nov 19, 2015 - LA TIMES Black Mass Johnny Depp Photoshoot Interview

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Over an ocean of caffeine, Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton and Scott Cooper — the stars and the writer-director, respectively, of the somber crime-drama “Black Mass” — gathered for a colorful conversation that began with the discovery of a mutual love of hardcore punk bands Agent Orange and the Dead Kennedys and ended with assorted tales of Bob Dylan sightings. (Cooper saw him one year on Halloween while taking his girls trick-or-treating. Depp recalled standing backstage at a concert years ago, holding his then-3-week-old daughter, Lily.)

In between, there was colorful talk of Donald Trump and Ben Carson, Strasberg and Stanislavsky, Henry VIII, turkey legs and, yes, “Black Mass,” which tells the true-life tale of Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp) and his mutually beneficial alliance with FBI agent John Connolly (Edgerton).

Joel says that “audiences like to watch people do bad things to people in movies.” Can you each name a personal favorite?

Edgerton: The givens are “Godfather I and II.” But let’s be more daring and creative. I’ve always wanted someone to make a really good version of the [1971 novel] “The Dice Man” because that’s the ultimate person just doing random, terrible things.... And my Australian favorite that I was involved in, “Animal Kingdom,” was a great window into the criminal world as well.

Depp: Very strong film. Mine, I’d have to say “Bad Boy Bubby.” Did you ever see that?
[Edgerton doubles over, laughing.] It was banned in the United States, and I just happened to get a copy. “Bad Boy Bubby.” It’s one of the most disturbing films you’ll ever experience …

Edgerton: Guy trapped in a basement brought up by his mother …

Depp: … he’s never been outside. His mother tells him that there’s poison in the air. She wears a gas mask every time she goes outside. She finally dies and he does some real weird [stuff].

Edgerton: It’s kind of like Australia’s 20-year-old version of “Room.”

Depp: The other one, because they were such lovable characters and not remotely interested in the law, is “Withnail & I.” It’s right there in my Top 3 films.

Cooper: I can’t top “Bad Boy Bubby.” But I do like Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast.”

Edgerton: Ben Kingsley’s character in that … there’s a man that won’t back down. There’s something really graceful about a person like a criminal. I remember people saying my character in “The Great Gatsby” was really horrible and I’d go, “At least he knows what he is. He’s the most honest person in that bunch. He’s not pretending to be anything he’s not and that’s beautiful.”

That seems to be the appeal of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Edgerton: Exactly. He’s not predicting his audience and what they want to hear. He’s just saying what he thinks.

[full interview in the link]

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