Two kinds of viewers exist: those who first encountered Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands, and those who discovered him through Pirates of the Caribbean. Opinions about the actor and his projects often hinge on this split. Depp’s career has wandered between commercial success, flamboyant experimentation, and deeply personal storytelling, and over the years he has often found real life echoes of the character Tim Burton created, a figure audiences around the world adored in the 1980s. “Edward Scissorhands is the closest thing to me. I’m shy by nature, rarity is the most interesting.”
This was one of the candid moments shared by the North American star during a press conference held at the Real Alcázar as part of Seville’s film festival. After years of choosing provocative, independent projects, he spoke about his own directorial ventures, noting that his second feature came roughly 27 years after his debut as a director, a brave move.
With a warm, Bohemian humor and a signature, stylish public persona, Depp invited the press to relax and listen. He offered a calm, sincere, and thoughtful look at cinema rather than the usual rehearsed sound bites. The audience’s sustained applause and the respectful silence between questions showed that the actor was not simply performing an autopilot routine; he spoke at his own pace, sharing only a few key ideas. With the festival stepping into its twenty‑first edition, his remarks promised to inject momentum into an event that often relies on strong media coverage to sustain interest.
Minutes into the session, opinion flowed from reporters. “So how will this come? I think it’s a risk.” You don’t need preconceived ideas or heavy expectations in life. “I hate expectations. Isn’t it better to go on a journey without knowing what awaits you around the corner?”
This is a line from one of Hollywood’s best‑known actors, now 62 years old, whose career has included highs in both independent cinema and big‑budget epics. He has made headlines for personal matters that played out in the press, yet continues to push his craft forward and explore new horizons in Europe and beyond.
In this moment, the actor spoke shortly about his experience filming in Europe and his ambition to shoot a new project in Budapest. He contrasted European film culture with the typical American approach: a staged three‑act structure with a tidy arc. He described European audiences as hungry for something fresher—a cinema that invites adventure and risk rather than formula. He mused about the possibility that future filmmakers could emerge from places as diverse as Jim Jarmusch or Pedro Almodóvar, adding that it would be unwise to stay chained to Hollywood’s accounting‑driven mindset.
“This is a passion that cannot be found in Hollywood”
What followed was not a simple recap of the film about the life of Amadeo Modigliani in Paris during the postwar era. Depp spoke at length about his career and his decision to direct, filming in Europe, and the difference in creative energy between continents. The European approach, he argued, offers a generous appetite for experimentation that he did not always see back home. He recalled the allure of letting a younger generation understand that cinema can be made with initiative and boldness, not just with studio‑approved formulas.
He argued there are no direct analogies between Hollywood’s rigidity and Europe’s openness. The influence of a new generation of directors—emerging talents who use modern tools to tell intimate stories—responds to a different tempo and a different audience. The actor remembered that a young filmmaker might pick up a phone and declare, “I want to shoot a movie”, and realize that the future could belong to someone like Jarmusch or Almodóvar. He joked that continuing in Hollywood would be irresponsible for someone who values real creativity, even if the industry knows how to count.
“It would be irresponsible for me to continue in Hollywood, where you talk to people who know more about accounting than you do, but creativity peaks once a year around Halloween.”
When asked what he had learned after 27 years away from frequent acting, the star replied with a light laugh that perhaps it is better not to be in every project. The cast surrounding the production included acclaimed performers who gave depth to the material, and the director also thanked the performers for bringing a nuanced English literary figure to life. He explained that his preference lies in the experience of shooting, rather than obsessing over a final cut or a completed product.
With a prolific resume spanning Ed Wood, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, and Don Juan De Marco, the actor described working with legendary collaborators as a continual, chaotic education. He credited collaboration with Tim Burton, Emir Kusturica, and Jim Jarmusch as catalysts for fearless experimentation. Depp spoke about an untamed, anarchic spirit that pushes him beyond the script and toward improvisation in service of character. When asked how he managed to inhabit Jack Sparrow’s skin, he lightheartedly teased the possibility of a schizophrenia joke, drawing laughs from the room.
In these remarks, the star underscored a lifelong truth: he remains an actor who embraces the craft before any single project, and he frequently resists the impulse to watch a finished film after wrapping. He values the immediacy of the shoot and the shared energy of the crew over the forced final impressions of the audience. This perspective sits at the heart of a career that spans both groundbreaking indie work and blockbuster adventures, and it resonates with audiences across North America who appreciate his audacious approach to storytelling.