We have all heard the horror stories that are often associated with method acting, mostly revolving around Jared Leto’s antics. The technique has developed a negative perception in popular culture due to the infamous tales that have resulted from actors completely immersing themselves in the roles they have taken on. However, method acting also produces truly unforgettable performances from time to time. That’s exactly the case with Johnny Depp and his fantastic work in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

For fans of Hunter S. Thompson’s enigmatic literary output, it’s almost impossible to imagine their cinematic translations. However, Terry Gilliam found a way with his 1998 adaptation, which employs a uniquely psychedelic visual language to mirror the drug-addled adventures and surreal observations of the notorious American journalist. In order to get into the proper headspace for the part, which sounds like an incredibly challenging ordeal, Depp took his research to the next level.

The actor requested Thompson to let him study his daily activities closely and asked whether he could move into Thompson’s basement. He described it as a tiny space which was crawling with spiders and spent his time smoking on the fold-out couch right next to a keg of gunpowder. He tagged along with the journalist on his trips to town and engaged in conversations every day so that he could understand the mind of the literary legend.

In a conversation with Rolling Stone, Depp recalled the details of their arrangement: “I said, ‘I need to spend time with you, and when you get sick of me being there, just tell me and I’ll fucking leave.’ I told him that I’d probably become a fucking pain in the ass because I’d be asking him a lot of questions and taping the conversations and writing things down, and it’d be like I was a fucking parole officer. But he never kicked me out, which was good.”

For Depp, just studying his subject’s physical ticks wasn’t enough because Thompson was too cerebral. The actor added: “Watching his mannerisms, the way he rocked back and forth, the way he talked, his expressions. It’s weird with Hunter – it’s more sort of watching the way he thinks. You can see the wheels turning, and you can see an idea coming. That was really the key for me – ’cause he’s thinking constantly. He’s very, very quick, and there are no lulls.”

In addition to dedicating his time to immersive research, Depp also traded his own automobile for Thompson’s infamous red convertible known as ‘The Great Red Shark’. To get a feel of the vehicle as well as how it must have affected the journalist’s psyche, he drove around California in the car. Even parts of the wardrobe used in the film belonged to Thompson, leading to a complete erasure of any sense of self that Depp had.

All of it definitely paid off because Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a spectacle like no other, dragging the audience along on a nightmarish, acid-soaked trip featuring the most curious oddities. Depp’s method acting is one of the most important elements that makes the movie work, even though it theoretically shouldn’t.