Ian McKellen Says He “Fell in Love With” Johnny Depp While Filming ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’
Sir Ian McKellen recently shared kind words about Johnny Depp after the two worked together on the new film “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.” Speaking to Variety at the New York premiere of “The Christophers,” McKellen described his experience on set in a very warm and personal way.
He said, “He’s in spankingly good form. Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time. It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with him. He’s very obliging to his fellow actors. [There was] a wonderful feeling on the set.”
The film is directed by Ti West and offers a new take on the classic story. Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge, marking his return to a major Hollywood role after several years. His last big studio appearance was in 2018 with “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
After that, he stepped away from major productions following legal issues involving his former relationship with Amber Heard. In 2022, a U.S. jury found that both Depp and Heard had defamed each other.
#IanMcKellen says he “fell in love with” Johnny Depp after working together on the upcoming “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol”:
— Variety (@Variety) April 9, 2026
“He’s in spankingly good form. Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time. It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with… pic.twitter.com/QkRnuV1KbK
Since then, Depp has worked mostly on smaller films outside the U.S., including “Minamata” and “Jeanne du Barry.” He is also set to appear in “Day Drinker,” a new film directed by Marc Webb and co-starring Penélope Cruz, which is expected later this year.
The new “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol” also features Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, and Tramell Tillman. McKellen plays Jacob Marley and said he enjoyed the role, even though his time on set was short. He joked about it, saying, “It was only six days, but it was well worth it. I play a ghost!”
At the same time, McKellen is promoting another project, “The Christophers,” directed by Steven Soderbergh. In that film, he plays an aging painter whose children plan what to do with his work after his death.
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