Turning up a little on the late side for this interview with what seemed like some Alice personality quirks of his own, Johnny Depp, aka The Mad Hatter, apologized, though not claiming any excuse that might have been related to extricating himself from a rabbit hole. Unequivocally “Burtonized” and proud, from the entire Alice In Wonderland journey, Depp characteristically expressed a strange, enthusiastic preference for burrowing into a somewhat different sort of interior, the daffy when not dark inner recesses of The Hatter’s apparently chemically induced mood swings and anger management issues. The seemingly perpetually perplexed star also took time out to ponder his obsession with long necks, prophetic paparazzi predictions, and fear of mirrors.
JOHNNY DEPP: Pardon my tardiness.
Q: This is your 7th film with Tim Burton…
JD: Yes. I think so!
[popup url=”http://assets.longislandpress.com/photos/gallery.php?gazpart=view&gazimage=1251″]Click here to view photos from Alice in Wonderland[/popup]
Q: Well, when Tim came to you and said Mad Hatter, what was your reaction?
JD: To be honest, he could have said Alice and I would have said yes! But certainly the fact that it was The Mad Hatter was a bonus. Because it was a great challenge, trying to find this guy. And not just be a sort of rubber ball that you…heave into an empty room and watch it bounce all over the place! And not just to find the character, but more history, or gravity, to the guy.
Q: And you bring out a tragic side to The Hatter, that we’ve never seen before.
JD: Well there’s the whole Hatter’s dilemma, really. Which is where the term “mad as a hatter” came from. The amount of mercury they used in the glue to make those hats, was damaging. So it was about looking at him from that perspective, as damaged goods, physically damaged, and emotionally a little obtuse, and kind of taking that and making him not just this hyper, nutty guy. But exploring all sides of the personality at an extreme level.
So he could go from one second being, you know, very high falutin’, and then straight into some kind of dangerous potential rage. And then tragedy. So yeah, it was interesting trying to map it out, it was really interesting.
Q: Has the trajectory of your own career ever felt like Wonderland, or more like a Mad Hatter kind of anger about it at any time?
JD: Um…What? I mean, yeah the whole ride, my whole experience on the ride since day one, has been pretty surreal in this business. And defies logic. I mean, I’m still completely shocked that I get jobs and am still around, you know? But more than anything yes, it has been a kind of Wonderland. I’ve been very lucky.
Q: Did you ever think it was going to be that way when you started out?
JD: No, no,no. I had no idea where anything was going. But you can’t, it’s almost impossible to predict anything like that. I had no idea. I mean, I truly felt after I had done Cry Baby with John Waters and Edward Scissorhands with Tim, that they were going to cut me off right then.
Q: How come?
JD: Because I felt at that point, that I was on solid ground and I knew where I was going. And where I wanted to go. And I was sure that they would nix me out of the gig. But luckily I’m still here!
Q: What’s it like making a movie with Tim?
JD: Each time out of the gate with Tim, there’s a certain amount of pressure where you go, “Jesus, will this be the one where I disappoint him.” But I try to come up early on with something that’s very different. And that he hasn’t experienced before, and we haven’t experienced together before. And that would inspire him. But I try not to embarrass him, basically!
Q: Is it ever hard to top yourself, and not repeat yourself in movies?
JD: It does become a bit of an obstacle course, to not teeter into a character you’ve done before. So you’ve really got to pay attention to the places you’ve been, you know? But that’s part of it, and the great challenge, that you may get it wrong. And there’s a very great possibility that you can fall flat on your face. But again, I think that’s a healthy thing for an actor.
Q: Would you ever put on the sort of stuff they wear in a movie like Avatar?
JD: I don’t know, what color is the suit! Black? Oh, then it will match my eyes! I don’t care, I’ll put anything on. It doesn’t matter to me. Obviously! Look at me! Nah, I don’t mind.