Years after the infamous trial between him and his ex, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp is weaving his way back onto the big screen. His next project is Modi, Three Days on the Wings of Madness. The actor doesn’t actually appear in the film, but he directed it, his first time behind the camera in over twenty years. The project is a biopic of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and is based on Dennis McIntyre’s play Modigliani. Then, he will reunite with Penélope Cruz for Day Drinker, a thriller for Lionsgate and directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man). This will be Depp’s first major Hollywood feature since the trials.
While Jerry Bruckheimer deals with how to handle the Depp situation for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean installments, Depp talks with The Sunday Times about his career and life going forward. Whatever you call his new projects, don’t call it a comeback. Depp scoffs at the notion of a comeback, “My comeback? Honestly? I didn’t go anywhere. If I actually had the chance to split, I would never come back.” The actor would emphasize that the attention he garners is a side-effect of his profession that he still struggles with, “If you look at the 9,000 years that I’ve been doing this sh*t, it’s pretty clear that I wasn’t ever thinking how I could be more famous, make a hit or please the press. Fame is an occupational hazard — but if I spout off about how upset I am, people will say, ‘Sweetheart, take a job pulling trash bags.’”
Depp illustrates how he still hasn’t gotten used to the fame since his 21 Jump Street days. He explains, “Well, to this day I just rarely go out. If friends invite me out for Mexican, I say, ‘Dude, that’s sweet of you but I will ruin your night.’ My presence will bring attention and, Jesus, I have had almost 40 years of fame but I’m still not used to it. And I’m glad I’m not.”
However, his daughter Lily-Rose Depp has recently taken up the mantle with a recently acclaimed performance in Nosferatu. When asked what advice he would give to Lily-Rose, Johhny responds, “Sometimes kids say to me, ‘I want to be an actor, what’s your advice?’ And I say, ‘Don’t be!’ I know what’s coming for them. I was chucked on that road and the only advice that I can give is, ‘Don’t allow anyone to make you something you are not.’ They’ll want you to be a poster boy and it’s tempting — a lot of money. And if that’s the direction you want? Go for it. But don’t let anybody choose for you.”
Depp continues, “And that’s my legacy, right? My films. That is what I ended up with after 40 years of making faces. And my kiddies will live with that legacy as well — they’ll have to carry my legacy with them once I hit the skids.”
