MOVIE NEWS – Johnny Depp, Hollywood star of Edward Scissorhands and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, claims to hold no grudges against anyone. Having endured a highly publicized divorce and a global defamation trial that inspired documentaries, countless daily gossip headlines, and even memes, Depp insists he harbors no resentment.

Is this Depp attempting a career reboot? It appears he’s indifferent to public opinion. Depp spoke to The Hollywood Reporter during the press tour for Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, a film marking his return to directing. Following the scandal surrounding his divorce and the industry’s subsequent “cancelation” of him due to allegations by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Depp only took on minor projects. Now, he seems to be back with the biographical drama Modi, which received a standing ovation at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2024.

Despite this, Depp cannot fully escape the shadows of the media frenzy that surrounded his trial. We won’t delve into gossip, but what began as the right to defend oneself morphed into a media spectacle. Reflecting on it today, Depp feels no animosity towards those who condemned him:

“Honestly, I can sit here this very second and think about all the hit pieces, and how everybody was against me, and yeah yeah yeah he is off the map … endless stuff. I can remember it all. Went through it all. Some of it was not the most beautiful time, some of it was hilarious. Some of it was mad. The thing is, it simply just was, and it simply just is. So, for me, it happened. I learned, man.”

“Everything that we experience, whether you’re given a snow cone or walking your dog, you learn something somewhere along the way. So I don’t have any ill feelings toward anyone. I don’t have this great reserve of hatred, because hatred requires caring. Why carry that baggage?”

Depp’s Redemption is On the Horizon

The 61-year-old actor of Sleepy Hollow and Murder on the Orient Express appears to be on a path to redemption. Not because he needs it, but because his “cancelation” has gradually faded, making his return inevitable. There are those in the industry who sorely miss him (no one else can embody Jack Sparrow quite like Depp), while others think he should stay “in the corner,” with any attempt to come back met with disdain. Undoubtedly, anything Depp does is at risk of being divisive.

Depp is a remarkable actor with a solid lineup of memorable films, yet his career undeniably suffered from personal matters. The Hollywood Reporter highlights his “unforgettable” performances, and Depp acknowledges that he can channel past struggles as fuel for his roles:

“It is also helpful in certain instances, especially when things are crumbling all around. It’s weird to be able to escape, not into a character, but it is good to be able to inhabit a character, and as everything is in your toolbox — some of that stuff can be used as available stimulus. Which is great. So yeah. Everything has been … it has really, it just is. And on some level, it is gonna be around, that kind of thing. It’s like OJ or something. But hey, it just happened. That’s all.”

Source: MovieWeb