by Johnny Depp is one of the most renowned actors in Hollywood with a career spanning over 30 years. He has brought to life some of the most iconic movie characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, and the Mad Hatter. While Depp has had tremendous success and earned widespread critical acclaim, even the most talented stars make some films they later wish they hadn’t. In interviews over the years, Depp himself has singled out a few movies he regrets making or wishes he could go back and improve upon.
The Lone Ranger – A Missed Opportunity for More Humor
In 2013, Johnny Depp starred alongside Armie Hammer in the big-budget Disney film The Lone Ranger. Depp played Native American warrior Tonto, while Hammer starred as the titular Texas Ranger. With a production budget of over $200 million and a talented lead duo, the movie seemed destined for success. However, it was both a critical and commercial failure, earning only $260 million against its budget and scoring a lowly 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In an interview with Empire magazine, Depp expressed regret about the film and his performance in it. “I feel like I could have done a better job on The Lone Ranger,” Depp said. “I don’t think I brought enough humor to it. I think it was a missed opportunity.”
<blockquote>“It was like having a bag of grenades with the pins pulled, and you’re just running through the crowd trying not to catch your fingers on them,” he says of the film’s catastrophic failure.</blockquote>
Depp felt his reverential take on the character of Tonto was too serious and earnest and that he should have brought more levity and humor to the role. Given the over-the-top, larger-than-life style that director Gore Verbinski was going for, a more comedic slant might have better suited the tone. Looking back, Depp believes he could have delivered a funnier, more engaging performance instead of the stoic straight-man routine.
Adding more hijinks, laughs, and a sporadic bursts of physical comedy could have helped counterbalance the Western pastiche and drawn in audiences more effectively. While we’ll never know how a more comical take might have landed, it’s clear Depp sees The Lone Ranger as a missed chance to flex his funny bone.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Going Through the Motions
The first three Pirates of the Caribbean films starring Johnny Depp as the flamboyant buccaneer Captain Jack Sparrow represent one of the most successful and beloved blockbuster franchises ever. After the original trilogy wrapped up Will and Elizabeth’s story, Disney decided to continue the series focusing solely on Depp’s fan-favorite character. The end result was 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
While still a commercial success grossing over $1 billion, On Stranger Tides scored only a 33% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a significant drop-off from the first three films. In interviews, Depp himself has also voiced criticism about the fourth entry in the franchise.
<blockquote>“Ultimately there’s a bit of flatness to it. I feel like I kind of went over the line with the, what do they call it, the caricaturization of the character.”</blockquote>
Speaking about his performance, Depp said “I felt like I wasn’t really present in On Stranger Tides. I was kind of going through the motions. I think it would have been a better movie if I had been more engaged with the character.”
So what happened exactly? How could Johnny Depp feel detached and disengaged from playing one of his most iconic roles that he had already embodied in three previous films?
One potential factor was burnout. He played Jack Sparrow eight years straight from 2003 to 2007 filming the original trilogy back-to-back-to-back. After finally taking a break from the character for four years, returning to the madcap pirate may have lost some of natural spark and rhythm he had previously discovered.
There was also the loss of director Gore Verbinski and scriptwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio – the creative troupe behind the first three blockbusters. With Rob Marshall now helming the project, the magic and camaraderie on set likely wasn’t quite the same.
Whatever the reasons, it’s clear On Stranger Tides lacks the verve and distinctiveness in Depp’s Sparrow that earned the actor an Oscar nomination for the first film. For an A-list performer like Depp who prides himself on losing himself completely in his roles, feeling like he’s simply phoning it in must certainly sting.
Other Regrettable Roles: Mortdecai, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Fantastic Beasts
In addition to The Lone Ranger and On Stranger Tides, Johnny Depp has mentioned a few other films over the years he considers misfires, wasn’t fully satisfied with, or regrets signing onto.
Mortdecai
In the 2015 crime caper comedy Mortdecai, Depp plays an unscrupulous art dealer racing to recover a stolen painting linked to Nazi gold. He attempted to craft an eccentric, bumbling, British mustached character reminiscent of classic stars like Terry-Thomas and Alec Guinness. However, the final product failed to come together and Depp himself has admitted the casting was a poor fit.
<blockquote>“I think it was a miscast that just didn’t work,” he says of Mortdecai. “It was one I felt pressured into – and I’ve always been lousy in things I feel pressured into.”</blockquote>
Critics and audiences agreed, as Mortdecai bombed badly scraping together just $47 million against its $60 million budget. Roger Ebert described it as “an exercise in tedious style and dreadful acting choices.”
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Following up a billion dollar global smash like 2010’s Alice In Wonderland was never going to be an easy task. However, the 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass failed to capture the magic of its predecessor, succumbing to an overly convoluted time travel plot and leaning far too heavily into CGI saturation over storytelling substance.
Johnny Depp has admitted that he found the finished product underwhelming: “I did the second version of Alice and a lot of people hated it. I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t think it breathed.”
With only $299 million worldwide against a $170 million budget, Looking Glass marked a steep decline causing Disney to cancel plans for any potential threequel focused on Depp’s Mad Hatter.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Finally, in 2016 Johnny Depp had joined the Wizarding World franchise with a cameo in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them before taking on a larger role as central villain Gellert Grindelwald in the sequel The Crimes of Grindelwald.
However, shortly before filming commenced, Depp became embroiled in a highly public legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard who claimed the actor had been verbally and physically abusive. With the disturbing accusations still hanging over Depp, Warner Bros decided to request that he step down and recast Grindelwald rather than sully their family-friendly franchise.
So while Crimes of Grindelwald may not have seen the light of day with Depp in the role, losing out on such an iconic character must certainly sting given his affinity for playing darker, off-kilter figures.
Final Thoughts: Perfectionism Breeds Self-Critique
While every artist can find flaws in their best work, Johnny Depp seems particularly driven by perfectionist standards for his craft and not afraid to critique himself, even at the height of his stardom. For diehard fans, it comes as somewhat of a surprise to hear him speak about feeling detached from Captain Jack Sparrow or calling his comedic choices into question.
However, it speaks to his relentless commitment to give every character his all and blend so fully into their essence that even he can lose sight of himself in the process. That uncompromising dedication and vulnerability is why – misfires aside – he’ll always be revered as one of the greatest actors of his generation capable of molding himself into any strange and spectacular persona.
