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West Magazine - 2/14/04

The pic on the cover was accompanied by the phrase "Depp and meaningful, looking beyond the pretty face."

HERE'S JOHNNY.

The soulful, brown eyes above Johnny Depp's high cheekbones don't seem to show any hint that he is, gulp, middle-aged. As he matures, his acclaim as an actor is growing.

AT THE recent Golden Globe awards ceremony, Bill Murray in his acceptance speech commiserated with his "brothers on the other side of the aisle, the dramatic actors." "Without them where would our war, our misery, our psychological dramas come from?" the comedian deadpanned.

Johnny Depp, who was also nominated in the comedy and musical category-and wore what has become his trademark hat and tortoiseshell glasses-looked on in bemusement. The irony was that before Pirates of the Caribbean, Depp had specialised in dark dramas, so to be nominated in this category seemed like an odd twist. While he is a dark-horse nomination as best actor at this month's Academy Awards, he is at least in the race and finally being recognised for his many talents, beyond being the sexiest man of 2003 (if you believe People magazine).

The thing Depp excels at is making his eccentric characters likable, as he draws us into their weird and wonderful worlds. From Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood to his off-kilter detectives in From Hell and Sleepy Hollow, they are all a part of himself, he says. To be a good actor, it must always be that way.

Still, as a corrupt CIA agent in his latest movie, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, he is the meanest he has been- and Depp had the time of his life working with Robert Rodriguez, creator of the first two mariachi films, El Mariachi and Desperado, and the Spy Kids series.

Depp also had fun with the film's cartoon-style action, "spinning around and shooting good guys", according to Rodriguez. "i didn't think he was not fond of action, but he told me, 'You've converted me'." Rodriguez likes to take credit for being the catalyst for Depp doing Pirates of the Caribbean, yet the biggest factor in Depp's lightening up after a seies of intense films was his new happy family life.

It was Depp's desire to make a movie that might amuse his kids- in contrast to, say, Blow (2001) of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (199 that prompted him to accept the role of beached buccaneer Jack Saprrow. His swaggering Keith Richards-inspired take on the role has earned him his first Oscar nomination in more than 20 films.

"My daughter (four-year-old Lily-Rose) came to the set one day and I did Captain Jack Sparrow for her and she enjoyed it," Depp says, emitting a warm smile. "She laughed. So that was enough for me. She loved it, the fantasy, the treasure everywhere. "But now that we're in Montreal working on Secret Window (what he terms a psychological thriller) and I say, 'Papa has to go to work', she is coming to terms with the fact that Daddy's an actor. And it's a great let-down from being a pirate, you know." In his early days, the 40-year-old was more of a rock star, dating models such as Kate Moss and having Winona Ryder's name tattooed on his arm. And there was the wrecking of a New York hotel room in 1994. But four years later, he met French singer Vanessa Paradis, moved with her to the South of France and started his family, Lily-Rose and one-year-old Jack.

Depp, who was married and divorced to actress Lori Anderson before he was 22, said he would marry Paradis is she asked him. "If she wants to do that, why not? You know, the thing is, Vanessa just has a great last name and I'd hate to ruin it. Paradis-Depp," he says, pausing to listen to the sound. "It just doesn't have a ring." Despite his current Hollywood clout and his family to suuport, Depp insists he is not in it for the money. That he has made three fantasy films in a row-including Neverland, in which he plays Peter Pan creator, J.M. Barrie- is a coincidence, he says. "I haven't got to that point in my career yet where I have to sell out and make a bunch of dough. It may happen, you never know."

During the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean he had no inkling of the juggernaut the film would become. "The premiere felt like being pushed into an alien space craft. Id never seen anything like that in my life. "I was very shocked regarding the film's box-office success, too. It's not something I'm used to and I was very touched that people liked it so much. I figure I might as well enjoy the ride while I'm on it." He will, of course, reprise his wasted buccaneer for the sequel.

For the first time in his life, Depp has been able to contend with the Hollywood hoopla. "I'm more relaxed since I met Vanessa. I have more distance and because I have more distance I have more perspective. Before I just felt as if I was another ingredient floating around in a boiling pot of stew and I couldn't quite figure out my place. When you're living in Hollywood all the time you're constantly in that game, and you're susceptible to the pressures of success and the box office. I couldn't stand it because I had no interest in that. I mean, I'd always wanted a film to do well but not at the cost of creative compromise. So I think that Vanessa and my kids have grounded me to the degree that I can step back and watch it all from afar. "It feels good," he beams and laughs. "It feels really good."

Once Upon a Time in Mexico opens on February 26.