Their relationship is one of admiration, inspiration, respect, trust and, sometimes, even love. Their collaborations can result in Oscar-nominated performances or bargain bin specials – by Monica Haynes for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
But when the right director and the right actor get together there’s movie magic and a union that can last longer than many Hollywood marriages.
“Corpse Bride” represents the fifth time director Tim Burton and his muse, Johnny Depp, have teamed up, with Depp voicing the character of Victor. Burton’s personal muse, live-in love Helena Bonham Carter, is the voice of the title character.
Burton and Depp collaborated for the first time on 1990’s “Edward Scissorhands.” Four years later, the quirky director and the eccentric actor tackled “Ed Wood,” and “Sleepy Hollow” followed in 1995. Earlier this year, Burton released “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with Depp once again in the starring role.
“Each time I’ve worked with Johnny, he’s something different,” said Burton. “He’s interested in being a character and not necessarily interested in his persona, and I find it very exciting to work with actors like that.”
For his part, Depp, like many actor/muses, has developed a deep and abiding trust of his favorite director.
“Tim’s vision is always amazing, beyond anything you expect,” Depp said. “If Tim wanted to shoot 18 million feet of film of me staring into a light bulb and I couldn’t blink for three months, I’d do it.”
