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Kono Eiga ga Sugoi - October, 2001(Translation by Kyoko) "Wow! This room is very bright. It's so sunny outside. I was in a room where the curtains were shut for photo shooting up until now, so .... I'm suffering from terrible jet lag. As I don't understand whether it's day or night, I appreciate seeing the sun." It's Johnny Depp's first comment when he entered the interview room filled with bright sunlight in L.A. With his hair with the blond streaks hanging down to his shoulders and wearing a short-sleeved shirt on top of a long-sleeved one, Johnny looked a little listless. "I forgot it's yesterday or the day before yesterday, but I've just arrived here from France." Johnny, who has been living in France recently, returned to L.A. after a long break, because of the promotion for the upcoming film Blow. "I missed my house so much that I returned there during the intermission of the covering, then I dozed off. So I'm late. Damn." But he had already prepared for the interview, leaning forward. Yes, though he tends to seem a short-tempered rebel, the real Johnny is a very cooperative gentleman. He answers any question honestly and sincerely. -- George Jung, who you played in Blow, is a real person and still alive. Did you meet him? Johnny : Yeah, I did. What I noticed about him was... You might think it strange, but I was fascinated with his hair. So, I needed a lot of wigs in order to be close to the character and become him as much as I could. I don't think the film producers consented to me to order that many weird shaped wigs. (Laughs) -- I heard you'd got a wig you used in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Did you get these wigs, too? Johnny : Of course, I got them all. But Marilyn Manson wanted to have one of them, so I gave it to him. That's the one I wore as an old guy. -- When you met Mr. Jung, did you talk about your acting? Johnny : We spent 2 days in the Federal Correctional Facility in upstate New York. What I thought then was that Mr. Jung must have wanted me to make a film as precisely as possible. But the truth is often very ugly, so I asked, "How much freedom will you allow me to act?" "I don't mind," he answered, "You may act until the wheels are taken off and burned out." Following his word, we did it until we were "burned out," so I think he is pleased with the result. -- Blow is a biographical story of George Jung, who was first a marijuana dealer, afterward a cocaine dealer, and was arrested by the FBI many times. Why did you choose this film? Johnny : When I was shooting Sleepy Hollow in London, Ted visited the set. Having a dinner and drinking a lot together, I found out I would be in the film. (Laughs) What I like about this film is it doesn't try to preach to the audiences or impeach someone, which I think is in vain. -- How do you think about drugs? Johnny : Drug is a very heavy word. When I was young, I tried every kind of drugs. But I managed to quit it by a miracle. When I started using them, I was still a kid, so I tried marijuana first, then alcohol, then ... In such a way, I escalated little by little. For me, drugs helped me escape from reality, numbing my brain. What allowed me to shun staring at the demon in myself and say, "Ok, I can see you. I understand." was drugs. -- Can you tell me about Franka Potente, who played your first girlfriend, and Penelope Cruz, who played your wife? Johnny : I'd met Penelope with Pedro Almodovar. Remembering her then, I can't understand how she can speak English so well now. She can concentrate surprisingly. Because of this ability, I think she managed to master English. That's the same for Franka. I was amazed with her, seeing Run Lola Run. And she was really the person that I had expected, when we worked together. I was touched she spoke English so well. -- Betrayed by his wife and sentenced to life imprisonment, I thought he would be redeemed only by his daughter. Is Lily-Rose the similar existence for you? Was the fact you are a father helpful for playing him? Johnny : Well... I don't know whether being a father was reflected in my acting. And as for the relationship between Jung and his daughter, you would have to ask him directly. But for me, I can say that sort of a fog I'd been living in for some 30 years cleared away, when I met Vanessa and my daughter was born. The miracle I talked about was exactly brought by them. -- Which language are you using when you talk with your daughter? Johnny : At first, I talked to her in French. But my French still isn't good, so recently I have talked to her in English. I want her to learn English, too. Vanessa and I are communicating in English. This is what I often say, but everyday we look at Lily-Rose falling asleep. That's very strange, but it is the happiest moment in my life. Uhmmm. I wonder why a person like me can experience such bliss. I can't believe that. First of all, if Lily-Rose brings home a guy like me when she becomes older, I don't know what I would do to him in my rage. (Laughs) -- What kind of father are you? Johnny : I don't know. I'm trying to become a good father, though. Every morning, I prepare milk and toast for her and after that we go for a walk or play in a sandbox. Now I'm doing what I used to regard as a cliché, but I'm enjoying it. I'm feeling happy. (Laughs) -- Your name is written on Vanessa's album "Bliss." How did you involve yourself in it? Johnny : I didn't help her much. What I did was just teach some guitar chords to her or play some of my favorite records for her. Also Vanessa sometimes asked me to play the guitar for her or hum the melody together. I think she put my name on her album out of her own tenderness. -- But you were playing a guitar on it, weren't you? And I heard that you directed the Pourtant video. Johnny : Yeah, but I only helped her a little. The whole thing she did about the record belongs to her. I'm really proud of her. -- Do you go to see her concerts? Johnny : I go there every time her concert is held in Paris. They are wonderful concerts and I'm always moved. Music is great, though my music career ended when I started acting. Music is what I'm enthusiastic over. Music rescued my life, when I was becoming an adult. Thanks to music, I managed to overcome my fear about my puberty or my life. So, I'm still doing it for my own pleasure. -- Aren't you going to marry Vanessa? Johnny : She is my wife in my opinion. We only haven't done the paperwork. When I met her and my daughter was born, I was convinced that I had lived for this. I'm happy living with Vanessa and my daughter, so I believe that's enough for me.
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