LIKE A ROLLING STONE

It was producer Jerry Bruckheimer's intention for Johnny Depp to be "the antidote to Disney" in Pirates Of The Carribean. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley simply speak of him as 'genius'("Johnny is Johnny", Bloom says, "It'a a whole different level."). And Depp seriously must have something of a genius, something unique, to change a production like this in such a radical way. His is a real boarding, the boarding of only one man.The onetime star of the television series Jump Street 21, currently living in the South of France with Vanessa Paradis and their two children, 'marks' every movie in which he plays in an indelible way. It's almost as if Depp is functioning in a world of his own, moving in a 'different' microcosm. There is always the shock of the appearance of Edward Scissorhands in the suburbs with the pastel houses. We met him in Los Angeles.

Why did Keith Richards inspire you?

"I thought of pirates as the rock 'n' roll stars of the 18th century and there is a whole particular way in which Keith 'carries himself'. I didn't want to make an imitation of him, an exact copy. But I did use the memories of the time we spent together. He is extremely graceful, incredibly funny, very intelligent. And I think he is the greatest rock 'n' roll star of all times."

It's strange to see you play in a big summer action movie…

"I'm still too dumb to make choices only in virtue of their eventual success. This production is more important of my usual ones, but I chose it like I always do, because I saw something in the character; I thought I could make something special out of this pirate. I thought of him a bit like a guy who succeeds in slipping away through the raindrops without getting wet. My work doesn't change, even in a production like this one. From my point of view, this was a small movie, like all the other ones I made."

Gypsies, pirates, boys with scissorhands. Your characters are nearly always outsiders…

"I really like gypsies and pirates, I really do. The gypsies are a bit like the Native Americans, wonderful people for which music and art are very important. I have had this romantic image of pirates since I was little. And my daughter, who is four, went mad when she saw the trailer. Now she is convinced that I am a real pirate."

Your role in the movie is different from all the other ones, your acting is much more over the top, directed towards comedy. How did you understand if what you were doing was working or not?

"My best thermometer is the crew. If I saw someone stifle a burst of laughter, by the sides of my visual field, or if I heard someone laughing quietly, I knew I was at the right level. It was the same if someone bursted out laughing after a scene. And it's important to have that thermometer: I want every 'action' to be fresh, I always feel something different."

Why do you still have the gold teeth?