Johnny Depp almost self-sabotaged the role that made his career – ‘Are you nuts?’© Celebrity Tidbit

Iconic Hollywood star, Johnny Depp has opened up about how one moment of self sabotage almost lost him one of his biggest roles ever.

Everybody knows the name Johnny Depp. Whether it’s from the global sensation Pirates of the Caribbean, or from being a teen idol in 21 Jump Street. But now Depp has spoken out on how he almost ruined his movie role as the legendary Edward Scissorhands. A part which launched him into a much loved pairing with legendary film director, Tim Burton.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp discuss their legendary partnership

In a new documentary series about director and co-writer of the Edward Scissorhands films, Tim Burton, he and Depp took time to reflect on their lengthy partnership, revealing that other top names were being considered for the noteworthy role.

Speaking about his immediate connection to the character, Depp said that the script, “passed through everything, anything, solid and went to the very core of whatever I am. The writing was beautiful. The character was beautiful. What I suppose attracted me emotionally was that Edward was me. It’s exactly what I should be doing.”

Photo by Jon Furniss/WireImage© Celebrity Tidbit

However, after a meeting with the talented director was set up, Johnny heard about the other A-list names who all wanted the role.

Depp shares in an interview for Tara Wood’s documentary that many huge names, including Tom Hanks and Michael Jackson, expressed interest in portraying the exciting role.

He recalls thinking, “He’s never going to cast me when everyone in Hollywood is after the part. Tim was getting hit by his agent, the studio, everybody. So I called my agent after reading the script and said, ‘Please cancel the meeting, I’m not going.’ Her response was just ‘Are you f***ing nuts?’”.
After a lot of back and forth within his own mind, Depp finally decided to “give in” and attend a meeting with Burton, which turned out to be one of the best decisions he could have made. From that moment, Johnny became one of the director’s first thoughts for years to come.

It also had an impact on his personal life, as Depp ended up falling for his co-star Winona Ryder, and they began a long-term relationship, before it came crashing down.

The Tim Burton documentary series premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2024 in New York City on Monday, June 10.