JOHNNY DEPP, Captain Jack Sparrow himself, talks about working with Judi Dench again, acting with the man who inspired his character, and at the London press conference for his latest film, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES.
***PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is in cinemas from 18 MAY
MMM: You’ve said you love playing this part, so do you think it’s a role you were born to play?
Depp: It also gives me the opportunity to wear women’s undergarments, which you don’t get every day, so when you get to take the chance, grab it! It’s funny how the films have been accepted and how the character has been accepted.
When you think back to when we started out on Pirates 1 it was very simple, just like any other character. You just grab bits and pieces and out comes this weird little stew you’ve created. So, none of us did anything different than create these characters, and ‘boom!’ whatever happened, happened.
It’s just so much fun to get away with things you’re not normally allowed to get away with – to be totally irreverent, to play as absurd as you like. It’s a very special opportunity.
MMM: Kids really love your character, so do you feel a special responsibility to your younger fans?
Depp: The only responsibility you really have is to deliver something that’s fresh, that’s new or at least to attempt that. The real responsibility is to entertain and to try and make them laugh.
MMM: Can you talk about working with Dame Judi Dench, who has a cameo in the movie?
Depp: It’s the second time I’ve been lucky enough to work with Dame Judi Dench, very briefly on Chocolat and very briefly on this one. She’s such a major force – such a fun, smart, elegant angel. I got to dance with her on Chocolat and then I get to bite her ear on this one. What’s next? [Laughs]
MMM: I believe you had to contend with some rather large bugs in some of the exotic locations where you were filming…
Depp: Whenever you have an insect that has not only more legs than you… but when it goes from being called a centipede to a millipede to you losing count… plus it has these things sticking out the front that taunt you as it’s about to bite you with its ass! They were quite big. They have some crawly, horrible things in Hawaii. I was in fear of them.
MMM: You’ve often said that Jack Sparrow was inspired by Keith Richards, so how surreal is it acting with the man who inspired your character? And is he quite flattered by your portrayal?
Depp: It was very strange initially. When the character’s main ingredients first came out, the idea of mixing Keith Richards and Pepe le Pew, I was worried what Keith was going to think – I didn’t fear Pepe le Pew! I was a little worried about Keith because for a good portion of the time I was spending with him I was sponging as much of him as I possibly could to use for the character and when he found out what I’d been doing, it could have gone either way.
But he was really sweet about it [imitates Keith Richards’ voice] ‘I had no idea’. And to then be able to bring him into the fold and bring him into the film and do scenes with him, it’s one of those things that’s been seared onto your brain. It was one of those moments where you know you’re really lucky to be here and I’m really lucky that I’m aware I’m lucky.
MMM: Were you tempted to bring your guitar skills in to the film?
Depp: The idea of playing a guitar anywhere near Keith Richards… it took me about 11 years before I could actually touch a guitar in his presence, and that’s just to pick it up. [Laughs] There are some things you just don’t do.
MMM: You’ve played Jack for a number of years, does he come back easily to you? Or do you have to do particular things to bring him back to life?
Depp: With all the characters I’ve played they’re still pretty close to the surface and each and every one of them is relatively accessible. Some of them you have to work up to while others come a little big easier. But Captain Jack, having played him now four times, arrives pretty quickly. In fact, he arrives a little too quickly! He arrives in life a lot… dropping my kids off at school, he’ll show up.
