Tastes like ‘Chocolate’
by Glenn Whipp Film Writer – U-Press Telegram – With an off-kilter Tim Burton edge, Johnny Depp channels the original Willy Wonka…
A real sugar high
There was a definite film fraternity on the chocolate carpet Sunday in Hollywood at the premiere of Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” By Elizabeth Snead and Joel Stratte-McClure Article Published: Thursday, July 14, 2005.
:: Young actor Freddie Highmore (Charlie) speaks on fellow actor Johnny Depp (Willy Wonka) ::
…So has Johnny given any acting or life advice? “Not in so many words, but one learns by watching,” said the freckle-faced British lad. “What impresses me the most is that Johnny is just so completely normal,” says Freddie. “Even though he’s a famous actor, he’s just a regular person.”
Johnny Depp is Cool
What makes Johnny Depp the coolest guy in the world? Maybe it’s his looks, maybe it’s his talent, maybe it’s his integrity, or maybe it’s all about the kids. – By Trevor Thompson – Jul 13, 2005 – The Simon – I’m getting a little bit tired of hearing how great Johnny Depp is. Every single interview I read is disgustingly fawning, dripping with praise for his talent as an actor and his qualities as a human being…
Interview: Johnny Depp
July 13, 2005 – IGN Entertainment Interview – A conversation with the new Willy Wonka. “Johnny is a great character actor,” says director Tim Burton. “A character actor in the form of a leading man. That’s what struck me about him from the very beginning and it’s what makes him such an intriguing actor – the fact that he’s not necessarily interested in his image but more in becoming the character and trying different things. He’s willing to take risks. Each time I work with him he’s something different.”
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton too weird even for Wonka
The Weekly Dig – There’s a chemical in chocolate that prompts the brain to blow its euphoric wad and douse every neuron in the same cocktail that accompanies falling in love. That’s a heady sensation for a mere movie to duplicate, but Tim Burton’s interpretation of Roald Dahl’s salty-sweet children’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes pretty close…
DEPP WILL PLAY A WOMAN FOR BURTON
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Contactmusic reports that Johnny Depp has agreed to play Gypsy Rose Lee, the legendary burlesgue stripper in Burton’s next movie…
The Tonight Show Transcript
July 13, 2005 – Johnny visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk about the opening of his new movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
IGN – July 13, 2005
Q: You’ve been very open about your influences for Captain Jack Sparrow. Was there anyone who was your model for Wonka?
JOHNNY DEPP: On this film with Willy Wonka there wasn’t specifically any one or two guys that were models, so to speak, for the character, but there were memories that I have of when I was a little kid of watching children’s shows and children show hosts. And I distinctly remember, even at that age, their speech pattern and their kind of musical quality of the way they’re speaking to the camera, to the children. I thought, even then, it was really strange. I thought it was super bizarre because it was all, “Hello, children. How are you??” You know, that kind of thing. Guys that I watched like Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers and Uncle Al became that main part of the ingredient. And game show hosts that I remember seeing and watching and thinking, “My God! They can’t be like that at home. They can’t actually be like that.” Which sort of led me to believe that they put on a mask to get that all-important positive smile. So, that was the other side of Wonka. And then doing stuff for the look of Wonka was incredibly important. It was incredibly important to have a feel for it and to be able to put that costume on and click those veneers into my mouth and the teeth, which actually changed the shape of my face a little bit.
North Jersey – July 13, 2005
Q. You’ve said every movie you’ve done has been for your children, even before they were born. What do you mean by that?
In the late ’80s when I was on that TV show “21 Jump Street” – on the one hand it was a great thing. It was an incredible learning experience. It did a lot for me. I was making money for the first time in my life. That was not bad. There were a lot of very positive aspects to that situation. There were also negative aspects. At that time as a television actor, it was very, very difficult to break into films.
I was released [from “Jump Street”] while I was doing “Edward Scissorhands,” and I swore to myself that I would only work on these films or these projects that I would at least someday be able to say to my kids, “That was all me. That’s pure me. I didn’t sell out, because I don’t want you to be mortified or embarrassed.” So that was what was in my head at the time, just thinking if I am going to do this, I am going to do it on my terms.
Q. Why do you and Tim Burton work so well together?
It all stems from Tim’s bravery. Early on for “Edward Scissorhands” we had this great meeting and somehow connected. I never expected that he would cast me in that role.
Johnny Depp A conversation with the new Willy Wonka
“Johnny is a great character actor,” says director Tim Burton. “A character actor in the form of a leading man – by Steve Head – July 13, 2005 – Ign.com
Steve Head: You do tend to move around from character to character? Is that a reflection of your life? Do you think you’ll now do something completely different than Jack Sparrow or Willy Wonka?
Johnny DEPP: About moving around, I don’t want to be stuck in one spot. My childhood was spent moving around. We were total nomads. Like gypsies just moving from one place to another all of the time and it’s just kind of ingrained into my psyche, into my being. So, I couldn’t stand being in one spot for too long a period of time. Essentially we spilt the year out. Six months in Los Angeles and six months in France. It just seems to work for us. I like, very selfishly and very simply, I like keeping a distance from Hollywood and the sort of whatever… social expectations in Hollywood… because I’m not good at it. I’m really not good at that kind of game. I find great comfort in having that distance because I don’t have the pressure or responsibility of knowing who’s the top dog this week and who’s out from last week. I don’t know who anybody is and I really like it.
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