Friday, January 20, 2006

Christopher Lee Praises Johnny Depp

In an otherwise forgettable Showbiz! article detailing some of Christopher Lee's recent work and public appearances, the formidable actor is quoted making some remarkable comments:

The only young actor Lee did find praise for was Johnny Depp.

The pair have co-starred together in three films, most recently Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Lee said: "The number one actor in the world as far as I'm concerned is Johnny Depp. He's not afraid of a challenge, he's not afraid of anything."
Now, Christopher Lee has been in the businesses of both acting and scaring people for quite a long time, so it is not a small thing for him to praise another actor's talent and courage.

(On a side note, Lee impressed me a great deal in his remarks on playing the role of Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies. Evidently he is a long-time fan of Tolkien and considered it an honor to take the part -- a marked contrast to the attitude most big-name actors exhibit.)

I happen to agree that Mr. Depp is probably the best actor of his generation. I can't remember seeing him in a role I didn't like. And, though I suspect I would disagree with his politics, he seems to have had the sense to avoid the usual Hollywood grandstanding.

4 comments:

Pastorius said...

He has mostly avoided the typical grandstanding. There was, however, the Puppy Kerfluffle, where he compared American to a big, dumb puppy who wrecks everything.

Most recently, after the riots in France, he decided France was too dangerous, so he's moving back to America.

All that aside, the guy is a great actor, most of the time.

My favorite Johnny Depp role is the underappreciated Donnie Brasco.

Have you seen it?

JackOfClubs said...

I haven't seen it but I noticed you had it listed on your profile. Someone else was just mentioning it over the weekend. I'll have to check it out. I can't decide which is my favorite Depp role. The thing I like about his acting is that you don't really notice it until later.

Pastorius said...

Donnie Brasco is an underappreciated work of genius, imho.

Depp and Pacino are amazing. To me, Pacino's work in this film is among his best. The whole thing is heartbreaking, but never sentimental.

I hope you get a chance to watch it.

sonia said...

I recently watched 'Platoon' and was quite surprised to see him in a minor role. I think his best performances were in 'Ed Wood', 'Dead Man', and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'.

Thanks for the link, btw. I posted one too (with a SFW warning).