On April 26th, 2007, Jacks Wench, a member of the JohnnyDepp-Zone, met Johnny Depp at the Pinewood studios, and I am happy I am allowed to post her story here:
“Ladies, my dream came true today! I’m not as good as Jomel at writing these things up as this is my first experience of it, so be gently with me.
My Pinewood encounter ? 26th April 2007
25/4/07 ? I arrived at Pinewood at 3:30 with a couple of friends and about an hour later we were joined by Maria and her mum Cheryl, who had travelled from Spain hoping to meet Johnny. Between us we manned both gates. At 7, they closed the gates on the VIP entrance so we all moved round to the timekeepers entrance. At 7:40 Gerry (Johnny?s security guard) came down and told us that he would have come to see us earlier but he thought we were Take That fans, because apparently Take That were at Pinewood filming a video. He said there was no way Johnny was going to be able to stop that night because he was going straight from the studios to do ADR for Pirates. We were all devastated! He then said that if we came back the next day, he would take our pictures for Johnny to sign then he would bring Johnny round to the VIP entrance so we could have our photos taken with him. He asked us to move on because he said Johnny would be very upset at having to go past us. So, we all went off home.
26/4/07 ? I arrived on my own at Pinewood at 4:30 and felt very conspicuous stood there alone. Luckily, around 5:45 Maria and Cheryl arrived. I was so relieved. About an hour later, Gerry came round the corner. My heart went up in my mouth as I knew then that it was going to happen. I was going to meet Johnny!!
He took our photos and said that Johnny was taking his make up off then would be round to see us. About half an hour later I saw the car pulling up.
Now, I?m trying really hard to remember everything that happened, but it all happened so quickly and I was trying to absorb every tiny detail. Gerry got out the car first and opened the back door, and there he was! Johnny Depp was stood in front of me. I still have that moment stuck like a photo in my brain. He walked towards me, gave me a peck on the cheek and a tight hug. He then looked at Maria, who was a bit emotional. I kinda lost the plot here a little bit and I now feel more than a little stupid, but I found myself touching his arm and said ?Oh, wow?. My legs had also gone slightly jelly-like!
Johnny gave Maria a hug and a peck on the cheek and said something to her like ?Aww sweetheart?. He then hugged Cheryl.
All the time Gerry was in the background trying to move things a long but I didn?t get the feeling that Johnny wanted to hurry. His PA guy (sorry I can?t remember his name) took a picture of me and Johnny, then I asked Johnny if I could take a photo of him on his own, and he said ?Of course?. I asked him how filming was going and he said it was going really well. I also asked him about the singing and he said ?It?s all finished now, all over? and I have to say there was definitely a sound of relief in his voice.
Next I took a picture of Maria with Johnny and Cheryl asked Johnny how Lily-Rose was doing. He said ?she?s doing great?. Cheryl also asked him if there was going to be a Paris or London premiere of Pirates 3 but Johnny said no. Cheryl asked him if there was going to be a UK premiere for Sweeney Todd and he said ?yes?. She asked him if he was going to be there and he said ?if they?ll have me?.
It was time for him to go but before he did, we all got another hug, then he was in the car. He rolled down the window, put his head out and waved as they drove him away.
I can?t describe the way I?m feeling right now. It?s a dream come true and something I am never going to forget?.ever. He is a very special man, and although I thought I would fall apart when I met him, he actually had a very calming effect on me. I keep relieving the moment over and over again and I think I will be doing that for a long time to come. I keep saying in my head, ?I met Johnny Depp?”
later, regarding the Sweeney Todd shooting, she tells
“(…)Gerry said to us on Wednesday that filming would finish next week.
I’m 80 miles from Pinewood and I went by train.(…)”
Jacks Wench also allowed me to add her photos to this site, you can see them here in the galleries
Thanks a lot to Jacks Wench for sharing this wonderful encounter with us all fans <3
