Johnny Depp: The Playboy Interviews (Singles Classic)

by Playboy, Playboy Magazine

In mid-1962, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was given a partial transcript of an interview with Miles Davis. It covered jazz, of course, but it also included Davis’s ruminations on race, politics and culture. Fascinated, Hef sent the writer—future Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Alex Haley, an unknown at the time—back to glean even more opinion and insight from Davis. The resulting exchange, published in the September 1962 issue, became the first official Playboy Interview and kicked off a remarkable run of public inquisition that continues today—and that has featured just about every cultural titan of the last half century.To celebrate the Interview’s 50th anniversary, the editors of Playboy have culled 50 of its most (in)famous Interviews and will publish them over the course of 50 weekdays (from September 4, 2012 to November 12, 2012) via Amazon’s Kindle Direct platform. Here are the interviews with the actor Johnny Depp from the January 1996 and May 2004 issues.

Genres: Nonfiction

63 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2012

Reviews

[Kejsi ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're all damaged in our own way. Nobody's perfect. I think we are all somewhat screwy, every single one of us.

In order to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, the editors of Playboy have culled 50 of its most (in)famous Interviews, and two of those special ones are dedicated to the one and only Johnny Depp (pretty sure he would hated that 'one&only' part). The mentioned interviews are from the January 1996 and May 2004 issues.

To start of this review, I must say the interviews are pretty raw, honest and not embellished. The first thing that caught my eye were the quotations and references he used, they were very familiar and already known, I personally did not know they were a part of the Playboy issues.
The next thing that caught my attention as I finished the articles, was that they are very different. Though, I'm not familiar with their further work, on behalf of the Playboy Kevin Cook and Bernard Weinraub did a very different job. It could be a variousity of things that made the interviews so unlike. The writers itselves, the place where the interviews were made (Viper Room seemed more intimate&relaxed, than a part time suite at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles, seperated from his wife and kids at the time, due some filmmaking), the point of his career, the age gap, the profusion of different kinds of things that could happen and Johnny itself. So, with that things in mind, I very much prefered the first interview that took its place in January 1996, which led to a quite, dark Viper Room, and was executed by Kevin Cook.

We get to know bits and parts of Johnny, the ones he allows us to see. We learn about the way his career started, about the stuff he hated the most as being a 'celebrity' and a human being. The stuff that is important to him, the people that were important to him, at that moment. His words to live by, mentors and 'rolemodels' he had over the course of his career. We get to see his down-to-earth, cool, rock'n'roll, sarcastic, smart, emotinal, it-is-what-it-is (hence the non embellished part) side. And you picture him sitting there across the Playboy man, smoking, and you soak in every little new detail and sayings there are, and you just think the whole time: I really admire and love this special soul. The soul that is often late, hates watches and thinks of it as handcuffs and the soul that is deadly afraid of John Davidson (than again who's not?).

In conclusion, the other interview seemed a bit rushed, cold, detached. It was bam-alcohol-bam-drugs-bam-did the pirates of the Caribbean changed you any way-bam- let us think of the time you smacked that Hotel room, for milionth time-bam-you're a hot dad now-bam.

[Goth Gone Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all somewhat screwy...

Here's the short version of why I like Johnny Depp, in his words:

"Depp: I do have an affinity for damaged people, in life, in roles. I don’t know why. We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody’s perfect. I think we are all somewhat screwy, every single one of us."

A pair of interviews from the mid 90's and 2004 both show Depp somewhat surprised and bemused by his career, admitting to his appreciation for alcohol, and showing a tremendous soft spot for children. The talks don't contain any bombshell surprises, and just reiterate the impression I already had of him from his movies and public persons of that time frame.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting Man

I'm a huge fan of Johnny's, and it's always interesting to have him open up and share his thoughts and feelings with his audience. The interview ends at a point in his life where "Rum Diaries" hadn't been made yet, but it was about to be. He was so hopeful and optimistic. I enjoyed reading this, and will add it to my collection.

[ᝰ.ᐟ ⓅⒶⒾⓈⓁⒺⓎ ᝰ.ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
➕ I READ IT FOR THE ARTICLES.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playboy DOES have fantastic articles. Heh.
It’s interesting to read this now, with the knowledge of his futures in film and romance writ large. There’s the unintentionally hilarious bit where he swears he’ll never get married because marriage is a sort of scam. Then the funny sad funny bit where he swears he’ll never do a big budget blockbuster for the payday.

Poor Johnny. You seemed to like yourself best back here when Playboy found you. I’m sorry v you had to leave that happy place.

[┊ ♡ Cordelia ♡┊ · Rating 4 out of 5]

┊ I READ IT FOR THE ARTICLES. ┊

｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ i find johnny depp really, really smart & original & funny & whimsical & refreshingly frank

[Michael Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and humble character, Depp shows his interest in human nature, keeping it simple, and being honest with yourself about your self.