Monday, November 12, 2007

biography

Date of Birth9 June 1963, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Birth NameJohn Christopher Depp II
NicknameMr. Stench Colonel
Height5' 9" (1.75 m)
Mini Biography
Born John Christopher Depp in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, Johnny Depp was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school at age 15 in the hopes of becoming a rock musician. He fronted a series of garage bands including The Kids, which once opened for Iggy Pop. Depp got into acting after a visit to Los Angeles, California, with his former wife, Lori Anne Allison, who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. He made his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). In 1987 he shot to stardom when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series "21 Jump Street" (1987).In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood (1994). In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco (1997), opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film The Astronaut's Wife (1999). The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow (1999), brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.Depp has played many characters in his career, including another fact-based one, Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001). He stole the show from screen greats such as Antonio Banderas in the finale to Robert Rodriguez's "mariachi" trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). In that same year he starred in the marvelous family blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off: the charming, conniving and roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow. Now Depp is collaborating again with Burton in a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged to Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983 but they divorced her in 1985. Currently, Depp is living with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children: Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and Jack, born in 2002.IMDb Mini Biography By: mikedavies86 (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous)
Mini Biography
Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most versatile actors of his day and age in Hollywood, who has recuperated his image greatly since his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), with a supporting cast of Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush.Though highly successful now, Depp's early life, strangely, was as a rebel, and he took to vandalism and narcotics. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and he fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one named The Kids. However, it was when he married Lori Anne Allison that he took up the job of being a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror classic, _Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984)_, where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger. Three years later, Depp achieved fame as police cop Tom Hanson in the series "21 Jump Street" (1987) (1987-90), and in 1990, he was firmly established as a leading Hollywood actor with the Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands (1990), where he played a sad-faced, tragic hero who has scissors for hands.From then on, Depp was selective of his choice of roles in movies, and he more often than not played dark, sinister characters on-screen. He played an undercover FBI agent in Donnie Brasco (1997), in which he co-starred with Al Pacino; a druggie in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998); and in two more Tim Burton ventures, Ed Wood (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), with Christina Ricci and Casper Van Dien. He is currently filming a fifth Tim Burton film, Corpse Bride (2005), as well as being committed for another Tim Burton production, where he plays Willy Wonka in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), based on the classic children's novel by Roald Dahl..During his career, Depp has, unfortunately, gotten himself under bad public scrutiny. He was accused of selling drugs at his own club, The Viper Room, in regard to the legendary celebrity, River Phoenix, who died outside the club due to drug overdose in 1993. The following year, Depp was arrested for smashing and trashing a New York suite. And, in 1999, he was arrested in London for being in a fight with paparazzi outside a restaurant.Although he gained popularity since the success of Edward Scissorhands (1990), Depp wasn't hugely famous for many years until his portrayal of the suave, charming Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in 2003. With the film's enormous success, it has opened several doors for his career and even included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in the Stephen King-based movie, Secret Window (2004); as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-based Finding Neverland (2004), where he co-starred with Kate Winslet; and most recently as Rochester in the British film, The Libertine (2004).IMDb Mini Biography By: Sidhartha Shankar
Spouse
Lori A. Depp
(24 December 1983 - 7 March 1986) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Highly defined cheek-bones
Frequently plays freakishly eccentric outcasts whose oddities are misunderstood by society, and have a usually flamboyant appearance and mannerism. Examples: Edward Scissorhands (1990), _Ed Wood (1994)_ , Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Dead Man (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Before Night Falls (2000), and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) & Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).
Trivia
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" (#1). [1995]
Daughter, with Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Melody Depp. [27 May 1999]
Arrested for being in a fight with paparazzis in front of a restaurant in London. [January 1999]
Ranked #67 in Empire (UK) magazine's The Top-100 Movie Stars of All Time list. [October 1997]
Chosen by People (USA) Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1996]
Voted Empire's (UK) Sexiest Male Movie Star of All Time. [1995]
Has twice recorded with British band Oasis. Most notably, he plays lead slide guitar on the track "Fade In-Out", from the 1997 album Be Here Now. Noel Gallagher, Oasis's lead guitarist, was allegedly too drunk to perform it himself, so celebrity pal Depp stepped in and nailed the lead on one take.
Arrested for trashing a New York apartment. [1994]
Ex-fiancées: Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Moss, Jennifer Grey and Winona Ryder.
When engaged to Winona Ryder, he had "Winona forever" tattooed on his arm. After the broke up, he had the n and a surgically removed to simply say "Wino forever!"
Was the guitarist in a band called The Kids.
Currently plays in a band called P.
Adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's steed in Sleepy Hollow (1999), thereby saving him from the glue factory.
Got his "Betty Sue" tattoo May 31, 1988.
Named one of E!'s Top 20 Entertainers of 2001.
Son, Jack, born to him and Vanessa Paradis on April 10, 2002, in Neuilly, France, weighing just over 7 lbs.
Chosen #2 on E!'s 25 sexiest entertainers list
With Chuck E. Weiss, Depp reportedly paid US $350,000 for the Central Nightclub in Los Angeles, California, and turned it into the Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Blvd. Other stars in contention to buy the club in 1993 included Arnold Schwarzenegger and, separately, Frank Stallone.
Lists British comedy "The Fast Show" (1994)--renamed "Brilliant" for US television--as his favorite TV program of all time. He used to take tapes of the series on tour with him to keep him amused. Made a guest appearance in the last-ever sketch in its last-ever episode.
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2001.
Wrote the foreword to Mark Salisbury's biography of Tim Burton, "Burton on Burton." He credits Burton's belief in him for rescuing him from being "a loser, an outcast, just another piece of expendable Hollywood meat."
Appears in Tom Petty's 1991 music video "Into the Great Wide Open."
Johnny's two children with Vanessa Paradis have the same names of the two main characters in Legend (1985): Lily (b. 1999) and Jack (b.2002).
His long-time girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, is a popular singer-songwriter in her native France, as well as an aspiring actress.
Gave Noel Gallagher a white guitar with the letter "P" on it, which he regularly plays during Oasis' gigs. "P" is the name of a band that Depp was in.
Has a song about him by the late famed schizophrenic Chicago street artist Wesley Willis.
Parents: John Christopher Depp and Elizabeth "Betty" Sue Wells. His parents divorced when he was 15.
He wanted some of his teeth to be gold-capped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) but thought the producers would never agree. He found a dentist and had lots more capped than he wanted. Disney boss Michael Eisner like them but thought there were way too many and told Depp to remove all but a few.
Resides in France and Los Angeles.
Siblings: Danny (D.P. Depp), Christi Dembrowski, and Deborah (Debbie).
Was People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2003.
The building in which Depp's Viper Room is housed was once owned by infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel.
Chosen as E!'s 2003 Entertainer of the Year.
According to the liner notes for the soundtrack CD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), he wrote his own theme music, the music for Sands (Track 9 on the CD).
Shot all of his scenes in nine days for Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), but after his filming was done he didn't want to leave. So he suggested to Robert Rodriguez that he play a small part, the priest that Antonio Banderas talks to in the church, and use his Marlon Brando impression.
Reportedly based his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in _Sleepy Hollow (1999)_ on Withnail, from _Withnail and I (1987)_, as played by Richard E. Grant.
Has been in six films in which the title contains the name of the character he plays: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Cry-Baby (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), and Donnie Brasco (1997).
Persuaded actor Rey-Phillip Santos to give acting a try.
Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 19 November 1999. Tim Burton and Martin Landau were guest speakers.
Has a niece, Megan: she works for popular online entertainment magazine TYCP.
Was ranked #5 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties.
Based the character of Captain Jack Sparrow on rock legend Keith Richards and the Looney Tunes character, Pepe Le Pew.
Shares a birthday with Michael J. Fox and Natalie Portman.
Purchased Bela Lugosi's Los Angeles home.
Sports his son's name, Jack, tattooed on his arm and a beaded bracelet made by his daughter Lily Rose.
Is hugely interested in Jack the Ripper.
Ranked #4 in TV Guide's list of TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols (23 January 2005 issue).
Has something in common with actor Robert Englund, famed for portraying dream-stalking Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. Both of them appeared in the first A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and both had played characters with blades for hands: Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Depp as the title character in Edward Scissorhands (1990). And, strangely, both of them were born in June, with their birthdays three days apart, and they share the same height, which is 5' 10".
A movie buff (with a somewhat encyclopedic knowledge of older films), he admits he watches few movies any more, other than the children's films that his "kiddies" prefer. He also enjoys most of them.
Loves watching animated films with his daughter such as Shrek (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003).
Co-owns a restaurant/club in Paris called Man Ray (named after avant-garde artist Man Ray) with Sean Penn and John Malkovich. The restaurant is located in a renovated theater and serves Tibetan cuisine.
Premiere Magazine ranked him as #47 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
When he was cast as Willy Wonka in _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)_, many newspapers published headings about "Depp's Willy" and "Deppy's Willy is a Bit Wonkier".
Apparently conceived his portrayal of Edward D. Wood Jr. as a cross between Ronald Reagan (the wobbly-headed thing), the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the voice of Casey Kasem.
Dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue a career as a musician.
As a teen, he and his band "The Kids" performed for Iggy Pop.
As a child, he was allergic to chocolate.
In 2004, Renée Zellweger accepted the Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role" on his behalf, because he wasn't present at the awards ceremony
Learned French to be able to converse with Vanessa Paradis' parents.
He also played slide for an acoustic recording of Fade Away, recorded in 1995 for the War Child: Help album.
Had come into professional contact with the great screen villains Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. Price co-starred with Depp in Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Lee co-starred with him in Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). Oddly, all of them were Tim Burton films.
Great admirer of Marlon Brando. He was also good friends with the legendary actor, who described Depp as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
Although unable to attend, he was awarded the Gary Cooper Spirit of Montana Award at the 2005 HatcH audiovisual festival in Bozeman, Montana. HatcH honored Depp for his outstanding career and his role as a mentor and inspiration to young and aspiring artists.
Has portrayed a real-life character in seven films: Edward D. Wood Jr. in Ed Wood (1994), Lt. Victor/Pon Pon in Before Night Falls (2000), Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001), Joseph Pistone/Donnie Brasco in Donnie Brasco (1997), George Jung in Blow (2001) and J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland (2004).
Sherilyn Fenn's name is scrawled across his helmet in Platoon (1986).
He has said in interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well. Asked the origin of his last name by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp said his name means "idiot" in German.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), however, he failed to receive a nomination.
His ownership of the Viper room ended in 2004, he signed it over to Amanda Fox, the daughter of his missing partner in the club, Anthony Fox.
Was voted the Second Greatest Actor (behind Marlon Brando) in British Channel Channel 4's Greatest Actor Poll.
His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #22 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #79 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Friend of Christina Ricci.
Reportedly based his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in _Sleepy Hollow (1999)_ on Withnail, from Withnail & I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.
Ranked #1 in the "Best Hollywood Signers 2006" list by "Autograph Collector" magazine (May 2006).
Was close with his grandfather who died when he was 7 years old.
His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #87 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time (2006).
His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #65 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Ranked #18 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #23 in 2005.
A rule he has towards fans requesting his autograph and picture is that no photography is allowed of his children.
Is the only actor to be nominated for the Oscar in the Lead Actor category in a Disney film (_Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)_)
Moved to a villa in France with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and his daughter Lily Rose Melody Depp in 1999.
Frequently cites Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) as the favorite characters that he has played.
Oliver Stone seriously considered casting him in Charlie Sheen's role in Platoon (1986), but the studio thought Depp was "too young." Sheen is actually two years younger than Depp!
Was Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski's very first choice for the role of "Neo" in The Matrix (1999). Since Depp wasn't considered a box-office friendly name, Warner Bros. decided on casting Keanu Reeves instead.
Has been described as the "jester of cinema, the Method clown." His incredibly bizarre on-screen persona brings to mind the off-screen behavior of the late Marlon Brando, who was famously eccentric and quirky once he retired from acting.
Has a niece called Megan
Once painted on a billboard featuring his "21 Jump Street" (1987) character because he didn't like his picture or the message the billboard gave. He was stopped by a security guard who actually let him finish what he was doing when he realized it was Johnny's own face.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) will be the sixth time that Depp and Tim Burton work together. The other five being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Ed Wood (1994) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).
He was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson until his death. Depp helped to fulfill Thompson's last wish after the writer died. Thompson wanted his remains to be shot out of a 150 foot long canon.
Born in Kentucky but moved to Florida at age 7.
He is the youngest of 4 children.
Has admitted in interviews that one of his favorite pastimes is watching cartoons (especially Dave The Barbarian of whom he is a big fan) with his children.
Named after his father John Christopher Depp.
Was considered for the role of Florentino Ariza in Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), but director Mike Newell refused to work with big name Hollywood stars. Javier Bardem got the role instead.
Owns a customised 1960's 650cc Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.
Moved to a villa in France with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and his daughter Lily Rose Melody Depp in 1999.
Has 2 silver teeth.
Originally cast as John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but turned it down after being overworked with other movies he was shooting.
Is a great admirer and good friend of Tom Baker.
His children have the same names as "Mad" Jack and Lilly the Mermaid from the movie Magic Island (1995) (V).
Was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, whom he met on the set of the 1985 short student film "Dummies" directed by Laurie Frank. Their engagement was broken off after three years and a half.
Dylan Seal is his second cousin.
He is a fan of The Rolling Stones and the gypsy musical group Taraf de Haidouks.
Turned down the role of Jack Traven in action hit Speed (1994/I).
Personal Quotes
"Anything I've done up till 27 May, 1999 was kind of an illusion, existing without living. My daughter, the birth of my daughter, gave me life."
On the money he makes: "You use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren't allowed to be normal."
"I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do."
"One of the most incredible moments I've ever had was sitting in Vincent [Price]'s trailer... I was showing him this first-edition book I have of the complete works of Poe, with really amazing illustrations. Vincent was going nuts over the drawings, and he started talking about 'The Tomb of Ligeia.' Then he closed the book and began to recite it to me in this beautiful voice, filling the room with huge sounds. Such passion! I looked in the book later, and it was verbatim. Word perfect. It was a great moment. I'll never forget that."
"The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants."
"I was ecstatic when they re-named 'French Fries' as 'Freedom Fries.' Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots."
"America is dumb. It's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive. My daughter is four, my boy is one. I'd like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out."
"Taken in context, what I was saying was that, compared to Europe, America is a very young country and we are still growing as a nation. It is a shame that the metaphor I used was taken so radically out of context and slung about irresponsibly by the news media. There was no anti-American sentiment. In fact, it was just the opposite. I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it. It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and for this I am eternally grateful."
"France and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster."
On his character in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): "Captain Jack Sparrow is like a cross between Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew."
"I can remember when I finished 'Edward Scissorhands,' looking in the mirror as the girl was doing my make-up for the last time and thinking -- it was like the 90th or 89th day of shooting -- and I remember looking and going, 'Wow, this is it. I'm saying goodbye to this guy, I'm saying goodbye to Edward Scissorhands.' You know, it was kind of sad. But in fact, I think they're all still somehow in there."
"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying."
"The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured.' That kind of thing."
"I'm an old-fashioned guy... I want to be an old man with a beer belly sitting on a porch, looking at a lake or something."
When asked by James Lipton on _"Inside The Actor's Studio" (1987)_what attracts him to funny hats: "I don't know, maybe I just read too much Dr. Seuss as a kid."
After being asked if he is a romantic: "Am I a romantic? I've seen 'Wuthering Heights' ten times. I'm a romantic."
Talking on the Sleepy Hollow (1999) set about what it was like being dragged behind a carriage in the woods: "I wasn't afraid of getting hurt. I was just afraid that the horses may relieve themselves on the journey."
"I'm shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I've done everything I can to avoid it."
"When kids hit 1 year old, it's like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit."
"This is a rumor-filled society and if people want to sit around and talk about whom I've dated, then I'd say they have a lot of spare time and should consider other topics... or masturbation."
"The character I've played, that I've responded to, there has been a lost-soul quality to them."
"Sure, I find it touching, honestly, but awards are not as important to me as when I meet a 10-year-old kid who says, 'I love Captain Jack Sparrow' ... That's real magic for me."
"The term 'serious actor' is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? [Like] 'Republican party' [or] 'airplane food.'"
"On a film you start to get closer and closer with the people you're working with, and it becomes like this circus act or this travelling family."
"If you turn on the television and see the horrors that are happening to people in the world right now, I think there's no better time to strive to have some kind of hope through imagination. I think it's a time to close your eyes and try to make a change, or at least hope to make a change, or we're going to explode."
"I suppose nowadays it's all a question of surgery, isn't it? Of course the notion is beautiful, the idea of staying a boy and a child forever, and I think you can. I have known plenty of people who, in their later years, had the energy of children and the kind of curiosity and fascination with things like little children. I think we can keep that, and I think it's important to keep that part of staying young. But I also think it's great fun growing old."
"All the little films I've done that were perceived by Hollywood as these obscure, weird things, I always thought could appeal to a larger audience. I mean, box office is such a mystery to me that I can't... you know... I have enough -trouble doing my own gig. "
[When asked why he hides his box office good looks behind strange wigs, fake teeth, and girly squeals] "I think it's an actor's responsibility to change every time. Not only for himself and the people he's working with, but for the audience. If you just go out and deliver the same dish every time...it's meatloaf again...you'd get bored. I'd get bored."
We had been shooting Charlie for about a month, and I was beginning to get nervous because there weren't any phone calls. I called my agent and asked, Has no one called from the studio to complain or say, 'Hey, what's he doing?' or 'Hey, he's freaking us out?' And when she said no, I thought, 'Christ, I'm not doing enough! Something's wrong!' Then some of the studio brass came over to the set, and they were sitting in my trailer and I was all decked out as Wonka with the little bangs. And I just had to know. So I said, 'Okay, who was the first one, when you started seeing the dailies, that got a little worried?' And there was this beautiful 30-second silence. And [Warner Bros. president] Alan Horn finally said, 'Yeah, that was me.' I felt better instantly.
[on Gene Wilder's comment on the remake of Willy Wonka] "Hearing about that was disappointing, but I can understand where he's coming from, I guess. The one thing I didn't understand was that apparently he was quoted as saying 'Well, they just did this for money.' Well, hey, man, where have you been? When didn't they ever do anything for money? Nobody's ever made a film in the history of cinema where they weren't expecting some return on their dough."
On his daughter, Lily-Rose: "I see this amazing, beautiful, pure angel-thing wake up in the morning, and nothing can touch that. She is the only reason to wake up in the morning, the only reason to take a breath. Everything else is checkers."
"He can ask me everything. If he wants me to have sex with an aardvark in one of his next movies, then I will do that." - on director Tim Burton.
[On reactions to his directorial debut] "You know what was traumatizing, what was very, very strange in terms of this film I directed a few years back called The Brave. Well, I guess I wouldn't say traumatizing, but I would say weird: at the premiere of the film the reception of it was beyond any expectation that I had. I had no idea I'd be looking at Bertolucci or Antonioni sitting there watching my film. And then to receive the applause that my film got, it was so incredible. And then the next day the majority of the American press, just turn it into this horrible thing. Once again, everybody is entitled to their opinion, man. Maybe it's a bad film? Maybe it's a good film? To me it's just a film. It's something I needed to make."
"I started out as a guitarist in the early Eighties. I hooked up with a guy who idolized James Dean and he gave me a copy of the Dean biography, 'The Mutant King', which I thought was really interesting. While reading the book, I watched Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and I thought, 'Wow, this guy really has something', and I was hooked. I wasn't really into acting at the time - but James Dean was the catalyst."
"I don't have a mental picture of the houses we lived in because there were so many."
[On being an uncle] My sister Christi had a baby when I was 17, and I had just heard about crib death. The horrible thing was that it wasn't understood. For some unknown reason the baby would stop breathing. So I would sneak into where the baby was sleeping and put my hand in her crib, hold her little finger, and I'd sleep on the floor like that. It was stupid, I'm sure. But I thought the warmth of my hand might help, that maybe if she felt my pulse it would remind her to breathe.
Marlon Brando is maybe the greatest actor of the last two centuries. But his mind is much more important than the acting thing. The way that he looks at things, doesn't judge things, the way that he assesses things. He's as important as, uh... who's important today? Jesus, not many people... Stephen Hawking!
There's nothing - you know - nothing else like music. Nothing that touches us on that, uh, that deep level. Music can open up so many emotions that we didn't know we had. It's the magical thing about musicals, you know, on the stage or on film or whatever. Love songs. They work so well because music touches us, emotionally, where words alone can't.
"As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too."
"Well, there was a great book I read. . . . What was it called? Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition. A very interesting book. I wasn't exactly going for that with the character. And Keith is not flamboyant in his actions. Keith is pretty stealth. But with Jack, it was more that I liked the idea of being ambiguous, of taking this character and making everything a little bit . . . questionable. Because women were thought to be bad luck on ships. And these pirates would go out for years at a time. So, you know, there is a possibility that one thing might lead to another." [when asked by Rolling Stone if there is a "gay undercurrent" to his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies]
"Marlon wanted me to escape movies for a while - 'Take a year off. Go on. Study Shakespeare.' So it's one of the things that keep ricocheting around in my head. He told me that by the time he had got to the point where he felt he could do Hamlet, it was too late. So he said, 'Do it now, do it while you can.' And I would like to do it - although it's one of the more frightening ideas I've had. I think as an actor it is good to feel the fear of failing miserably. I think you should take that risk. Fear is a necessary ingredient in everything I do. But if I do Hamlet it will probably be in a small theater on a small stage and it will have to be very, very soon because I'm getting a little long in the tooth for it."
Having kids was a huge change for me. Becoming a father. But I think more than changing, I feel like I've been revealed to myself, I kind of found out who I was. When you meet your child for the first time and you're looking at this angel, you start realising what an idiot you've been for so many years and how much time you've wasted. As far as being feet-on-the-ground, once again my kids and Vanessa have given me a proper foundation. A sense of home that I never had in my life, a real sense of a place to be.
I loved playing Edward Scissorhands because there's nothing cynical, jaded or impure about him. It's almost a letdown to look in the mirror and realize I'm not Edward.
What I said was, the United States of America is a young country compared to Europe, compared to, you know, other countries. We're young. We're 200 and something years old.
Salary
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
$20,000,000
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
$18,000,000
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
$10,000,000
Where Are They Now
(November 2004) Working with the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Montblanc and the National Arts Initiative to give children more access to the Arts.
(July 2005) Shooting the two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, in the Caribbean.
(July 2006) He and his production company, 'Infinitum Nihil Production', are in the process of getting two in-development projects made, _Rum Diary, The (2008)_ and Shantaram (2008). Looking to reprise his role as Hunter S. Thompson as his first post-'Pirates' role.
(January 2007) Currently preparing for the role of Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker in the Tim Burton film version of Stephen Sondheim's thrilling masterpiece "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" filming begins in early Feb 2007 for a late 2007 release

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