Seemingly without a hint of irony, Johnny Depp just told The Hollywood Reporter that actors who try to be taken seriously as musicians really get his goat. Johnny Depp, who just co-starred in the musical Into the Woods and played the title role in the musical Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Johnny Depp, who has played guitar in more than one rock band. Johnny Depp, who has said on more than one occasion that music is his “first love.”
While promoting Mortdecai in Berlin, Depp was asked about actors pursuing musical careers and said:
“That whole idea for me is a sickening thing, it’s always just made me sick.”
Here is a clip of Johnny Depp playing guitar with the Black Keys at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards and apparently throwing up in his mouth the entire time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZfN7ajxhh0
Ah, but there is a distinction between being an actor who plays an instrument and likes music and being an “actor-musician” according to Mr. Depp:
“I’ve been very lucky to play on friends’ records and it’s still going. Music is still part of my life…. But you won’t be hearing The Johnny Depp Band. That won’t ever exist.”
“The kind of luxury now is, anybody with a certain amount of success, if you have a kind of musical being, you can go out and start a band and capitalize on your work in other areas. But I hate the idea, ‘Come see me play the guitar because you’ve seen me in 12 movies.’… It shouldn’t be [that way]. You want the people who are listening to the music to only be interested in the music.”
Yeah, Russell Crowe, Jared Leto, and “Little Steven” Van Zandt! What a bunch of jerks, with their distracting passions and hobbies!
Here is some video of non-musician Johnny Depp playing guitar for his Details magazine cover shoot, barely able to stand being the same room with his musical being:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efwlfZYMSdw
And here he is as recently as November 2014, playing guitar with the supergroup of super musicians The New Basement Tapes (plus Haim), in a raucous display of violent self-hatred:
I understand what Depp is saying, that he’s not going to use his fame to get people on board with something they didn’t really sign up for. But wow, the total lack of self-awareness is astounding. He should totally write a song about that.
