The Advice Marlon Brando Passed to Johnny Depp That Shaped His Career

During a 2016 appearance at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Johnny Depp shared fond memories of his time working alongside the legendary Marlon Brando. He jokingly claimed that he was the one who dominated their scenes together, especially since he played the eccentric lead while Brando was the more grounded character.

“Well, first of all, I really love the idea of playing opposite Marlon Brando and being the crazy one. How many times has that job come around?” he mused to the audience. When the interviewer suggested that Brando was essentially his straight man, the performer took the joke a step further.

“Pretty much. I owned him,” he remarked with a laugh. He went on to describe how Brando would enchant the production staff between shots with his storytelling. “He was charming when we were setting up shots and things like that.

Suddenly, you’d see like 17 make-up chicks over there just listening to Marlon telling these amazing stories – probably lies… No,” he added, before praising him as a fascinating mentor.

The actor credited the 1994 film Don Juan DeMarco as a significant milestone in his career, primarily because he insisted on casting Brando as the doctor. Production officials were initially skeptical, believing the reclusive icon would never agree to such a role.

However, a surprise phone message at his hotel proved them wrong. “I’m nine months into a deep coma, and this is some weird s**t that you really would like to happen, but it’s not gonna happen,” he joked about his initial disbelief.

Upon meeting, the younger star found that Brando was far from the difficult and controlling figure he had been warned about. Instead, he discovered a man deeply focused on social causes and fairness.

“No matter what he did, going to work, whatever, the most important thing on his mind was justice. Equality, justice, just justice,” he noted. Their friendship grew to a point where the elder statesman felt comfortable giving advice on the frequency of his workload.

Brando once warned him that making two or three films a year was far too many for any artist to sustain. “He said, ‘No, that’s too much.’ So I said, ‘Well, why is that too much?’ And he said, ‘Because we only have so many faces in our pockets,’” the actor recalled.

While it was a practical warning about creative burnout, the Pirates of the Caribbean star felt his own unique mental state allowed for a bit more versatility. “Unfortunately, because of my madness, I feel like there’s still a lot of faces in my pockets,” he concluded.

As of March, the 62-year-old actor is heavily involved in a major career comeback, currently filming the supernatural thriller Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. Directed by Ti West, the project features Andrea Riseborough and is slated for a theatrical release on November 13.

He also recently wrapped production on Day Drinker, an action-packed drama where he stars alongside Penélope Cruz. Between these high-profile studio returns and his independent artistic pursuits, he continues to show that his collection of characters is nowhere near exhausted.

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