16 h, jul 5, 2018 y - Schweizer Illustrierte Johnny Depp: I hang up my fans' bras INTERVIEW

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW IN MONTREUX

Johnny Depp: "I hang up my fans' bras"

Swarm of women. Pirate captain. His muses included Kate Moss and Vanessa Paradis. Now superstar Johnny Depp granted the SI a private audience in Montreux. There he performed with the rock band Hollywood Vampires.

The heart is racing! 5. July, 4:05 p.m., Fairmont Le Montreux Palace. I am standing in front of Bellevue Suite 12. Sandra, the Swiss wife of Johnny Depp's musician colleague Tommy Henriksen, knocks on the door - the two have threaded the interview. He's sitting there! Johnny Depp: Actor, world star, dream of millions of women. He smiles. He looks good! With sunglasses, black T-shirt, chains around the neck. The 55-year-old smokes a self-turned cigarette, wipes a strand of the pirate wig from his face. Gentle handshake, nuddly voice. "Hi, I'm Johnny. How are you doing?" - "Good, a little nervous." - "Forget it! Let's talk." Johnny points to the armchair vis-à-vis, Tommy is sitting next to me. Specification: twenty minutes, no questions about private life and legal cases.

Johnny, are you okay?
Yes! A little tired. We have a lot of fun! On tour I can escape my normal, what do I say: abnormal life.

To what extent?
I am free on stage, myself.

Different than on the film set?
You can be involved in a great scene. But then it is up to the director what happens to it. I never watch my movies. That's why I don't know how the scenes came out. I'll stick with film legend Robert Mitchum: "Learn your role, and avoid the furniture!" (Laughs.)

Tommy: Johnny keeps diaries, in which he writes letters to himself. Sometimes he comes to my hotel room at two o'clock. Asks: Are you awake? Then he gives me his diary - and I take photos of the texts. I always know: We'll make a great song out of it! All the lyrics of our own songs are by Johnny.

The Hollywood Vampires also play Alice Cooper, 70, and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, 67. The name of the Vampires comes from the group of musicians such as Jim Morrison and John Lennon - in the 70s they sat under the table in Hollywood.

Johnny, you lived in France for a long time. Was the European tour a homecoming?
Oh yeah! Vive la France! I lived in the south of France for ten years, with Vanessa Paradis. We still have a property there, I go there as often as possible. Vanessa and I have two children, Lily-Rose and Jack. I feel very, very comfortable there. This culture, this quality of life! In Europe, you are allowed to live your life.

Different from California, where you are at home today?
In Hollywood, you are surrounded by a horde of ambitious people. There, every waiter is an actor or screenwriter. When I am locked up in the film studio, my nature no longer exists.

In an interview with the cult magazine "Rolling Stone" Depp recently spoke about his financial problems and the failure of his marriage to Amber Heard, 32. The actress accuses him of having become violent towards her, and he is also dependent on alcohol and drugs. Depp has accumulated 650 million francs during his career - now almost everything is gone. He blames his former managers. In the "Rolling Stone" he said: "It is offensive to say that I spent 30,000 dollars a month on wine. It was far more." After the divorce, he fell into acute depression. "I couldn't bear the pain every day ... I poured myself vodka in the morning and started writing until I couldn't see the page because of tears."

They embody extravagant characters. How long do you live your roles in real life?
Usually a period of deep depression follows. A grief that overww your body. When I turned off "The Libertine" I was physically and mentally ill.

How are you really?
Pretty shy. If I take a character, I know this à fond. Then I'm no longer myself in the film.

How well do you know Switzerland?
The last time I was here... (he thought for a minute) ..., that was in Geneva. But I don't remember when and why. (Think again.) Previously, I was in Geneva another time, at a Montblanc event. I'm a big fan of her fountain pens. I just love it here in Switzerland! It's fantastic!

All fans want something from you.
I would feel like an asshole if I got in the car after the concert.

Tommy: People only know Johnny from the movie. On tour they see him up close, live, the other side of him. He shakes hands, chats with people until five in the morning. I experience it every day. He is sincere, modest, generous. But it is often misunderstood and misrepresented.

Depp takes off his glasses, looks me in the eye. His look is clear. There are scratch marks on his left forearm. "Silence Exile Cunning" is tattooed. My pulse is back to normal. Johnny still lets a metal chain slide through his fine fingers. "A gift from a female fan," he says quietly. That's so sweet!"

You keep the gifts?
I usually put it on right away, the fan should see it on me. I'll take most of it home with me. Sometimes bras also fly to me. I then hang them on the micro stand of our bassist.

Johnny, your daughter Lily-Rose is an actress. Do you think that's good?
She is 19. In high school, she was a moral apostle and a great student. The opposite of me when I went to school. (Long break.) Lily-Rose has the instinct to understand the film business. She does her job really great! And she is the muse of Karl Lagerfeld. She started modeling for Chanel and Dior at the age of 14. I'm so proud of my kids! They are my everything.

What does son Jack do?
He is 16. In terms of character like me, a shy boy. He told me: I don't want to be an actor. I said: That's okay. He is a good draughtsman, he wants to go in the direction of animation. And he plays in a punk band, their name is Clown Boner (Boner: Ständer). Rarely have I been as proud as when he told me the band name! (Laughs resoundingly.) He and Lily-Rose love the Vampires, Uncle Tommy, Uncle Alice. Do you have children? Yes, two boys, 21 and 15. The younger one told me to ask you when the next episode of Pirates of the Caribbean is coming. Say hi to your son for me! Tell him it is not yet clear whether there will be a sixth part. And if so, then I have to think carefully about whether I will take on the role of Jack Sparrow again. I know Jack's character and love to play him. When they chose me for the role at the time, they wanted to fire me first because I didn't follow the script. If there is a continuation, then only to my liking.

Soon the Vampires tour will be over. What's next?
A few days of shooting for the second part of the film "Fantastic Beasts", I play the role of the magician Grindelwald.

Johnny Depp gets up. In L. A. soon begins the trial of his former management. We sat together for 70 minutes. Thank you. Ask if a selfie is okay. "No problem. It was a pleasure." Depp puts on his glasses, puts his arm around my shoulders. "Come to the concert! It will be a fucking great show in Montreux!"

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