th e Kingdom o f Shadows. Balkan is a scholar of demonolog y an d the devi l —• the key code to his library is 666. He is a dark character, and his true intentions aren' t revealed until the end of the film. He hires Corso because he knows him to be a bit of a buccaneer: "There is nothing more reliable than a man whose loyalty can be bought for hard cash," Balkan tells Corso. As he travels through Europe , Corso manages t o sta y on e ste p ahea d o f a growin g trai l o f peopl e connected t o th e book s wh o ar e turning u p dead . H e the n find s himself in a fight not onl y for his life but als o for his very soul. Polanski was correct when he described th e Dean Corso rol e as the most mature o f Depp's career — "He tried to grow what would be generously called a beard for the role," Polanski noted — in th e sense that this isn't a quirky outsider or a dark and brooding fring e dweller. He plays someone you could be waiting with i n a checkout line an d not loo k at twice. Even though Dep p was moving into his late 30 5 durin g th e makin g o f th e movie , h e retain s hi s boyis h

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appearance, an d h e ha d t o hav e som e o f th e hai r a t hi s temple s colored gra y in a n attemp t to mak e hi m loo k somewha t older . A strong testamen t t o th e effectivenes s o f hi s performanc e i s that , although Corso smokes too much and reaches for the liquor bottl e frequently, althoug h h e will do anything for money and canno t be trusted eve n by those whom he considers friends, he evokes enough sympathy tha t w e hope h e make s i t safel y throug h his ordea l an d ultimately find s what he seeks. Polanski enjoye d workin g with Depp , and th e tw o were ofte n seen ou t fo r drink s o r dinner s eve n whe n the y weren' t working . Polanski commente d o n hi s working relationship wit h hi s star b y saying, "He [Depp ] was very easy to work with onc e he was on th e set. But it was a bit of a struggle getting him out of his trailer. He was quite comfortabl e i n hi s trailer — reading, talking o n th e phone , drinking." The novel, El club Dumas, connects the events surrounding the hunt for the books with the plot of the Alexandre Dumas novel The Three Musketeers. Th e red herring in the nove l concerns som e pages that might be written i n Dumas's own handwriting. While this plot line is a large part of the book, it doesn't make it into the movie; Polanski trimmed th e movi e int o a mor e manageabl e detectiv e story . Likewise, just about every character, with the exception of Corso and the devilish young woman, was extensively rewritten. Terrific American actor Frank Langella adds his strength to Th e Ninth Gate by playing Boris Balkan, the incredibl y rich collector o f books about th e devi l who send s Corso o n his satanic adventures. Langella first gained notice 20 years ago with his Broadway and fil m incarnations o f Dracula, and h e has since played a variety of character role s mad e unforgettabl e by hi s deepl y resonan t voic e an d regal disposition. Langell a has positive memories of the experience

Leeyieig Hom e of making Th e Ninth Gate. "You see Roman Polanski's passion every day on the se t — great, great passion. There isn't a cynical bone in his body when he is making a movie; he is a child still , in the bes t sense of the word. " During a recent conversatio n I had wit h Langella , I aske d hi m about workin g with Depp . Langella was impressed wit h him : "H e [Depp] reall y is a committed, seriou s acto r who ha s been painte d with this brush of celebrity gossip icon. He is so uncomfortable with that aspect of his life that you can see him struggling with it often." If there is a major weakness in the movie , it is supporting acto r Emmanuelle Seigner , who play s th e amorphou s devil . It' s a very interesting an d potentiall y workabl e ide a to cas t a beautiful young woman a s the devi l incarnate, a being who adapt s her appearanc e according to the person she is pursuing. But Seigner isn't much of an actor. She was introduced to American audiences when Polanski cast her opposit e Harriso n For d i n th e big-budge t fil m Frantic, sh e is probably in these movies because she is married to Polanski. In the novel, the young woman is a pretty 19-year-old innocent who slowly seduces Corso, but Seigne r is well into her 305 and doesn't quite pull off tha t innocence in her portrayal . Production o n Th e Ninth Gat e began in Paris in June 1998. Shooting took plac e a t th e Plaz a Athenee Hotel , th e li e St.-Louis , an d th e shores of the Seine. The scenes at the Telfer Chateau were shot at the 19th-century home o f the Rothschil d family . Polansk i also decide d to shoo t scene s i n som e o f th e location s describe d i n th e novel , Sintra i n Portuga l and Toled o i n Spain . The hom e servin g a s th e beaten-up Spanish estate of book collector Vargas is actually a beautiful, well-kept estate made to look decrepit by production designe r Dean Taveularis and art directo r Philipp e Turlure . The early scenes that are supposed to take place in New York, as well as every time the

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New York City skyline appears , ar e really just elaborat e prints an d paintings create d as backdrops in the Studio Epinay in Paris. A large part of the intrigue of the story involves several etchings from these rare devilish editions. Polanski wanted the books and the etchings in the film to look authentic because they are crucial to the movie's abilit y to convinc e audiences . S o he aske d Francesco Sole, who illustrated the French and Spanish editions of El club Dumas, to create woodcuts and etchings. As Polanski said, "The mor e fantasti c a stor y becomes , th e mor e convincin g i t ha s t o b e i n th e telling , which means a more realistic style. It all comes down to creating the right atmosphere. " One thing that makes this a much better movie man it could have been i s the wor k o f Dariu s Khondji , th e directo r o f photography . Khondji worked his magic on Se7en a few years ago and lef t his dark, indelible impression on that film. When he first read the script for The Ninth Gate, he was delighted that Polanski had asked him to be a part of the movie: "I thought o f it as a very modern stor y but a t the same time a very old, classical film about books. I saw Dean Corso as a character wh o coul d b e i n a n ol d Jean-Pierr e Melvill e fil m — uncompromising, wit h col d eyes . He i s very cynical, like the mai n character in Melville's Le SamourdC Khondji go t alon g wel l wit h Polansk i becaus e the y approac h filmmaking i n th e sam e way . Preproduction wa s a whirlwin d o f absorbing inspiration from everything and everywhere. "Roman kept reminding me of Touch o f Evil by Orson Welles. We watched the fil m together, and we both liked its sense of darkness. We decided that that kind of darkness would make up on e side of The Ninth Gate. " Khondji kne w that he ha d t o shoo t Dep p carefull y becaus e he was th e centra l figur e i n th e story . "Johnn y nearl y alway s lent a warm, slightly reddis h glo w — eve n in otherwis e coo l scenes, " he

Leading

explained. "Th e acto r i s also groome d appropriatel y i n a devilis h fashion, sportin g bot h a n earrin g an d a goatee, " sai d Khondji . " I always had to take into accoun t that Johnny was playing a character with tw o sides. We present the Cors o characte r a s very ambiguous. He definitel y has a dark side , but ther e is also a side that we don't know very much about. " To heighten that sens e of conflict, Khondji uses increasingly striking red tones as Corso's journey progresses. There i s something refreshing abou t a big movie starrin g a famous Hollywood acto r tha t i s about book s an d writin g instea d o f hype and specia l effects, which ar e fine i n measure, but i t is reassuring to know that there is still room for a movie such as The Ninth Gate. It's the very antithesis o f an action movie, but it manages to click along at a reasonable pac e an d t o b e captivating . Polansk i doe s ge t a bit strange, eve n fo r him , a t th e en d o f th e movi e whe n Cors o an d Balkan squar e of f in a fiery climax, but th e movi e doe s need a big payoff fo r i t t o b e satisfying . Upo n it s release , Th e Ninth Gate received mixe d reviews . The y swung from mildl y positiv e t o some what indifferent . Th e movie cost just over $30 million t o make an d earned back just $18.5 million durin g it s domestic release. But there has been fallout of a different kind connected with Th e Ninth Gate. O n 1 9 Jul y 2000 , i t wa s announce d tha t Artisa n Entertainment, backers of Th e Ninth Gate (and reapers of Th e Blair Witch Project windfall), had file d a suit against Roman Polanski for allegedly abscondin g wit h ove r $ 1 million o f Frenc h tax-credi t money that shoul d have gone into th e production's ban k accounts . Because the movi e was shot entirely in Europe, it qualified for a VAT (value-added tax ) refun d fro m th e Frenc h government . Th e firs t payment wa s $619,000, and th e secon d wa s $577,000. Rather tha n turning th e mone y ove r t o th e productio n company , Polansk i

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allegedly put the money into a private bank account in the name of R.P. Productions. Artisan Entertainment maintains that it repeatedly asked that the mone y be transferred to its accounts, but a transfer was never done. Whatever the truth, this case proves once again that the one common facto r i n show business is greed.

Chapter Fourteen

and Paradise

in

"I think I have finally understood what attracted me to Paris — it was Vanessa and Lily-Rose. In a sense, it was as if part of me was in Paris and I just didn't know it yet." Johnny Depp, 7 January 2000

The Johnny Depp story has two parts. Part One begins in 1963 and extends to 1999. The second stanza begins on 2 7 May 1999 at 8:35 PM, whe n Lily-Ros e Melod y wa s bor n i n Paris t o prou d parent s Johnn y Dep p an d French singer/actres s Vanessa Paradis . Bu t Depp didn't end up in Paris by accident. Johnny with Vanessa Paradis, He made his first trip there fo r the sole GARY MARSHALL/ SHOOTING STAR purpose o f sleeping in the bed Oscar Wilde died in . Fro m hi s firs t visi t h e fel t a n od d pull towards th e Cit y of Lights. In th e earl y '905 , Dep p gav e a n intervie w i n whic h h e sai d h e probably woul d "liv e i n anothe r country , probably France " some time in the future. He also said that if he ever bought a house in Los 209

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Angeles he wanted i t "to be a house with a history, like Errol Flynn's old house, or Bela Lugosi's old house." Four years later, Depp bought and move d int o Lugosi' s 9,ooo-square-foo t mansio n i n th e hill s above Sunset Boulevard. His first prophecy would be realized, too. Depp's love affair wit h Franc e continued with the making of The Ninth Gate. Sinc e then , h e ha s gon e of f t o mak e on e movi e i n London an d on e i n Lo s Angeles, but h e has als o mad e a few small films in a row with European locations. Paris is now his home. Much o f the reaso n Depp is in love with the Cit y of Love is that he ha s foun d tru e lov e with on e o f its citizens. Depp's relationshi p with Polansk i had bee n contentiou s durin g th e on-se t work o f Th e Ninth Gate, but they got along very well off the set and often went out for drink s or dinner afte r work to talk about Paris and the work they would d o th e nex t day . One night , afte r Dep p ha d bee n shootin g scenes al l day with Polanski' s wife Emmanuell e Seigner , he heade d out to hook up with some pals. It would be a night that would change Johnny Depp's life . Depp ende d u p i n th e smoke-fille d re d loung e i n th e Hote l Costes i n Paris . A lovely French actres s an d singe r name d Vaness a Paradis was also in the lounge with a few friends. During th e evenin g Dep p foun d himself repeatedl y glancing in the direction o f Paradis's table , although no t onl y had he never met her, but h e ha d neve r eve n heard o f her. Sh e was getting read y t o begin work on a film calle d Th e Girl on a Bridge, Depp was told by a friend a t hi s table wh o kne w th e peopl e a t th e othe r table . Dep p asked hi s frien d introduc e hi m t o th e redheaded , gap-toothe d beauty. Since Paradis speaks very good English and Depp speaks no French, the two ended up speaking almost exclusively to one another during the evening. Vanessa Paradi s le t Dep p know , i n bot h he r word s an d he r actions, that she likes men who are a little on the dreamier side, men

Paradis and Paradise in Paris

who are a bit more uncompromising — like Depp. After work the next day Vanessa stopped by Johnny's suite where, as the story goes, the two stayed up talking until dawn. Before long they were seeing each other every day, and by the end of that month Johnny had rented an apartment in Montmartre. A fe w months late r Vanessa discovered that sh e wa s pregnant with what Johnny hoped would be a daughter. Vanessa Paradis has quite an interesting story herself. She comes from a stabl e family ; he r a mother an d fathe r hav e been happil y married fo r three decade s and ru n thei r ow n interior desig n business. She is close with them an d he r sister , who i s 12 years Vanessa's senior. I n fact , a s Vanessa's pregnancy progressed, she an d Johnn y lived with her parents in their house in Seine-et-Marne. Paradis was only 14 years old when her lif e too k a radical turn . During a get-together with her uncle, a French record producer and sometime acto r name d Didie r Pain , Vanessa was introduced t o a young songwrite r who had writte n a son g abou t a Parisia n cab driver an d hi s exploits . Vaness a aske d i f sh e might b e allowe d to sing "Joe le taxi." She sang it in such an endearing way that she was asked to recor d it. The song was released in 1987 and was a big hi t in France almost instantly. It went on to make the charts all over the world and hit Numbe r One in at least 14 countries. She became an overnight pop star. Like most pop stars, Paradis was approached by movie producers who wer e interested i n capitalizing on he r popularity . Vanessa was bombarded by film offers until she finally settled on one, called Noce Blanche (White Wedding), fo r her scree n debut when she was 16. In the film Paradis plays the teenag e object of desire for a much olde r man. She was so convincing as the home-wreckin g teenager that a number o f her intellectually inferior fans turned on her in a violent way — ther e were reports o f "Die Vanessa" being scrawle d on th e

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walls outsid e he r apartment . He r actin g was good enoug h t o ear n her a Cesar Award as Best New Actress. Paradis is a lot like Depp in that sh e doesn't float from movi e to movie; sh e only does a film when it profoundly touches her. In 1995 she made a film calle d Elisa, in whic h sh e starred opposit e Frenc h star Gerard Depardieu, who say s of her, "I was constantly surprise d by the force which she gave off. She has all it takes to be a really great actress." The natural assumptio n woul d b e that Johnny Depp i s the big star and has all the attendant pressures , but Vanessa Paradis has gone through jus t a s much. He r life has been a s fascinating and a s much the subject of tabloid harassment as Johnny's has been. "I remember when I went o n m y first concert tour, " says Paradis. "It was in 1993 and it was after the release of my first album. It was the only tour I've done and it was the most intense thing that I have ever been through. The applause was so touching nigh t afte r nigh t tha t I found myself constantly crying. " She ha s als o ha d th e strang e experienc e o f livin g wit h th e renowned singer/poet/philosophe r Serg e Gainsbour g fo r thre e months. She was 17 and h e wa s 61, but Vaness a remembers hi m a s being "as frail a s a little seven-year-ol d boy. I regretted that I didn't constantly tell him how much I admired him." Before meeting Depp Paradis had ver y public relationship s wit h a couple o f high-profil e guys from the music world — including French singer Florent Pagny and American rocker Lenny Kravitz, who wrote a number o f songs for her — so being followed by paparazzi is familiar territory for her. Paradis has found peace with Dep p — an d i n bein g a mother . She enjoyed her pregnancy, during which she and Depp played their guitars, hoping thei r child woul d hav e an instinct fo r music . On 27 May 1999 Vanessa gave birth to Lily-Rose. Johnny was in the delivery room th e entir e time , eve n askin g tha t h e b e allowe d t o cu t th e

Paradis and Paradise in Paris

Paradis in concert SHOOTING STAR

umbilical cord — "I didn't want a stranger to cut this link between our daughte r an d us, " he explains . Th e even t wa s not withou t it s frustration, though . A s news o f Vaness a goin g int o labo r spread , photographers descended on the hospital. When Depp went outside for a smoke, he had to hunker down behind a n umbrella, "so they didn't get a picture of Johnny Depp waiting for his baby to be born," he complained to Premiere magazine's Johanna Schneller. "Now that is no way to live," he continued. "That's a sick thing to have mixed in with the beautiful memorie s of your life. It's like being in jail." After the birth Johnny called his family back in the United States, and his mother and stepfather immediately made the trip to Paris to see the new addition to the family. From the start Depp did his share of bottl e feedin g an d diape r changing , proudly proclaiming , "I' m pretty gifted. " In an interview Vanessa Paradis gave to the French Elk magazine for thei r Marc h 2000 issue, she speaks of her daughte r i n glowing

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terms. "[Lily-Rose] looks like her father very much. She has a gap in her teeth like me, poor girl! She is absolutely sublime and smart, bu t particularly sh e is a good person . Sh e is extremely generous , I can already see it. Kids are often ver y selfish, but her , she shares all that she has. She's very special, very, very easy to ge t on with, sh e never cries. Children, eve n the childre n o f others, hav e always moved me . Often I wondered, 'But how will it be when I have a baby?' You know what? It is even more wonderful than I imagined." Asked in the same piece if she wanted mor e children, sh e answers, "I want her to have lots of little sisters and little brothers, man y of them." Lily-Rose's birth ha d als o brought Paradi s a deep sense of fulfill ment. "Sinc e Lily-Ros e is i n ou r life , w e reall y nee d fo r nothing . Nobody else, " sh e says . "W e ar e self-supporting . Befor e I ha d m y amoureau an d my daughter, I thought routin e mus t b e boring an d insipid, i t scare s me a little. It' s th e contrary , things ar e eve n mor e beautiful, gettin g stronge r an d stronger . We've organized our sched ules so we will always be together. " About he r day-to-da y life wit h Johnn y Depp, Vanessa says, "We are good fo r each other. I' m no t sur e we inspire eac h other fo r ou r work, bu t w e help eac h other , an d that' s important . We are bes t friends, an d you are never going to leave your best friend, are you?" She adds that the y "leave each other a lot of space and have a lot of respect for each other. " Contrast this with the piece that was written in the U K Mail, also in Marc h 200 0 tha t quote s comment s Dep p supposedl y mad e — when his daughter was just a couple o f weeks old — about his atti tude toward s marriage , "Fidelit y i s fin e i n theory , bu t i f i t run s against your nature , you have to change . I can't be faithful . Hal f of me love s the ide a o f havin g two kid s an d spendin g ever y evening watching TV, but th e other half of me will always need to stay out all night." Now , Depp ma y have sai d this , perhap s durin g on e o f th e

Paradis and Paradise in Paris blow-ups he an d Vanessa have had — "They ar e always my fault," says Depp. Or perhap s he never sai d it a t all. When Vanessa heard the quot e she responded by saying, "He has a s much o f his life a s I have of mine. I'm not goin g to eat it all. I don't want to know it all. Like anyone's relationshi p we have talked abou t th e past. All! can say is that wha t happene d wit h u s was all very natural an d fel t s o right. There is no real problem betwee n us." Depp has als o said, "My girl and I gave Lily-Ros e life, an d sh e gave us life. She gave us the opportunit y to breathe differently. It's a huge and beautiful situation. " If you are still wondering wh y a guy like Johnny Depp turns so violently agains t th e press , th e treatmen t h e an d Vaness a hav e received at the hands of the tabloid pres s provides further explanation. Caroline Graham wrote a piece in the 1 9 March 2000 Day and Night supplemen t t o th e Mail o n Sunday i n Englan d i n whic h Vanessa Paradi s i s aske d i f sh e ha s eve r me t Kat e Moss. Paradi s replies, "Oh, you cannot as k me suc h a thing!" The journalist goes on to inform Paradis that Moss ended up in London's Priory Clinic, suffering fro m depressio n an d stres s after sh e found out that Depp had bee n "stolen" away from he r b y Vanessa Paradis (Mos s was a patient i n the clinic, and Depp, still a loyal friend, did visit her there, allegedly leavin g a ne w whit e BM W as a gif t fo r when sh e wa s released). In the next paragraph she asks Paradis about a story that was publishe d i n ye t anothe r Britis h tabloi d abou t Dep p havin g dinner with Mos s in London while Paradis was carrying their chil d in London. An increasingly angry Paradis answers, "I know who he is and I know what we have, and I am secure with that." The reporte r continue s t o hamme r away , regurgitatin g mor e British gossi p rags. She mentions a story about Dep p an d i8-year old Christina Ricc i in a club being "terribly indiscreet" and "all over each other." Paradis shrugs, "Oh, my God, I won't answe r that."

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This drawn-out piece ends with anothe r nasty swipe. Paradis is asked if she wishes to have more children an d she answers that she would gladly give up her career to look after a house full of children. The journalist ask s the questio n again , this time addin g a snarky "with Johnny as the father?" Exasperated, Paradi s say s o f he r tabloi d battle-scarre d beau , "There is the person that everyone sees, and then there is the Johnny that I see, who nobody els e sees, that is the person tha t matters t o me." The fil m tha t Vanessa Paradis wa s working o n when sh e me t Depp, Th e Girl on the Bridge, was finally released in North America in Augus t 2000 . Critics , wit h soun d reason , praise d th e movie . Paradis i s quit e goo d a s the emotionall y wrough t youn g woma n who attempt s suicid e only to be saved by a carnival knif e throwe r who has made a habit o f rescuing desperate women whom he then recruits fo r hi s act . Th e knif e throwe r i s played b y Frenc h acto r Daniel Auteuil (looking like Al Pacino as Tony Montana), who won the Cesa r Award for Best Actor for his work. Th e Girl on the Bridge is a moody, thoughtful movie shot in atmospheric blac k and white and directed with sensual style by French director Patrice Leconte. Johnny Dep p wrot e a n emotiona l entr y i n th e Februar y 2000 issue of the Frenc h magazine Studio about Vanessa and Th e Girl on the Bridge. "W e were alread y goin g ou t whe n [Vanessa ] finishe d shooting Th e Girl o n th e Bridge, aroun d th e sam e tim e I wa s shooting Th e Ninth Gate? writes Depp . "We saw each other ever y night an d ever y day. We couldn't stay far away from each other fo r very long. You couldn't possibl y tea r u s apart . When I finally saw The Girl o n the Bridge I was deeply impressed b y what I saw — i t went beyon d th e image s I was seeing on screen . You can't see her acting, ther e appear s t o b e n o effor t — she' s jus t s o alive , s o genuine. I was truly and deeply impressed by her. I'm quite sure that

Paradis and Paradise in Paris one day our daughter will be of an age to understand this movie and she will feel the same pride for her mother that I feel. There is something rar e an d preciou s i n Vaness a and i t come s throug h i n thi s movie." Johnny Depp seems to have found true happiness i n Paris, and the reasons are simple. He has started a family with a Parisian an d has gotten t o kno w th e plac e an d th e culture . I t i s very much t o hi s liking. "What's grea t about Paris," he raves, "is that people don't give a shi t wh o yo u are . They appreciate art , they read a lot, an d the y make movie s abou t peopl e rathe r tha n kille r asteroids . I t i s inter esting being here." When Dep p firs t arrive d i n Pari s to begi n wor k o n Th e Ninth Gate, Polanski took him asid e for a quiet chat . "I told him that here in Pari s you have rights tha t you reall y don't have anywhere else," Polanski recalls . "His whol e caree r he has been a hunted man , th e press and the photographers have been all over him. I feel sorry for him fo r that reaso n and I told him that h e could rela x because that is not th e way it is here." As muc h a s Johnn y Dep p dig s Paris , th e feelin g seem s t o b e mutual. Th e Parisia n fil m magazin e Studio ha s bee n a hug e supporter of Depp throughout his career. In the March 1997 issue of the magazin e Frenc h write r Christoph e d'Yvoir e wrot e th e onl y major piec e of journalism devote d t o Depp' s little-seen directoria l debut, Th e Brave; Depp deeply appreciated it . He has appeared on its cover numerou s times , includin g th e fascinatin g Februar y 200 0 cover, which feature d his hand-draw n self-portrait . The issu e also features 4 0 page s o f materia l o n Depp' s caree r an d hi s like s an d dislikes, al l writte n b y Dep p himself . H e write s abou t Alle n Ginsberg, Igg y Pop , an d Frenc h singe r Serg e Gainsbourg . ("Hi s work i s s o multi-dimensional . H e ha d on e o f th e mos t beautifu l

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sentences I have ever heard in my life — 'Ugliness is far superior t o beauty in that it lasts forever,' isn't that wonderful"). He explains why he prefers Buster Keaton to Chaplin and speculates that absinthe may have bee n outlawe d onl y becaus e i t threatene d th e profit s o f th e powerful win e barons. But the mos t tellin g part of the article is the page that features a hand-scrawled note, "Vanessa & Lily-Rose — My reason to live," written over and over again all the way down the page. The annua l Cesa r Awards i n Pari s i n Apri l 199 9 provide clea r evidence o f ho w Franc e seem s t o hav e embrace d Dep p an d hi s family. Johnny Depp was honored a t the ceremony, which is simplistically referred to as "the French Oscars," for his body of work and his contribution t o cinema. It is somewhat odd to give such an honor t o someone who is so young and still very hard at work, but i t is something that the Frnech like to do. If a great actor or director is scorned or ignore d b y th e intelligentsi a i n America , the n th e Frenc h wil l embrace him or her to inform the world that they know what is cool and that they are willing to unapologetically celebrate it. On the evenin g Depp was to be honored h e was still in awe. He had won awards before, but this was something else. When his name was announced, the crowd applauded wildly. He came out ont o th e stage looking somewha t bewildered, hi s hair long and lank, and he gave a nic e smil e t o th e crowd , acknowledgin g hi s frien d Roma n Polanski wh o had mad e the introduction . H e was wearing a black jacket over a brown shir t with a black tie. As is his custom whe n he appears in front o f crowds, he scratched the back of his head vigorously a s he steppe d u p t o th e microphone . "Wow , merci," he sai d quietly. The camera panned t o the crowd to find Paradis , then back to the ma n o f the hour. Dep p spoke nervously. "To everybody who followed me on this strange road, I'm, ah, deeply grateful. Merci" he said quickly. He then tapped the gold award a couple of times, picked it up, and headed offstage .

Paratiis and Paradise in Paris With Depp' s love of the rhyth m an d textur e of life i n France , it can be safel y assume d that he will remain there for the foreseeable future. A s of Novembe r 2000 , Depp sho t fiv e o f hi s las t si x majo r film role s i n Europe . Apar t fro m th e comfortabl e apartmen t i n Montmartre in Paris , Depp and hi s famil y als o have a large stucco house with a tiled roof i n Saint Aygulf, near the ritz y enclave of St. Tropez; the hom e i s surrounded b y trees an d i s se t quite fa r back from the road. Lily-Rose i s a goo d par t o f th e reaso n Dep p doesn' t wan t t o return to live in America. "America frightens m e now, the gun s and the violence, especially the violence in the schools , it means something differen t t o m e now, " say s Depp . " I use d t o thin k mayb e I could do it in the middle of the States, Colorado or somewhere. But no, th e State s i s ou t o f control . It' s becomin g dirty . I thin k it' s imploding." Depp i s especiall y thrille d t o b e awa y fro m Hollywood . "I' m happy to be removed," he says. "I'm happ y that I made the decisio n to stop looking at magazines, that I don't see any movies, that I don't know wh o peopl e ar e i n term s o f movi e executive s or actor s an d actresses." Roma n Polansk i echoes , "Europ e become s Johnny . H e doesn't loo k like an expatriate. He looks like he really lives here. He's very much at ease." It is evident that Johnny Depp, former wild man an d all-night party guy , is living a differen t lif e i n Paris . H e ca n ofte n b e see n wandering the street s in the earl y morning lookin g for fresh bread . Johnny an d Vaness a ofte n din e ou t i n small , restaurant s wit h candlelit tables , eatin g earl y and returnin g hom e early . Depp als o walks his daughter and can be seen doting on her constantly . And th e Frenc h see m t o hav e adopted Depp . To them, Depp is just another cool artist, choosing to live among them, where, in their estimation, he belongs.

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Chapter Fifteen

Depp end Burton9 Borton and Depp: Part 3

"There was a. young man everybody thought was quite handsome. So he tied up his face and held it for ransom." Tim Burton, poem about his friend Johnny Depp, from the book Double Exposure

Burton, Christina Ricci, Depp, and Casper Van Dien at the Sleepy Hollow premiere AP PHOTO/MARK J. TERRILL

Sleepy Hollow began in the head of a special-effects ac e named Kevin Yagher. He cam e up wit h th e idea of resurrectin g the stor y o f th e headless horseman i n 1993 and hoped t o make the fil m on his own , but h e foun d no takers . "Then m y agent introduce d m e to a new writer named Andrew Kevin Walker who had just got into town and was shopping around a script calle d Se7en" recalled Yagher. Yagher 221

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and Walker got to know each other and began kicking around ideas; they got stuck on the notion of reworking Washington Irving's The Legend o f Sleepy Hollow in th e manne r o f the ol d Hammer Studio s horror movies from Britai n in the '505 and '6os. They worked on the script togethe r an d starte d pitchin g i t wit h th e ide a tha t Yaghe r would direct it. He'd directe d a sequel, Hellraiser: Bloodline, but ha d been s o disappointed wit h i t that he' d ha d hi s name taken of f the credits. "I used to joke around that the onl y way I would not direc t this movie was if someone the caliber of Tim Burton were to attac h himself to it," laughed Yagher. "And that was exactly what ended u p happening" — but no t fo r a few years. Walker's screenpla y i s ghoulis h an d violen t bu t als o ver y respectful o f its literary roots. On paper, it's a good read, but makin g the transitio n to th e big screen required a sure hand an d a stylish, almost outrageous , imaginatio n — a jo b tailor-mad e fo r Ti m Burton. At that time, however, Burton was unavailable, and the script didn't hav e muc h hea t anyway . Th e propert y wa s bough t b y megaproducer Scot t Rudin , an d i t la y dorman t fo r a fe w years. Burton hadn' t directe d a movi e sinc e Mars Attacks! i n 1996 . He' d spent th e nex t coupl e o f year s involve d i n th e revampin g o f th e Superman franchise , bu t Superman Reborn suddenly , although no t unexpectedly, became such a mammoth challeng e i n logistic s an d cost tha t Warne r Brother s decide d t o simpl y suspen d th e projec t indefinitely. Burto n sen t ou t wor d tha t h e wa s looking fo r a ne w project, and the script s starte d pourin g in . One that go t his immediate attention was Sleepy Hollow. In Walker's version, Ichabod Cran e has been transformed fro m the mee k an d mil d schoolteache r Washingto n Irvin g describe d as "tall, but exceedingl y lank, with narro w shoulders , long arm s an d legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that might have served as shovels, and his whole frame mos t loosel y hung together.

Oepp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Part 3 His head was small, and flat at top, with huge ears, large green glassy eyes, an d a long snip e nose , so that i t looke d lik e a weathercock , perched upo n hi s spindl y neck. " Cran e becam e a Ne w York Cit y police detective trying to introduce moder n scientifi c forensics to a backward force on the eve of the millennium i n 1799. Yagher's experience of turning ove r to anothe r directo r a movie that he'd been so close to for so long was, surprisingly, pretty painless, mainly because Burton was a perfect fit. "It was interesting to stan d back and watch it happening," Yagher said, "the script was always scary and dramatic, but Tim' s quirkiness took i t beyond ou r expectation s and made it into somethin g better. With all the death in the story, it does get kind o f gruesome, but Tim' s humor lightene d all that up. If I'd have ended u p directin g it, I would hav e probably gone further into the darkness and horror. I now see that that woul d have been a wrong turn to take." "I'm a big fan of the Hammer horro r film s o f the '50 5 and '6os , and this script had a lot of classically beautiful horror images, " said Burton. "What I also liked about this scrip t is that it's respectfu l t o the origina l story, but i t takes it to new territory. It has a great mix of humo r an d drama . I ha d know n th e stor y o f th e headles s horseman mainly from th e Disney cartoon. It's one of the few great American classi c horro r stories . I don' t kno w wha t it s powe r i s exactly, but there is a certain reason why people remember the headless horseman. He's a great symbol." There was another influence at work, which Burton described as "a major influence over my decision to eve n make Sleepy Hollow at all" — th e 194 9 Disney cartoon Th e Adventures oflchabod an d Mr . Toad, memorabl y narrate d b y Bin g Crosby . " I reall y lik e tha t cartoon," sai d Burton. "And I now think i t was one o f the reason s why I wanted to go to work for Disney in the first place. The artists, Wolfgang Reitherman and John Sibley, created a wonderful sense of

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a story which was funny, scary, and visceral all at the same time. The layout and the colo r desig n were so beautiful too, and it had a great energy. Plus, it captured the feeling of upstate New York very well for an animated featurett e . .. it's such a haunted place , and I love it." As much a s Burton liked the Walker screenplay, he decided to take a quick whack at it himself. He then turned it over to Academy Awardwinning screenwrite r an d maste r playwrigh t To m Stoppar d fo r a n uncredited brushup. Walker, however, would end up with sole screenplay credit. Casting th e Ichabo d Cran e characte r wa s very important , bu t right awa y Burton though t hi s pal Johnn y Dep p would b e perfect. Depp agree d almos t immediately , ye t h e remaine d cautious ; h e wasn't sur e that Paramoun t woul d allo w a n acto r o f dubious box office reputatio n t o carr y th e lea d rol e i n wha t wa s becoming a big-budget fil m fo r releas e hi th e all-importan t holida y seaso n o f 1999. Bu t Burton convince d the executive s at Paramount tha t Depp was the actor for the job, and they trusted his instincts . From th e work the y produce together, it' s obviou s tha t Johnn y Depp and Tim Burton are on the same wavelength. Both are repeatedly asked about their symbiotic relationship; Depp gave perhaps his most succinc t explanatio n t o a Frenc h journalist , Christoph e d'Yvoire. "I think th e wa y we work wit h on e anothe r i s as close to ideal as a working relationship ca n get. It is something I really can't explain, something that is probably best left unexplained," said Depp. "From th e beginnin g ou r connectio n i s based o n affinity , a confidence and trust i n one another. W e share the sam e visions an d th e sense of absurdity in things, a similar perspectiv e on lif e in general, but als o a common poin t o f view, twisted almost , o n th e compre hension o r incomprehension o f the world aroun d us. " When Burto n is asked the sam e question , h e responds similarly : "We've worked together a couple o f times before, so we know what

Depp and Burton, Eurton and 0<epp; Part 3 each othe r i s about . I t i s als o fu n watchin g hi m wor k a t doin g different things each time out — it gives me a renewed energy," said Burton. "I appreciate actors who like to transform and are not afrai d to get messy, dirty, and dragged through th e mud. Johnny has always been one of those guys.... Johnny is willing to try anything, and it's what I love about him. I know he's not th e traditional imag e of the Ichabod Crane character, but Johnny has that in-and-out-of-it thing. I felt that was important for the role. He's sort of in tune with things on on e leve l bu t no t attune d t o the m o n another . That' s a very human quality to me, and Johnny exactly captures the spirit of what I have always believed Ichabod Crane to be about. " Burton like s the Cran e character , describing hi m a s "someon e who is basically behind the times and ahead of the times, and it's the contradictory aspect s of the character that make him fun and interesting. One of the images that I had in my mind is a character who lives in his head versus the characte r with no head, which I always thought was a wonderful symbol." Burton's casting choke had the support o f the producers of the project as well. Even before Burton had officiall y signe d on with th e project, producers Adam Schroeder and Scott Rudin had considere d Depp for the lead role. Said Schroeder, "Johnny's name had come up in discussion s before . I t wa s though t tha t someon e lik e Joh n Malkovich might mak e a perfect Crane, and he would, but not the Ichabod Cran e that w e wanted fo r thi s version. Johnny is a physically dynami c characte r wh o ha s that obsessiv e qualit y combine d with a very sexy brashness we thought would be really important t o the succes s of the film. " Producer Rudi n went as far as saying that "Johnny is as much a design element in the movie as any piece of the scenery" — which I am sure Depp would probably not want to hear, no matter how generously it was intended. Depp's initial enthusiasm was for the opportunit y to work with

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Burton again , which i s usually enough t o convinc e Johnny to join a project. But he was equally excited about the film itself. "I've always loved this story, and I knew that with Tim's twist on the story it would be something cool, something very special," he said. "What's excitin g for m e about playin g this character is the ide a of riding the fine line between honest acting and going just a bit over the top, the style of the Hammer horro r fil m starrin g Pete r Gushin g an d th e grea t Christopher Lee . I also liked the idea of playing a romantic lea d who is not your typical romantic lead. Ichabod has a lot of nervous ticks . He's squeamish . He' s extremel y uptight. It' s a s if there's a very fine piano wire running through hi m that could snap at any second." Depp's talent as an actor makes it seem that hi s characterizations are instinctive, bu t i n fact Johnny thinks his characters out very carefully, drawin g influence s fro m divers e an d sometime s eccentri c sources. For Crane, Depp says that he was inspired by the late Roddy McDowall, a longtime friend of his. "Roddy was one of the main ingredients, one of the great inspirations fo r what I saw as Ichabod Crane, " Depp noted. "I thought that Roddy would have made a great Ichabod Crane i f they'd hav e done th e movi e i n th e '6os. " He also , bizarrely enough, studied Angela Lansbury's performance in Death on the Nile, saying, "In that rnovie, she just kind of rattles on and on, and you never really know what she is talking about, and neithe r doe s she." He also used the performance of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Depp began his preparation fo r the role by "renting man y of the Hammer horror films — the ones I couldn't find, Tim offered t o lend me out o f his extensive personal collection . Film s with Christophe r Lee and Pete r Gushing mostly. I wanted to analyze their actin g from that era . The styl e i s very different , s o specific ; tha t wa s the mos t intriguing thing to me, and the more I watched the more I was able to appreciate the real technique involved in their acting. It was very risky because it starts out looking like bad acting , but befor e long you are

Depp and Burton, Burton and Depp: Part 3 no longer sure. But that is where the challenge of that [an d this] kind of performance lies — the barrier between what is good and bad and what is funny an d what isn't is never clearly defined." As a direct homage to the Hammer tradition, one of the first actors we see in Sleepy Hollow is the towering Christopher Lee, who was cast in a came o a s the burgomaste r wh o send s Cran e upstate t o Sleep y Hollow. Both Burton and Depp were huge fans of Lee and quite taken with him when they finally met him. Burton enthused, "I've been very lucky t o mee t peopl e like Vincent Pric e an d no w Christophe r Lee. These ar e people wh o basicall y inspired m e to d o thi s stuff , an d it' s really amazing to work with them . Christophe r i s hypnotic. He just looks a t you wit h thos e eyes , and yo u ar e compelled. " Depp foun d himself initially intimidated b y Lee. "Christopher trul y is a force to be reckoned with," he said, awestruck. "Doing tha t scen e with him an d having him peerin g down at you, screaming in your face, all you can think of is, 'My God, that's Dracula!'" Incidentally, there is another bit o f casting fun i n Sleepy Hollow. The Hessian villain is that perennial bad guy Christopher Walken , who has no dialogue in the movie; he just snarls and growls. One of the stuntme n hire d t o pla y the headles s horsema n i n comba t was actor-stuntman Ra y Park, who wil l no w foreve r b e know n a s th e red-faced Dart h Maul in Star Wars Episode I : The Phantom Menace and more recently as Toad in X-Men. The cas t als o includes Christin a Ricci , who ha d a small role in Fear an d Loathing in La s Vegas. Ricci is among th e brightes t o f th e young crop of actors coming of age in Hollywood. In Sleepy Hollow, she plays Katrina Van Tassel, the objec t of Crane's affection ; unfor tunately, however , the lov e stor y i s on e o f th e weakes t aspect s o f what is an otherwise completely enjoyable movie . Ricci is not t o be blamed. Sh e remembers he r firs t meetin g wit h Depp . "I firs t me t him when I was nine years old, and he has always been so kind an d

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considerate t o me, " sh e said . "H e remember s m y mother' s nam e every time h e meets her , which t o he r make s her lif e wort h living . He's also an amazing actor, and look at him — he's beautiful!" When I aske d Dep p abou t Ricci , particularl y abou t he r playin g hi s lov e interest, h e said, "Oh, I thought i t would be fine at first, but the n i t kept popping into my head that I had known her since she was nine years old, and we were going to be kissing and stuff 1. That was a little odd at first. But, you know, we're both pretty calm, we're not walking bags of neurosis." An acto r know n mor e fo r hi s actio n roles , Caspe r Va n Dien , played the hulking Brom Van Brunt. Van Dien is best known for his roles in Starship Troopers an d Tarzan an d the Lost City. He saw Sleepy Hollow as a chance to be in a movie with some of the cooles t people in the business, and he willingly put on 20 pounds of bulk for his role. Van Die n enjoye d workin g wit h Depp : "H e i s s o professional . He comes and doe s his stuff, then he snaps out o f it. Some actors like to stay i n character , bu t h e doesn' t hav e to . He' s ver y generou s an d giving, but he also likes to keep to himself a lot of the time. I had a lot of respec t for him beforehand , and tha t ha s onl y increased. I really appreciate the choices he's made as an actor." The filmin g o f Sleepy Hollow went smoothl y i n spit e o f Depp' s lighthearted attempt s t o shak e thing s up . On e stor y ha d Dep p arriving o n th e se t on e nigh t wearin g a Bil l Clinto n mas k an d carrying a giant pump-action wate r rifle, then dousing the crew as he stepped out fro m hi s Mercedes. Depp wa s content. H e was working o n a fun projec t wit h hi s pa l Burton. He had a new life in Paris with a great woman who was then still pregnan t wit h hi s child . Then , on e night afte r shooting , Dep p found himsel f involve d i n ye t anothe r "incident. " He an d Vanessa were having a quiet dinne r in a London restaurant with a couple of

Depp and Burton? Burton and Depp; Fart 3 friends t o celebrat e th e pregnancy . Befor e long , photographer s started peering in the window, looking for photo ops. "They wanted some pictures o f me and m y pregnant girlfriend , and tha t angere d me," explained Depp . "They wer e turning somethin g sacre d into a product." Dep p went t o the door , where a group o f photographer s had gathered . He acted like a gentleman as he pled his case. "I asked them nicely , 'Please, I can't be what you want me to be tonight — I can't be novelty boy, a product. Please leave me alone for just this one night.'" The photographers laughed at this, making comments suc h as "We'll be waiting right her e when you leave, mate." This blatant disregard fo r hi s wishe s made Depp' s bloo d boil . Johnn y steppe d into th e rea r doorwa y o f th e restauran t an d grabbe d a three-foot section o f woo d tha t wa s being use d t o pro p th e doo r open . H e headed back to the gaggle of photographers in a rage and swung the plank at the first photographer he saw, catching him hard across the hand. Depp then squared off with the remaining six photographers, shouting, "The next flash I see, the guy is going to be on the receiving end o f this." No one snappe d a picture. Not one . "The beauty , the poetry o f fea r i n their eyes , in thei r filthy , maggot y little face s was worth it . I didn' t min d goin g t o jai l fo r what , si x hours ? I t was absolutely worth it. " Jail Is exactly where Johnny ended up. The police were called, and the quie t evenin g came to a n en d when h e wa s escorted awa y i n handcuffs ye t agai n fo r defendin g hi s righ t t o privacy . H e wa s released th e nex t mornin g b y a polic e forc e h e describe d a s very friendly. The y eve n arrange d fo r hi m t o b e release d throug h a different doo r so he wouldn't have to face the photographers waiting for hi m yet again. When his friend Roman Polanski heard about this incident, he commented, "He would come to our se t [on The Ninth Gate] quit e shake n u p b y stuf f lik e that , quit e disturbe d b y th e photographers. . .. He acts viscerally, and that i s just what they are

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waiting for . He fall s into thei r trap . That is a teenag e reac tion. H e shoul d shake it off." The decisio n wa s made earl y o n tha t Sleepy Hollow would be sho t entirel y i n England durin g th e winter, which guar Depp, with his mother, stepfather, and Vanessa, anteed a perpetually receiving his star on the Hollywood gloomy sk y fo r th e Walk of Fame. exterior shots . Mos t LISA ROSE/GLOBE PHOTOS of the interio r wor k was don e a t Leave s den Studios, just outside London, a wwn-era airplane-engine factory. It was converted int o studio spac e for us e by George Lucas on Star Wars Episode I before Sleepy Hollow moved in . Sleepy Hollow had th e loo k o f a Burton movie : dar k and gothic , and just bordering o n th e surreal , yet still comfortabl y identifiable . Depp is terrific as Ichabod Crane. He uses a mid-Atlantic accent an d is delightful in scene s that requir e hi m t o sh y away from somethin g frightful. I n on e sequence , a s he i s examining a headless corpse, he physically shrinks awa y from the ghoulis h sigh t a couple of times, all the while wearing a high-tech (fo r 1799) magnifying rig on his head . Sleepy Hollow's November 1999 release was the biggest opening in Depp's career . It made a whopping $38 million i n its first weekend of release and went on to earn a respectable $90 million i n its domesti c

Depp and iurton; Burton and Depp: Part 3 release. One ca n onl y hope that th e succes s of Sleepy Hollow, both artistically and on the suit-pleasing financial front, means that there will be at least a fourth collaboration between two of cinema's most interesting talents, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. After finishin g th e film , Dep p found himself i n Lo s Angeles to receive an honor tha t was strange given the nature of his career. He was awarded with a star o n the Hollywoo d Wal k of Fame. At first , one migh t assum e that Dep p would avoi d suc h iconi c Hollywoo d displays, but hi s reaction was the antithesi s o f disdain . He showed up to the ceremony with a beaming Vanessa Paradis, his mother, his stepfather, an d hi s tw o sisters . Dep p wa s dresse d i n jean s an d a loose-fitting shirt. His long hair was held back under a striped wool hat, and he wore sunglasses through a lot of it. He smiled and posed for pictures . Vanessa laughed, obviously very proud o f her mate. In his brief speech, Depp emphasized his appreciation o f the fan s an d supporters wh o have stayed with him during his weird journey.

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Chapter

Absinthe* Croissants, and Cigarettes

" I his is the happiest I've ever been in my life, the most together I have been in my life." Johnny Depp, Los Angeles, April 2001

As 200 1 rolled around , the movie s tha t Johnn y Depp ha d filme d durin g 200 0 were starting t o find their way into theaters. And once again his idiosyncratic choice s were received with critica l accolades. During the 2000 Toronto International Film Depp wearing the cause Festival, the first of these, Before Night Falls, was YORAM KAHANA/ one o f th e films to see . Th e fil m i s the secon d SHOOTING STAR feature from New York artist-turned-filmmake r Julian Schnabel, who first made a splash in 1995 with his wonderful debut, Basquiat. Before Night Falls is based on th e memoir o f exiled Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas. Arenas was a truly gifted writer, winning a National Book Award when he was only 20 years old. Bu t because he was a homosexual, Arenas soon fel l fro m being celebrated to being persecuted . H e was thrown i n prison fo r B£raenj &$£

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publishing materia l outsid e Cub a withou t th e permissio n o f th e government. Upon hi s release, he was allowed to leave Cuba on th e condition tha t he never return. Arenas lived in exile until he died of AIDS in 1990 . Before Night Falls was published posthumousl y thre e years later. Depp wante d t o b e i n thi s movi e becaus e o f hi s fondnes s fo r Schnabel and because he felt passionate about the subject matter and wanted t o hel p brin g i t t o life . Hi s par t i n th e fil m amount s t o a double cameo : he plays both a slick-haired lieutenant and a Carmen Miranda-like transvestite named Bon Bon who helps Arenas smuggle his writin g ou t o f prison . Schnabe l tol d m e durin g th e Toront o International Fil m Festival that "Johnny could not hav e been coole r about the whole thing — I told him what I wanted him to do, and he did it. He really loved the story we were telling and wanted to help get it told. I really admire him fo r it and really am grateful tha t h e took the time to work with me on this." Depp's involvement i n the film is a bit jarring at first — Johnny is easily recognized as himself — bu t Schnabel wisely chose no t t o concentrat e o n him . The focus o f the film is on Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who delivers a truly magnificent performance as the tortured writer . His depiction o f Arenas is smart, conveyin g bot h styl e an d charisma ; i n fact , Barde m wa s awarded with a well-deserved albeit surprise Academy Award nomi nation i n th e Bes t Acto r category . I aske d hi m i f h e notice d an y difference o n th e se t whe n Dep p wa s working . Barde m frowne d slightly and asked, "In what way?" I explained that it could have been awkward with a big American movi e sta r who'd agree d to len d hi s name and talent to the low-budget film. "Johnny was not a movie star on thi s movie, " Barde m responded . "H e wa s anothe r acto r wh o believed in the beauty of what we were doing, in the meaningfulnes s of what we were doing." The review s fo r Before Night Falls wer e almos t unanimousl y

ibsiaithe, Croissants, and Cigarettes

Depp with Chocolat costars Lena Olin, Juliette Binoche, and Alfred Molina SONIA MOKOWITZ/GLOBE PHOTOS

positive. Because his screen time was minimal, Depp was mentioned only in passing in most reviews. When reviewers chose a still to ru n with their reviews, however, it was often on e of Depp in his colorfu l drag regalia . This woul d happe n agai n i n th e nex t fil m i n whic h Depp had a small role — Chocolat. Chocolat was released in November 2000 — Miramax thought tha t it might have an Oscar contender, so it rolled the film out at the end of 200 0 to qualif y i t fo r th e Oscars , then pu t i t int o muc h wide r release in the early weeks of 2001, kicking up the heat on the advertising campaign then as well. The strategy worked like a charm. The film grosse d solidl y fo r severa l week s an d ultimatel y earne d five Academy Award nominations , includin g a surprisin g Bes t Pictur e nod. After th e nomination s wer e announced, the a d campaign was

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changed yet again to further sway those involved in the voting — in the ne w ads , Depp i s featured prominently i n intervie w segments describing how wonderful Judi Bench and Juliette Binoche are. Both actresses were nominated fo r Oscars for the film. Depp's performance in Chocolatis simple and charming. Despite his heavy presence in posters and trailers, Depp is only on the screen for 1 7 minutes o f the two-hour-plus runnin g time. His Roux has an Irish.accent — instead o f the Frenc h gypsy accent in the nove l by Joanne Harri s — an d smile s easily , charmin g ever y woma n h e meets. One aspec t of the rol e that particularly delighted Dep p was Roux's guita r playing ; th e musi c i n th e fil m i s actuall y Johnn y playing. Thematically , th e attractio n t o thi s movi e fo r Dep p an d director Lass e Hallstro m wa s virtuall y th e same ; a s Hallstro m explains, "Chocolat is a very funny fabl e abou t temptation and th e importance of not denyin g oneself the good things in life. It's about the constant conflic t in life between tradition and change. And at its very cente r i t i s abou t intoleranc e an d th e consequence s o f no t letting other peopl e live out thei r ow n lives and beliefs. " Compare this view to what Depp told Today Show reporter Jill Rappaport: "It kind o f represents the ide a of change and allowin g yourself to ste p outside the confines of your normal everyday life and seek out pleasure, and live a little again. It's a very romantic idea that you can just live simply — just go and do what you want and live how you want to live without hurtin g anybody else, just taking life how it comes." The stor y i s se t i n a quain t Frenc h village, Lansquenet , where everything is pretty much as it was a hundred years ago. A chilly wind blows through th e town one day and brings with it a young woman and her daughter. This woman, Vianne, opens a chocolaterie, offerin g the townspeopl e tast y delight s tha t see m t o arous e mor e craving s than they satisfy. Her confections start to awaken things the repressed townsfolk have long since forgotten. The noble Comte de Reynaud is

Hbsinthe, Croissants, and Oigarettes convinced that Vianne is the devil incarnate and that her cand y will cause social unrest and the decay of the town's morals. Almost immediately the peopl e i n the tow n star t feeling differentl y abou t things . Less repressed, more expressive , more open-minded , a s if by magic. And, as the townspeople loosen up, it is Vianne who seems to be the one wit h somethin g missin g fro m he r life . A mysterious , smilin g riverboat gyps y named Rou x arrives in town with hi s tribe — he is the one who finally shows Vianne what she had been looking for. Screenwriter Rober t Nelso n Jacob s was hired t o adap t Harris' s novel, an d h e di d s o with a grea t amoun t o f diligenc e an d gusto . Rather than simpl y take the nove l and turn i t into a screenplay, he chose t o researc h th e historica l an d mythologica l association s o f chocolate. But even though he indulged in chocolate from all over the world in his search for authenticity, he did keep the emphasis of the story on prejudice and repressio n an d the dangers of valuing tradition ove r choice and freedom. The movie play s out i n a very European manner, th e pacin g is slow and languid, and we are allowed to get to know the characters so well we know where they fi t int o eac h other' s life . Thi s kind o f meticulous storytellin g allow s viewers to becom e par t o f the stor y rather than have the story thrust upo n them. The casting of the film was almost perfect, from lead actress Juliette Binoche, who'd scor e a Best Actres s Osca r nomination , t o Depp' s Th e Ninth Gate costa r Lena Olin (who' s married t o Lass e Hallstrom), from Alfre d Molin a as the very picture of repression to Judi Bench, who'd also receive an Oscar nominatio n i n th e Bes t Supportin g Actres s category , an d finally t o Johnn y Depp, who slide s into th e movi e seamlessl y and enhances it without overpowerin g it. Even though Depp' s part i n the finished film isn't that long , his Roux can be accurately described as the romanti c lead —- not a role that Johnn y usuall y associate s himsel f with . Bu t h e truste d hi s

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director's judgment. "I would do just about anythin g Lasse asked of me," said Depp. "But this was easy — it was such a beautiful story , such a beautifully written script . And i t fit s s o well with Lass e an d his interest in telling stories that actually try to say something in an entertaining, funny , and differen t way." Depp eagerly anticipated workin g with Juliett e Binoche, but h e describes th e experienc e a s somethin g h e couldn' t hav e prepared himself for . "Sh e i s s o beautifu l an d deep , sh e make s yo u fal l instantly i n lov e wit h her, " rave d Depp . "She' s a n intensel y committed actress , and if art is possible in cinema I think she comes as close as anyone can." Roux's musical side was very appealing to Depp, and it gave him a great way into th e character . "He's th e kind o f guy who lands his boat in a village and busks for a while, then moves on," said Depp. "I figured tha t Roux would be the sor t who was really into ol d blues. This is the first time I have ever actually played the guitar on film." Hallstrom, an early and loyal admirer of Depp's work, said, "He brought a wonderful leading-man quality , a true presence , to th e movie." Hallstro m genuinel y like s Depp , referrin g t o hi m a s " a wonderful, kind man whose choices are always tasteful and accurate." He added, "I am always impressed by what he does." Both Chocolat and Before Night Falls were nominated fo r Academy Awards, and by the time the ceremony took place there was already a healthy buzz around Depp' s next release (although his small role in Sally Potter's Th e Man Wh o Cried was next in chronological order as far as shooting goes) . The explosive true story of an ordinary ma n named Georg e Jung , wh o playe d a significan t rol e i n on e o f th e worst public-health catastrophe s in U.S. history, the fil m was called Blow, and it was about the first wave of cocaine into North America in the '/os.

AtosinfSie, Oroissanfs, anil Cigarette! Blow was a book before i t was a movie. Written by Bruce Porter and publishe d in 1993, it was subtitled How a Smalltown Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. A young director named Ted Demme read it and immediately saw the movie in it. It's a story about a young man fro m Massachusett s who vows in hi s youth tha t h e will never fal l int o th e working-clas s lif e tha t trapped his parents. This determination take s him in the late '6os to California, where he becomes involved in distributing marijuan a in the Manhattan Beac h area. But the eas y money and the infamy that this new career brings only fuel his ambition; his involvement in the drug trade grows, and so does the risk, and, as is the case with man y drug dealers, he i s arrested and sentence d t o three years in prison . George shares his cell with anothe r dru g lord o n the rise — Carlos Lehder — and he soon moves from marijuana to cocaine. When Georg e gets out o f prison, h e goes to Colombi a t o hoo k up wit h Carlos , wh o then introduce s hi m t o "th e man " — Pabl o Escobar, the kin g of cocaine. This allianc e brings a wave of cocaine into Nort h America , rippin g apar t countles s live s an d makin g millions of dollars for the importers . But, lik e mos t crime-cza r stories , thi s on e end s wit h th e $10 0 million tha t Georg e made being stole n b y Panamanian president / thug Manue l Noriega , anothe r coupl e o f long jai l stretches , an d despair. The real George Jung is currently in prison, with no hope of seeing the outside until a t least 2014. Demme's fil m version of this story is two things: first, it is a very loose adaptatio n o f th e book ; second , i t i s on e o f th e bes t film s released i n 2001 , containing on e o f th e greates t performances ever given by the already very distinguished Johnn y Depp. Demme chose to change the name of Carlos Lehder for obvious legal reasons, but h e als o scaled down th e stor y by eliminating th e parts of the book in which Jung lived with up-and-coming director -

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writer Barr y Levinson in Los Angeles and the storie s o f how, when he was at the height of his marijuana trading, Jung would hang out with Elizabet h Taylo r an d Richar d Burto n i n Puert o Vallarta . Demme keeps his story simple , an d i n doin g so he raises it to th e level o f Shakespearea n tragedy . Demme's Georg e is a remarkabl e character, a greedy drug dealer with redeemin g qualities. In fact, at the end of the film, we find ourselves pulling for him, hoping that he will turn himsel f aroun d i n time. This od d reaction to the film can be credite d bot h t o Demm e fo r his direction an d t o Dep p fo r his exceptional performance . Demme decided to select a cast with a wildly international flavor , which was ultimately to the benefit of the film. Costarring with Depp were Germa n actres s Frank a Potent e an d Spanis h firecracke r Penelope Cruz as his women, Spanish actor Jordi Molla as the Carlos Lehder characte r Dieg o Delgado , an d Australia n actres s Rache l Griffiths, who brilliantly plays George's mother. Ray Liotta turns in a terrific performance as George's father. Interestingly, Liotta is only six years older than Depp, and Griffiths is five years Depp's junior. Liotta plays the father wit h suc h passion an d grace that his character end s up bein g th e her o o f th e film . H e i s a man wh o love s hi s so n s o unconditionally tha t our hearts break more for him than for George. Paul Reubens , a.k.a . Pee-we e Herman , doe s a fantasti c job o f playing Dere k Foreal , th e flamboyan t Manhatta n Beac h ex marine/hairdresser wh o introduce s Georg e t o th e deale r life , becoming hi s partner an d the n hi s betrayer. Reuben s has had hi s own ups and downs in the past few years, both i n his career and in his personal life , but h e comes back strong i n Blow. His Derek is a swishy character but on e who can't be trusted. When I spoke to Blows director a t the ultrahip Standard Hote l on Sunset Boulevard in March 2001,1 asked him about the decisio n to cas t Dep p a s George . "You know, h e wa s reall y the onl y gu y I

Ibsinthe, Croissants, and Cigarettes

Ted Demme, Penelope Cruz and Johnny at the premiere for Blow PAUL SKIPPER/GLOBE PHOTOS

thought of, " said Demme . "Whe n I wa s firs t thinkin g abou t thi s story as a film five years ago, I thought tha t i t needed an acto r like Johnny — a guy who takes a lot of chances and a guy who would be able to bite into this story more than othe r actors might be able to." I mentioned t o Demme that when I was reading Porter's book I was struck by the line about Jung loving On the Road by Kerouac. "Yeah, exactly, man," said Demme. "It is that little stuff, those little points of identification, that Johnn y was able to latch o n to. No matter ho w many fucking take s we did o f any of the scenes , Johnny was always honest — each take had something real in it. He was easy to direct. " The fil m wa s mad e o n a relativel y lo w budge t an d sho t i n California (Beverl y Hills, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach , Pasadena, Malibu, and Whittier) and Mexico (Morelos and Guerrero). It's very much a character-driven movie but on e tha t i s set 30 years ago, so physical authenticit y i s crucia l t o th e believabilit y o f th e entir e

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movie. Demme told me, "This had to look right, man. I had to accurately reflec t th e clothin g an d th e hairstyle s of th e tim e withou t being cliched and obvious. That would have produced laughter, and 1 really didn't want that." I suggested to Demme that making a movie such as Blow isn't a lot different tha n making one such as Braveheart in tha t the y ar e both se t in bygon e times . "You're right," boomed Demme. "I had to make sure I had the right production designer — and productio n designer s rarel y ge t a lo t o f credit , bu t thi s on e deserves all the credit for the look. His name is Michael Hanan, and he worked the sam e magic on Boogie Nights an d Magnolia, among other things." Th e look of the film is quite good, especially considering that the story takes place over five decades and uses more than 60 different locations . Cinematographer Elle n Kuras, known fo r he r wor k with Spike Lee, had he r wor k cu t ou t fo r he r i n shootin g Dep p i n particula r because he had to age — subtly — throughout th e film. Like every cinematographer who' s filme d Depp , Kura s ha d t o dea l wit h th e shadows cast by his angular cheekbones. "We had to make sure that we always had a special rig on hand just for Johnny to light his face," said Kuras. But some of the locations were too cramped to allow for additional lights . Kuras persevered, however, and Dep p looks great in the film. I aske d Frarik a Potent e abou t Blow. Sh e mentioned ho w sh e almost missed ou t o n the film when there was a mix-up i n getting her the script ; Demm e assume d that she' d receive d the scrip t he' d sent her , an d whe n sh e didn't respon d t o i t h e assume d tha t sh e wasn't intereste d i n the project . When he hand-delivered a second copy, she read it and agree d immediately t o be in the film . I asked Franka, looking startlingl y beautifu l with he r hai r cu t ver y short , about workin g with a n acto r o f Depp's stature . "I have to tel l you that I onl y kne w Johnn y Dep p fro m hi s othe r movies , whic h I

liisinfhe, Croissants, and Sigarettes loved," said Potente. "I loved the fact that he chose to do movies that he wanted t o be proud of. What I wasn't prepared fo r was how quiet and humbl e an d funn y h e was. He is the sta r o f the movie , an d he had the weight of the fil m o n his shoulders, but h e was always very concerned abou t m y performance an d helpin g m e an d tryin g t o make me fee l relaxed. " Penelope Cruz echoed those sentiments to me later the same day. "This characte r I play, Mirtha, was a lot differen t tha n th e kin d o f character I have played before," said Cruz. "I was nervous about this movie, but Johnn y really helped me. He kept telling me, 'You can do it, you ca n d o it , you ar e doin g great. ' He was wonderful." Cruz is riding a huge wav e o f popularit y i n Nort h Americ a afte r starrin g opposite Mat t Damo n (All th e Pretty Horses) an d Nicola s Cag e (Captain Corellis Mandolin), bu t sh e has also turned i n som e spectacular performances in her nativ e Spain. Her work in Blow is brief but effective ; sh e plays a Colombian cocain e baroness wh o marrie s George Jung when thing s ar e great but can' t accep t that th e bubbl e has burst when their fortunes turn . Depp, a s was th e cas e whe n h e playe d Raou l Duke/Hunte r S . Thompson, too k the responsibilit y o f playing a real person wh o is still alive quite seriously . "Where George is concerned, yeah , I feel a deep responsibility t o him, " sai d Depp. "He i s sitting i n prison fo r God knows how long, and even though I didn't get to spend all that much tim e wit h hi m ther e cam e a moment, a n excitin g moment , when i t al l just clicke d int o plac e an d I wa s George . I t can' t b e explained o r analyzed , i t jus t happens. " An d whil e Dep p doesn' t want t o scrutiniz e th e proces s o f creatin g th e character , h e i s passionate abou t Jung' s story. "After readin g the stor y and speakin g to Georg e a few times, I started t o se e a lot o f similarities betwee n the two of us," said Depp. "When I started acting, I didn't really want all of this, but the n mone y started rollin g i n a t a rate tha t I never

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could have imagined. One thing led to another, and I was suddenly on thi s kind o f a rise, and ther e wa s no stoppin g it . That i s what happened t o George ; he sa w what h e wa s doin g a s a business , a lucrative business that was risky and illegal , so he would sta y in for a while, make the money , then retire. " Just how strongly di d Dep p identify wit h Jung ? With a few wrong turns her e an d there , migh t Depp himself have gone down the same road that George did? "You better believ e it!" sai d Johnny. "Had thing s no t worke d ou t fo r me the way that they did , had I not foun d music, I certainly could see myself taking the same directions that George did." Depp sees Jung as a modern-day pirate, a guy who looked at his hard-working parent s an d didn't want that kind o f life fo r himself . He wanted freedo m an d al l the goo d thing s i n life . H e knew tha t what h e wa s doing wa s ultimately wrong , that th e peopl e h e was associating with were dangerous, that he could end up in prison for a long time. But he was good a t dealing, and he genuinely loved th e adrenaline rus h of breaking the law. Jung will sit in prison unti l he is at least 72. He knows he fucke d up , but h e also lived the kin d of life he always dreamed of living — it just didn't last. Depp's identificatio n wit h Jun g led t o a spectacularly accurate performance. When Ted Demme showed the finished film to Jung in prison, George cried. H e told Demme tha t Depp was "dead on" in his portrayal, especially in the final third o f the film, which chroni cles Jung's downfall. Blow opened on 6 April 2001 and received terrific reviews across the board; the performances of Johnny Depp and Paul Reubens were singled ou t for their excellence . Next o n Depp' s lis t o f wildl y divers e fil m role s i s Th e Man Wh o Cried, by British director Sall y Potter. It hit theaters on 8 June 2001, a smal l fil m release d int o th e sam e pon d a s Tomb Raider, Th e

Ibsintiie, Croissants, and Oigareftes Mummy Returns, and Rollerball. The Man Wh o Cried stars Christina Ricci as a young German woman wh o end s up i n Paris durin g th e dark days of World War II, hoping to mak e her way to America to escape the violence. Johnny Depp plays, once again, a gypsy; he has a brief but inspirin g interlude with Ricci' s character. Ricci told Lawrence Grobel in the May 2001 issue ofMovieline, " I have never seen anyone more moved by her own material than Sally Potter. Our rehearsals consisted of two hours of talking about everything. The first couple of weeks on that film made me feel weird, and I bega n t o fee l tha t nothin g 1 did ha d an y honesty. S o I stoppe d talking abou t it . To talk abou t i t make s me self-conscious. " When asked abou t he r relationshi p wit h Depp , Ricc i responded, "Sleepy Hollow was great because we had s o much fu n together. Bu t in this movie it's weird because we're having sex in almost every scene we're in, and it's roug h sex. The first tim e we tried to be serious about it , we both started laughing, saying, 'This is ridiculous.'" From Hell buil t th e sam e kind o f anticipatio n tha t Blow did . From Hell is a period piece, a reexamination o f the infamous Whitechapel/ Jack th e Rippe r murders , an d i t wa s schedule d fo r releas e o n 19 October 2001 . Depp play s a Londo n detective , Inspector Frederic k Abberline, on th e trai l o f the Rippe r — bu t i n thi s version o f th e story, the investigation leads right to Buckingham Palace. A report during the shoot at Prague's National Museum said that Depp an d th e cre w were having a lot o f fun re-creatin g this gruesome piec e o f history . On e stor y ha d th e full y costume d Dep p approaching a group of high-society men, introducing himself, then flubbing hi s lines an d breakin g into laughter , which the n ha d th e rest o f the cas t and cre w in stitche s a s well. Director Alle n Hughes said tha t levit y o n th e se t was fine with him ; th e darknes s o f th e material would get overwhelming without it .

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Twentieth Century Fox has high hopes for From Hell, and Hughes thinks that it will attract a large and curious audience. "The fact tha t this famous case is unsolved is a big part of the fascination with th e story," sai d Hughes . "The obviou s compariso n t o i t woul d h e th e assassination of John F. Kennedy. A lot of people think there is something fishy with the official explanatio n — the same has held true for the Jac k the Rippe r case . And tal k abou t a n identifiabl e phrase — Jack the Ripper is a part of the common lexicon the world over." Johnny Depp' s predilectio n fo r choosin g eccentri c project s tha t would b e unappealin g o r inaccessibl e t o les s talente d actor s continues. Bu t choosing mor e off-the-beaten-trac k project s means that ther e wil l be more case s like that of Divine Rapture. Shades of that debacle have shown themselves in two of Depp's current projects — th e firs t bein g his reteamin g with Terr y Gilliam. Th e Man Wh o Killed Do n Quixote would have been the first firm to costa r Johnny Depp an d Vanessa Paradis. Production wa s shut dow n afte r onl y a week of shooting, however, because French actor Jean Rochefort was injured — an d irreplaceable . Weather , financia l uncertainty , an d Johnny Dep p demandin g tha t ever y actor o n th e se t be give n th e same sized trailer a s he had (somethin g that wasn't practical given their Spanis h location ) al l contribute d t o a projec t tha t seeme d doomed fro m da y one. Paradis was very disappointed, commentin g to journalist Marcel Anders, "It's o n hold. I didn't shoot any scenes at all, I just rehearsed my lines. It i s too ba d becaus e it i s a beautiful project, very special." The project is, as Paradis said, on hold — bu t not cancelled . Onc e Rochefor t has recovered , th e tric k wil l b e t o reconfigure the schedules of all those involved with the project. The secon d bi g uncertainty , which ha s receive d much press , is Depp's chanc e t o pla y Gong Show hos t an d T V impresario Chuc k

Hbsinthe, Croissants, and Cigarettes Barris. The scrip t i s called Confessions o f a Dangerous Mind, and i t is based o n Barris' s almos t entirel y fictiona l autobiography , in whic h Barris describes himself a s a CIA operative in his off-hours . Th e fil m was suppose d t o b e directe d b y the mercuria l youn g Brya n Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) an d stil l might be. It was written i n th e Hollywood trades that the film was about to go into production on 13 March 2001, but whe n the producers failed to secure the budget th e project was called off. Now it looks as though Depp will shoot director Griffin Dunne' s gangster film Nailed Right In before thinking abou t playing Barris if financing for the film can be reorganized. There i s also serious talk — though i n Hollywoo d seriou s talk can onl y b e take n slightl y seriousl y — o f a fourt h collaboratio n between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. The two have discussed the possibility o f making a film based on the nove l Geek Love, which is currently owne d by Warner Brothers. Depp wants to pla y the lea d character, Arturo, a murdering circus freak with flippers for feet. But what i s absolutel y certai n i s Johnn y Depp' s smal l rol e i n Rober t Rodriquez's ne w projec t calle d Once Upon a Time in Mexico — a sequel of sorts to Desperado which itself was a remake/expansion of Rodriquez's breakout fil m E l Mariachi. Also starring in th e fil m i s Depp's pal and fellow tabloid target Mickey Rourke. Depp ha s dutifull y fulfille d th e publicit y expectation s place d upon him i n Los Angeles for all these films, even though he'd hav e much rathe r been back in France with Lily-Rose and Vanessa. Johnny showe d u p a t th e Hollywoo d premier e o f Blow wit h shock-rocker Marilyn Manson , and he appeare d to be relaxed and happy. In fact, friends hav e described his life a s being much calme r and more focused of late. He can often b e seen strolling th e street s of Saint-Tropez with fres h brea d in hand. Evenings out no w consist of quiet dinners with Vanessa or a few close friends.

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On 20 March 2001, Vanessa Paradis took to the concert stage for the first tim e i n years . It wa s to suppor t he r ne w album , Bliss. Depp played a rol e i n th e makin g o f th e albu m an d i s give n comusi c credits on the e' s eighth track ("St. Germain") and again on the title track — an obvious love song that Vanessa has written to Depp. He also plays lead guitar on the son g "Firmaman." To top i t off , he also took the photograp h o f Vanessa that decorate s the cove r of the D . While Vanessa may not b e that wel l known i n North America, one couldn't tur n o n a radio i n Franc e in the winte r o f 200 0 an d th e spring o f 200 1 without hearin g th e catch y single fro m th e albu m called "Commando. " Depp was asked by a Parisian journalist about Vanessa's return to music. He responded tha t he was very proud o f her an d loved he r music and that he "would no t mis s the concert for anything in the world." And he didn't. Depp attende d al l three of the concerts and made a surprise on-stag e visi t a t the end of the final one. After th e encore, the musicians returned to the stage for what appeared to be a second encore — only this time Dep p and his guitar were there. They played a French son g called "Fais pas ci , fais pa s ca. " Vanessa was s o move d tha t sh e crie d when th e ban d go t int o th e song . Johnny kissed his girl as he left the stage. Johnny Depp is now closing in o n 40. He lives in France, where he believes "there is still the possibility of living a simple life." He has a new family, which has provided him with stability and focus. And the result of this domesticity is that he is now doing the best work of his alread y highly distinguished career . Who woul d hav e though t that Dep p woul d becom e a livin g exampl e o f th e benefit s o f stability, monogamy, and traditional family life as the path to happiness an d renewe d professiona l satisfaction ? I'l l tel l yo u wh o — anyone who really knows him.

Filmography

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984} Directed by Wes Craven Written By Wes Craven Starring John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund Private Resort (1985) Directed by George Bowers Written by Gordon Mitchel! Starring Rob Morrow, Hector Elizondo, Leslie Easterbrook Slow Burn (Made for TV 1986) Directed by Matthew Chapman Written by Matthew Chapman Starring Eric Roberts, Beverly D'Angelo, Raymond J. Barry Platoon (1986) Directed by Oliver Stone Written by Oliver Stone Starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker

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21 Jump Street (Weekly TV show 1987-1991) Cry-Baby (1990) Directed by John Waters Written by John Waters Starring Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Susan Tyrrell Edward Scissoirhands (1990) Directed by Tim Burton Written by Caroline Thompson, based on a story by Tim Burton and Caroline Thomspon Starring Winona Ryder, Dianne Weist, Alan Arkin Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Directed by Rachel Talalay Written by Michael DeLuca, based on a story by Rachel Talalay Starring Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, Yaphet Kotto Arizona Dream (1991) Directed by Emir Kusturica Written by David Atkins, from a story by Emir Kusturica and David Atkins Starring Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor Benny & Joon (1993) Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik Written by Barry Berman, from a story by Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil Starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) Directed by Lasse Hallstrom Written by Peter Hedges, based on his novel Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Darlene Gates

Filntograpiiy

Ed Wood (1994) Directed by Tim Burton Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski Starring Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray Don Juan DeMarco (1994) Directed by Jeremy Leven Written by Jeremy Leven Starring Marion Brando, Faye Dunaway, Bob Dishy Dead Man (1995) Directed by Jim Jarmusch Written by Jim Jarmusch Starring Crispin Glover, Robert Mitchum, Gary Farmer, Iggy Pop Nick of Time (1995) Directed by John Badham Written by Ebbe Roe Smith and Patrick Sheane Duncan Starring Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia, Charles Dutton The Brave (1996) Directed by Johnny Depp Written by Johnny Depp and D.P. Depp Starring Marlon Brando, Elpidia Carrillo, Clarence Williams II! Donnie Brasco (1997) Directed by Mike Newell Written by Paul Attanasio Starring Al Pacino, Michael Madsen, Anne Heche, James Russo

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LA Without a Map (1998) Directed by Mika Kaurismaki Written by Richard Rayner and Mika Kaurismaki, based on the novel by Richard Rayner Starring David Tenant, Vanessa Shaw, Julie Delpy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Directed by Terry Gilliam Written by Alex Cox, Tod Davies, Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni, based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson Starring Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci The Astronaut's Wife (1999) Directed by Rand Ravich Written by Rand Ravich Starring Charlize Theron, Joe Morton, Nick Cassavetes The Ninth Gate (1999) Directed by Roman Polanski, Written by John Brownjohn, Roman Polanski, Enrique Urbizu, based on The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte Starring Frank Langella, Lena Olin, Emmanuelle Seigner, James Russo Sleepy Hollow (1999) Directed by Tim Burton Written by Andrew Kevin Walker, based on the novella by Washington Irving, Starring Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee

Fiimograpiiy

Before Night Falls (2000) Directed by Julian Schnabel Written by Cunningham O'Keefe, lazaro Gomez Carriles, and Julian Schnabel, based on the memoir by Reimaldo Arenas Starring Javier Bardem, Sean Penn, Oliver Martinez

The Man Who Cried (2000) Directed by Sally Potter Written by Sally Potter Starring Christina Ricci, Gate Blanchett, John Turturro, Harry Dean Stanton

Chocolat (2000 ) Directed by Lasse Hallstrom Written by Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on the novel by Joanne Harris Starring Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Judi Dench Blow (2001) Directed by Ted Demme Written by Nick Cassavetes and David McKenna, based on the book by Bruce Porter Starring Penelope Cruz, Ray Liotta, Paul Reubens From Hell (2001) Directed by Allen and Albert Hughes Written by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias, based on the comic book series by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell Starring Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane

The Ma n Who Killed Don Quixot e (Production started, then suspended in early 2001)

Director Terry Gilliam Written by Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni Starring Jean Rochefort, Vanessa Paradis.

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Sources

Articles Brinkley, Douglas. George. June 1998. Calkin, Jessamy. "Johnny Depp. Esquire." Esquire, British Edition. February 2000. Cook, Kevin. "Playboy Interview. " Playboy. January 1996. Depp, Johnny. "The Nigh t I Met Allen Ginsberg." Rolling Stone. 9 July 1999. Diamond, Janice . "Johnny Depp." Cosmopolitan. May 1993. d'Yvoire, Christophe. "Johnny Depp par Johnny Depp." Studio. February 2000. Frankel, Martha. "A Man Apart" Moveline. March 2001. Galvin, Peter. "Johnny Depp, Drag Superstar." Advocate. November

1994. Georgiades, William. "A n American i n Paris." Detour. December/January 2000. Heath, Chris. "Johnny Depp' s Savag e Journey." Rolling Stone. 11 June 1998. Jacuaird, Darcy. "The Happines s o f Vanessa Paradis." Translated by Karelle. French Elle. 20 March 2000 . 255

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Jones, Alan. "Sleepy Hollow." Cinefantastique. Decembe r 1999. Koch, William. "A Window Into His Soul." Los Angeles Times, i April 2001. Lennon, Brandon. "Johnny Depp." Interview. December 1995. Levin, Brenda. "Johnny Depp." Interview. December 1995. McCracken, Elizabeth. "Depp Charge. " Elle. June 1998. Morgan, Susan. "Depp Perception. " Harper's Bazaar. May 1993. Peters, Jenny. "Narcotics Synonymous. " GQ , Australian Edition. June 1998 . Pizello, Chris. "Satanic Verses." American Cinematographer. April 2000. Pond, Steve. "Depp Perception." US . 26 June 1989. Schickel, Richard. "Depp Charge. " Time. 3 March 1997. Schneller, Johanna. "Johnny Angel." GQ. October 1993 . . "Where's Johnny? " Premiere. December 1999. Schoemer, Karen. "A Little Respect Please." Newsweek. 3 March

1997Sessums, Kevin. "Johnny Be Good." Vanity Fair. February 1997. Shone, Tom. "Johnny Depp Isn't Johnny Depp Anymore." Talk. October 1999. Vaz, Mark Cotta. "A Region of Shadows." Cinefex. Januar y 2000. Warren, Elaine. "Bad Boy Role Model." T V Guide. 23 January 1988. Weiner, David. "Life in the Fast Lane." American Cinematographer. March 2001. Zehme, Bill. "Sweet Sensation." Rolling Stone. 10 January 1991.

Sourees Books Burton, Tim . Burton o n Burton. Ed. by Mark Salisbury : Fabe r & Faber, 1996. Davies, Stephen Paul . Alex Cox: Film Anarchist. Batsford Fil m Books, 2000. Dunaway, Faye. Looking For Gatsby. New York: Simon & Shuster , 1995. Hunter, Jack , Editor. Johnny Depp: Movie To p Ten. Creation Books , Great Britain .