A Love Letter to Mr. Johnny Depp

I know what this looks like; an impassioned, oblivious note of gush-worthy proportions. With a side of stalker. But I can assure you, my dear Muses, that my intentions are pure. No, really, they are. He is an actor who needs no introduction, his body of work speaks for itself and, most likely, more eloquently than I can. But yet, here I am, giving it a go regardless. Depp is a Muse simply because he is… he refuses to fit into any mold what so ever. He exists in an entirely different plane of creativity. A true patron of the arts, if you will, he doesn't seem to realize any cookie cutter role for himself; he is not merely the broody bad boy, the villain or the comedic actor. He embodies all three of these and has even created some molds all his own!

Consider Edward Scissorhands, for instance. How do you begin to characterize that creation? Both comedic, tragic and real all the same time. Yes, I said real. There is nothing more honest and vulnerable than the silent-movie qualities of dear old Edward. I could go into great detail about how technically awesome his portrayal was. But, I'll get a tad more personal than that. That movie has always touched me on a personal level. Who hasn't felt lost and alone, rudderless in this big and wide world? Or, at the very least, like an outsider? Edward is all of these things and yet, he refuses to change. Why should he, I asked myself as I was growing up with this movie on constant repeat. He is perfect and beautiful and pure… the world should be more like him. He touches the lives of a few and then disappears; going back to his isolated castle where he realizes that, being alone is it's own freedom after all.

That is only one example, and there is a long line of other creations from his internal factory, waiting in the wings. Literally too many to list here lest this turns into a 100 page thesis on his overall breed of creativity. He is a true chameleon, doing whatever it takes to dive into his roles. But, I am no critic. I am just a humble and
 loving fan. I rarely watch interviews because there is a certain repetitive nature to the questions being asked. That and, let's face the one reality here: we will never know him. I can only know him for that briefest of moments when he is projected in character form; like a living canvas on the screen for about two hours. But, in a way that is his gift to us. A small piece of himself, frozen in time forever so we can enjoy it over and over again. The Mad Hatter, Captain Jack Sparrow, Barnabas Collins, Ed Wood and countless others. They are ours to enjoy at our leisure.

So, as Mr. Depp stands on the eve of another movie release, I find myself holding my breath. As always, the trailer looks completely amazing. Trailers usually do. Transcendence, they say, is a "departure" for Depp because it is a marketable movie. Expectations seem high, but regardless if whether it's a hit or not, Depp probably isn't terribly worried. Despite all the commentary and judgement… all the haters who wait poised for failure, he has always, and ever been himself. He makes no apologies, and furthermore seems to genuinely not care. Well, I'm sure he cares… and if you happen to stumble upon this letter, Mr. Depp I want you to know, that I know, that you know…. wait what?

Oh my, it seems I've confused myself... oh well. He gets the picture. And if he doesn't, he can feel free
to drop me an email and I'll be more than happy to clear it up for him. Ecstatic, in fact. My simple point is: there is not enough said about how inspirational his journey is. He has been, and always  will be, himself. If you don't like it, then there are a multitude of other actors out there to gush over. He is respectful in his indifference. In many ways, he jumped off the conveyor belt some ways back, and decided to trail his own path through the bumpy roads ahead. Sink or swim, it's been his journey. In a lot of ways, he's proved that you can achieve success, and even fame for that matter,  while still  maintaining who he is. Being different is not a liability, he insists, aren't we all different and weird in our own ways, anyway? Shouldn't we just embrace that about ourselves?

I endeavor always to try. And for that, I'd like to thank him: thank you, sir, for making it just a flea's breath easier for the rest of us. Oh, and good luck on that little movie, Transcendence, coming out April, 18th.