Johnny Depp has played everything from a pirate of the Caribbean to a man with scissors for hands the famously private actor Excuse me sat down with me for a wide-ranging conversation We began by talking about his new character Tonto in the lone ranger He told me how he puts his own spin on that classic role I just saw this guy is this kind of very, you know interesting sort of warrior and And in there was a I saw a way in to tip the cliche of the portrayal of Native Americans, you know first and foremost was these people must be respected these Native Americans these human beings need to be respected. They need to be treated with dignity and And then the entertainment sort of part came later. But do you remember watching Tonto with a child? Oh, yeah It was a big fan, you know, it was a big fan and loved it But always I mean even at the ripe old age of five six years old I was always somewhat perturbed at the idea of Tonto being a sidekick Take a look at this. This is Rolling Stone magazine, but there you are. There he is. There he is And take a look at this You know the spot. Yeah, that was the inspiration. That was the inspiration. That was indeed the inspiration I saw that I was I was immediately I was struck by the The lines going down his face because it appeared to me that as if the man had been cut into quarters, you know And there there were the various sections of the man the personality the rage the damaged child the this that you know So you can see all that in the face. That's what I felt, you know And then I thought that's great the birds on his head. Oh, no, it's not on his head You know, it's flying behind him and I thought what should be on his head. Of course seen him I see out of the line I think that even you know now when presented with the image of Tonto Disney were struck by them I think the one we went into production and they saw what was go, you know what I actually look like really fully I think that they were a little bit worried again they had more doubts and Yeah, and that's sort of that that's a kind of stimulus You know, I mean it's it's stimulating for me. I find if you know if somebody's a little worried about what I'm doing And I think I might be doing it you must be doing something right must be doing it right If they're not worried you're worried. Oh, yeah, absolutely if they if I don't see some sort of panic or fear Near me then I get worried. Well, we worried when you turn 50 No, you know, it was like I mean it was just wake up it's another day, you know and Everybody makes a deal about you know the idea of 50, you know half its entry and stuff like that felt like 40 to me Just felt like another decade really, you know I suppose the only thing at 50 you can really start to look forward to it's just totally responsibility Air responsibility, I responsibility totally irresponsible. Yeah, as you get older, you know, you can just sit in the chair Okay, you can wear anything you want You know, you can walk down old people dress cool, you know sweat, you know, the elderly have it down and somebody once said me when I became 60 I used to care about what people thought of me now. I only care about what I think of them Exactly. I don't know I remember Marlon distinctly saying and he reached a certain point in his life where he just Finally was able to utter the words. I just don't care And the way he said it to me was It was like a but you know it was as if he had tamed Nirvana. He word a little bit about you working too hard. Yeah He said what he said he said How many films do you do a year? And I said, I don't know it depends, you know, maybe three. He said so much So what do you mean too much? He said Well, they have so many faces in our pockets You know, you got it makes sense man. I can't you know you run out of characters. Are you still learning about acting? Oh, I think you learn every time out of the gate. I think that's that I think that's the thrilling thing about the process is that Every time you are out there and you give it a shot, you know, with a character that Might make people a little nervous initially, especially people with what their wallets involve The process itself is is a gas and You're out there trying to do something different each time because each try each time you try something different You're stretching you're stretching out a bit. I knew you all much me Comment on orings in my effects, please. What if kids meant for you? Kids you're a kid my kids everything. What do you mean everything there? Um They've certainly made me grow up. That's really yeah, well they made you mean take responsibility or Well, no just as they as they you know sort of progress throughout life You know and my son my boy Jack is now 11 My daughter Litherill is just 14 You know you start getting hit with some very interesting situations in life, you know as a parent When they when they approach that teenage arena Which is frightening because you still have memories of that age and the things that you might have been doing at that age so Yeah, no you can't and you lay away thinking god. I hope they don't do what I did. Oh god I don't have to please don't do what I did Yeah, but I mean really you could explain and talk to them and you know the split from their mother and And having to come what is always unpleasant regardless of what happens always always but they were I mean that my my kids And Vanessa by the way, you know, and we'd arrived at a place As people do when you have children. There's just no room for lies. There's no room for Anything but the truth It's not anything other than that is a bad example. I believe so we were just very truthful with them and they were Incredibly understanding incredibly accepting. I was Extremely proud of them, you know where they dealt with them Music too. Yeah Music is what you wanted to be It was it still is my life. I'd always was it's just I just don't do it for living anymore, you know It's my natural habitat really, you know It's to have a guitar strap to me. Yeah, but when you played you you didn't want to be the vocalist you want to be the Oh man in the shadows. I want to exactly when I was you know playing clubs at You know 15 16 17 years old even then I was You know trying to stay out of the lights You know try to stay in the darkness and and just play my guitar Is any of that still part of who you are this sense of most definitely you're like the idea of Being that lead singer, you know being the frontman to me when you're in a group of band is is is So so you'd rather be Keith and Mick? I'd rather be Keith and Mick and Dave yeah That's it yeah That's put blows down No disrespect me Exactly none whatsoever it be a good vocalist is fine with me. I just want to be back there great. I can't do that Don't want to yeah, so look ahead at 52 what you where the priorities are what are they? I think you know now in this you know, if 50 let's say you know start at the start of a new decade I think you know the goals are maybe slightly more Selfish in a sense not selfish, but that search for a little more freedom here in there a little maybe a little less Little less work Little more time with the kids, you know a little more freedom a little more time off just space more space more ability to yeah breathe and not you know Have to be the novelty