Johnny Depp Spreads The Love

I really like Johnny Depp. As an actor, and as a person, he seems like a gem hidden in amongst the often-obnoxious world of Hollywood and celebrity culture. Do I love him? No, but he would perhaps be the one man able to tempt me into experimenting. I kid, I kid. Maybe.

Why am I talking about Johnny Depp in such reverential terms? Because he deserves it, having recently shown how he’s willing and able to spread the love around himself. While out and about doing publicity for Public Enemies, his latest film, also starring Christian Bale, Depp has expressed his love for a couple of other gems in the industry.

On his friend and favorite director Tim Burton:

“The most special thing is that he very luckily has given me about seven jobs. That’s the most amazing thing. I’m looking forward to the eighth and ninth. There’s no real definition other than there is some kind of connection, some sort of understanding that Tim and I have that is at most times unspoken.”

“Most people when they hear Tim give me direction or we’re talking about the character or something on the set, people are baffled. They don’t know what we’re talking about. It’s just one of those things that you don’t question, but I sure love him.”

I don’t know what it is about Burton and Depp’s working relationship but it works time and time again. The only person who can compete for Burton’s attention seems to be his wife Helena Bonham-Carter, and Burton deals with that by giving her a role in all of his movies. Depp gets the parts on merit.

On his Public Enemies co-star Stephen Graham:

“I think he’s magnificent. Stephen Graham - one of my favorite actors of all time. What he did in This Is England absolutely destroyed me.”

“What he did and what Tomo [Thomas Turgoose] did in that film of Shane Meadows’, took me to my knees. He’s someone I’m going to fight to get. I’m going to force him to be in almost every film I do. Even at gunpoint!”

I only saw This Is England the other day and I must admit to also having been blown away by Graham’s performance. It’s nice to see a British actor getting the recognition he deserves and landing bigger and better roles as a result. I just hope he makes a better job of it than Jason Statham.

As for Johnny Depp, he can be safe in the knowledge that we all love him as much as he seems to love others. Even I, as a heterosexual male love him. Just not in a gay way. Much.