Hello! Canada
Issue #237, November 7, 2011
Dagmar Dunlevy

Exclusive Interview

Savouring his "incredibly lucky' life, Johnny Depp opens up on loyalty, loss and the love he's found with Vanessa

From the night in 1994 that they met in a Colorado bar, Johnny Depp knew he'd made a lifelong friend in journalist Hunter S. Thompson. They were close until the day in 2005 that the eccentric, troubled author killed himself -- so producing and starring in Hunter's novel, The Rum Diary, holds special significance for Johnny. 

And the healing project is not the only thing that the 48-year-old star has to smile about these days. Johnny has found much happiness in his home life with his partner, French actress Vanessa Paradis. The couple have two children, Lily Rose, 12, and Jack, 9, and the family mainly splits their time between the south of France and the Caribbean island that they own.

Here, the star sits down with Hello! Canada to reflect on life, friendship and love.

How does it feel to have finally brought Hunter S. Thompson's novel, The Rum Diary, to the silver screen? After all these years, there's an amazing sense of accomplishment -- I finally got done what Hunter wanted to get done, and in a way that he would have liked. I think he would have been very happy.

People often talk about what a wonderful friend you are. What's your definition of a good friend? I'd say -- a zillion percent -- loyalty; loyalty and being there under any circumstances. I've been very, very lucky in the people that I've known over the years: old-school guys like Marlon Brando and Hunter Thompson and Keith Richards. I've been very lucky to have received knowledge from these guys -- and that kind of generosity and that type of loyalty. 

Speaking of loyalty, you paid for Hunter's elaborate funeral in 2005, making headlines all around the world. Hunter's farewell was his dream, his last wish. He designed it back in the '70's. He wanted [his ashes] to be shot out of a cannon on his [Colorado] property. Honestly, I think it was a brilliant plan because not long after we all found out that he'd made his exit, we found ourselves in the situation of thinking, "Oh, my God, what about the cannon? How are we going to do this?" So it distracted from that despair, from feeling morose and horrible about losing your friend. I think somewhere in the back of his brain, Hunter knew I was probably the only one stupid enough to go through with it. [Laughs]

You've been in a relationship with Vanessa Paradis for 14 years now. How do you keep the love alive? How do I do it? It really boils down to being incredibly lucky. I look at my kids -- I see Lily Rose at 12 and my boy Jack at 9 -- and I look over at Vanessa and realize that we're kicking 14 years in the butt. It seems like yesterday that I saw her in that hotel, with that back and that neck, and she turned toward me and my life was over! [Laughs] My life, as a single man, was done. Our relationship just works. I don't know how, specifically, it just works beautifully. It's never a hassle. It's always beautiful and poetic. Now that the kids are of the age where they can really make you laugh, we find ourselves constantly laughing.

In The Rum Diary, we get a glimpse of the Caribbean island that you own. Yeah. There's one beach on the island that's called Gonzo Beach -- that's for Hunter. There's also Brando Beach, on the south side, for Marlon. There's Lily Rose Beach and there's Jack Beach. There's Paradis Beach for Vanessa. There's a reef just off the south side of the island called Keith Reef for Keith Richards. Then up on the north side, there's what we call Heath's Place, for Heath Ledger, which is a very sort of a beautiful, elegant little cut in the island. His family, who I'd known a bit, thought that they could use a bit of time away from the madness after Heath's passing. Heath's family went down there and they spend a good chunk of time there and had a ball. 

What does it feel like to own your own island? I have been so fortunate and so lucky to be in a position-- ironically, from the Pirates movies -- to buy an island in the Caribbean. My main goal really is to protect nature, and keep it as organic as possible and not insult what's been there for millions and millions of years. What I love about it is exactly what you love about a sort of primitive, isolated island: sand, trees, the ocean and sun. That's really all you need. There's no phones and no cellphone service. 

Have other Hollywood friends joined you there? Paul Bettany and his wife, Jennifer [Connelly], went down there with their kids and had a blast. Tim [Burton] has been down there a couple of times. We actually deciphered what Alice in Wonderland was going to be sitting on a sand bar in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean staring at the island. That's a true story. 

Any truth to reports that you're starting your own vineyard in the south of France? I did investigate the idea of making a vineyard in the south of France, but it's a very difficult process and something you have to go through with the government, step by step. I found it far too tedious to even deal with. Besides, they make fine wine in Bordeaux. I can grow some grapes and eat them, but I don't have to crush them.

Your film company is actually headed up by one of your sisters. How is that working out? We have a little company, Infinitum-Nihil, that's partly produced The Rum Diary, Dark Shadows and Hugo for Martin Scorsese -- but I have no idea how to produce. I really don't. [Smiling] I know how to creatively sort of make things happen. I have a decent ability in terms of story and to be able to figure out the mathematics and weave things together -- but to produce, I have no idea. My sister, Christi Dembrowski, is an absolute wizard. She came into the game late, but she's really the strong point of our company. 

It's been said in the press that you are a man who has it all. Do you agree with that? This will sound really corny, and so I apologize in advance. [Laughs] When you have two beautiful kids that are happy and healthy and on the right path and totally together, that in itself means you have it all. When you have a woman like Vanessa, who's incredibly supportive, incredibly loving and incredibly talented, that in itself means you have it all. And when you're able to do in your career the thing that you want to be doing -- and you're able to make a living off of it -- that also means you have it all. So do I have it all? In my eyes, I've got exactly what I need and what I want. I couldn't wish for more. [Smiles]