It wasn’t until 15 years into his feature film career that Johnny Depp took the plunge and learned how to ride a horse in a manner befitting an actor willing to do their own stunts, but once he did, he immediately formed an unbreakable connection with his equine co-star in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.
The lavish gothic fantasy – which was richly rewarded for his atmospheric execution with an Academy Award for ‘Best Art Direction’ – sees Depp’s protagonist Ichabod Crane spend plenty of time on horseback as he ventures to the titular village in order to unravel the complicated and supernatural truth behind a spate of killings.
During the film, Crane can often be seen in close proximity to his Andalusian horse Gunpowder, who only had one eye. Unbeknownst to the animal – known as Goldeneye for obvious reasons when cameras weren’t rolling – it was set for a trip to the glue factory once shooting had ended, something that Depp simply wouldn’t stand for once he caught wind of his newfound companion’s fate.
As per Horse Nation, Depp adopted the steed as his own once Sleepy Hollow had wrapped filming. Having grown up around horses without becoming an avid rider, Goldeneye was in good hands after being transferred into the custody of a world-renowned and exceedingly wealthy movie star, presumably to live out the rest of its days running wild and free in what was an exponentially better fate than the other option.
Depp’s association with horses on-screen hasn’t always been quite so heartwarming, though, with his stint as Tonto in Pirates of the Caribbean director’s disastrous box office flop The Lone Ranger almost ending in serious injury at the hands of four-legged scene partner Scout: “It all just sort of happened, and I saw everything very clearly, which was the horse’s very muscular front legs moving at a very dangerous speed,” he told The New York Post.
Adding: “And I was still holding on to the mane like an idiot, trying to get back up. And at a certain point you have to make a decision: Do I go down and hit the deck on my own? Or do I wait for the hoof to split my face in two?”
In the end, he decided to go down alone despite knowing “he could have crushed me in seconds” and was “very lucky” to emerge unscathed. Laughing it off, Depp remarked, “the positive thing is my coccyx didn’t take it”. Verbinski wasn’t quite as calm and collected as his leading man, in fairness, dubbing it “one of the scariest moments ever”.
Goldeneye didn’t cause Depp nearly as many life-threatening problems as Scout did more than a decade later, even if you’d expect he would save the horse’s life regardless of how many times he was or wasn’t thrown off.
News
Troubling footage of Justin Bieber partying with Diddy and The Game resurfaces leaving fans heartbroken for the singer
Another concerning video of Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs with Justin Bieber has emerged in the wake of the music mogul’s arrest on sex-trafficking charges, this time showing the pair partying in 2016. The footage, which appeared to be taken at early celebrations for Bieber’s 22nd…
Carrie Underwood announces surprise duet with chart-topping country singer
Carrie Underwood has revealed her next collaboration and it will surely send country fans wild. Fans of the 41-year-old American Idol judge were surprised as it was announced that she will be joining forces with Cody Johnson. The 37-year-old Texas native took…
Jodie Foster Urging Ex Russell Crowe to ‘Make Things Official’ With Girlfriend Britney Theriot
Russell Crowe and Jodie Foster have stayed super close since their short-lived romance in the late 1990s, and now the actress is urging him to finally find the courage to marry longtime girlfriend Britney Theriot after dragging his feet for years, a source exclusively tells Closer….
Keanu Reeves’ 10 Best John Wick Stunts, Ranked
The John Wick franchise is brimming with outlandish stunts and creative action sequences, and Keanu Reeves is often the man at the helm. With the help of his various stunt doubles, the beloved actor has created some of the greatest stunts of the…
Cyberpunk 2077 players find Keanu Reeves secret we had no idea existed
The world in which John Wick inhabits may not be quite as futuristic as that which you’ll find in Cyberpunk 2077, but it does share a similar aesthetic. Rain-soaked streets lit by neon signs in the dead of night – you…
How Annette Bening and Jodie Foster Connected Ahead of Their New Shows: “I’m Crazy About Her”
Annette Bening, who’s starring in Peacock series Apples Never Fall, said she was “so happy” for her Nyad costar’s work in True Detective: Night Country. pples Never Fall star Annette Bening was the ultimate supportive friend when praising fellow Oscar nominee Jodie Foster. Both actresses…
End of content
No more pages to load