Johnny Depp on music, scents, and the mystique of creativity
Whether he is playing the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, or the suave Tom Hanson in his breakout role in 21 Jump Street, Johnny Deep’s magnetic presence is clear to see. Away from the silver screen, his association with Dior, notably as the face Dior Sauvage since 2015, too, elicits irrepressible attention.
Depp’s portrayal in Dior’s campaigns taps into his reputation as a Hollywood rebel, an artist who defies convention and lives by his own rules. He lends a rock-and-roll edge to the brand, further enhancing its appeal to those seeking a fragrance that is both unique and timeless. If non-conformist masculinity had a scent, we are pretty sure that it would smell pretty close to the Dior Sauvage.
You have been the face of Sauvage for almost 10 years. What does that mean to you? What was your favourite campaign?
I try not to look at myself too much. All I can walk away with is my experience of creating something. Normally I don’t watch myself, but I have watched the campaigns, because you never know what Jean-Baptiste (photographer for Christian Dior Parfums) is going to do, which is a beautiful thing. You just don’t know what he’s got, but he’ll find it and he’ll use it. He’s very elegant. He’s like Picasso. I liked all the campaigns, they were all cool. I adore him.
There’s an incredible amount of trust, and that’s a thing that has to be earned. But sometimes you’ll find yourself in proximity to someone and it just clicks and you’re in sync and you know you can trust that person. It doesn’t happen every day. But Jean-Baptiste, I think he’s a genius, I really do.
He’s a master. His work is not unlike silent cinema that was done well or those early short films … his vision and his visual vernacular, his language, he doesn’t want to spew out a bunch of dialogue, he doesn’t want to whine or yammer or discuss: here is what he sees, here is what I see, bam! And I think he’s knocked it out of the park every time.
Perfume is often described as capturing certain emotions or moods. Similarly, acting involves channelling emotions and portraying characters in an authentic way. How do you see the process of crafting a fragrance mirroring the process of developing a character for a role?
The beauty of creating a character for me, is that I don’t know what the result is going to be. I only try to stay focused on the journey, and the result is a mystery. I’m sure Francis (creative director of Parfums Christian Dior) has something in his mind that he’s aiming for, which leads him to the next level in terms of, “What am I going to try next”, “What am I going to put with this?”
It’s very similar to music or painting, or writing. A blank piece of paper or a blank canvas is one of the most intimidating things ever, and I hope it remains that way! So he starts with a blank canvas, but with some notion of where he wants to go, and he searches for the road.
Can you share any insights into how music plays a role in shaping your personal style and image?
Music is still everything. I remember when I was first starting out, coming up the ranks. I didn’t know much, I wasn’t a musician really you know… Back then I would go into an audition in a UK Subs or a Bad Brains t-shirt and a fedora, and that wasn’t a usual look back then.
I always liked photographs of film sets in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, where the crew were wearing suits and ties. They may have had their sleeves rolled up, but they were wearing suits and hats. There was something so beautiful about it. I never really felt comfortable in the era I grew up in–or in the era that I am getting old in!
What do you think is essential to achieve a powerful performance when playing a character?
Something has to grab you first. When I read a screenplay, if I don’t feel intrigued by the first twenty pages, it’s over for me. When I’m reading, images and visions appearing my mind, I splatter ideas and notes onto the page and write them down.
The most important thing is to decide whether there is something that I, personally, can add to this. Is there something I want to add to this, is there an opportunity to explain yourself without explaining yourself? That is to say, Edward, that character of Edward Scissorhands, when I read that screenplay, I bawled like a baby, and I was sure I was not going to get the gig. And a month later I get a call. Denise (Di Novi), the producer said “Johnny, you’re Edward Scissorhands.”
That, to me, was like the second step onto my foundation, that material that I wanted to do. So with the process of acting, you approach things in a different way and you have different things, different places to access within you. That’s your toolbox.
