Johnny Depp is reflecting on the overwhelming fame he experienced as a young actor in a new documentary about his frequent collaborator, Tim Burton.
In the second episode of Tara Wood’s untitled four-part documentary series about Burton, Depp, 61, opens up about how uncomfortable he was with his celebrity status. The documentary includes archival footage of Burton, 66, describing Depp as “very much not” the sex symbol that the media portrayed him to be.
“I was completely freaked out by [fame],” Depp admits in the documentary. “Paparazzi would take pictures of me. People would whisper and point their finger and stuff. I felt like sort of this raw nerve on display.”
Depp also shares how he was chosen for the iconic role of Edward Scissorhands in 1990, beating out other actors like Tom Cruise. He recalls a strong connection forming with Burton when they first met to discuss the film.
“What I noticed the first time we met was he wasn’t saying very many words,” Depp recalls. “He would begin a sentence and I would go ‘Oh yeah,’ and then we would talk about Boris Karloff or something. We related on a lot of levels.”
Despite their immediate connection, Depp initially doubted he had a chance of landing the role. “After about three-and-a-half hours of a really great yak with the guy, I still thought, ‘No chance, man. No chance,'” he reflects.
The collaboration between Depp and Burton on Edward Scissorhands proved to be a success, with the pair going on to work together on several films, including Ed Wood (1994), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).
Depp also discusses his performance as Edward Scissorhands, noting how he eventually realized that the character mirrored Burton’s own personality, which caused him to worry about his portrayal.
“I was cast in the film but I was stepping into a kind of family that I hadn’t been totally brought into yet,” Depp says. “I was absolutely convinced that I was blowing it.” He reveals how Burton intentionally isolated him from the rest of the cast during rehearsals to help him understand the loneliness his character experiences, though Depp initially found the experience frightening.
“It was scary. I was uber paranoid,” Depp admits. “Why is [Burton] not rehearsing me? Maybe he trusts me. No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t trust you, what are you nuts? He’s going to cast someone else, man.”
Wood’s documentary, which is currently seeking distribution, premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. The series also features interviews with other actors and collaborators, including Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Danny Elfman.