Johnny Depp Reveals Why He Doesn't Think Of Himself As A 'Hollywood Celebrity'

Depp in The Professor

Johnny Depp has had a long and successful career in film. The 57 year-old actor came to prominence as a young man in projects like A Nightmare on Elm Street and 21 Jump Street, and has never been far from the big screen since. But despite his decades in front of the camera, Depp still doesn't think of himself as a Hollywood celebrity.

Since Johnny Depp debuted on the big screen, he's gone on to appear in countless film projects over the years. As a result, he's been nominated for three Oscars and took home the Golden Globe. Pair that with his many Tim Burton collaborations and tenure leading the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise ,and you can't deny that he's a bonafide movie star. Still, Depp explained why he hasn't ever attached himself to this label, recently saying:

First and most important is to never consider yourself a Hollywood celebrity. That’s death and grotesque. I’ve always been drawn to… people who are diligent in remaining themselves.

That's one way of looking at it. Because despite Johnny Depp's status within the entertainment industry, the actor doesn't ever want to think of himself as some big star. Furthermore, it sounds like he doesn't want to be associated with the type of professionals who might engage in this type of behavior.

Johnny Depp's comments at a recent press conference (via Variety) peel backs the curtain on the iconic actor's particular life view. While his time playing Jack Sparrow seems to have come to an end, he's still in some major blockbusters. He's expected to reprise his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, which recently resumed filming across the pond. But despite his affect on the Wizarding World, Depp still doesn't fancy himself a star in that way.

Countless Hollywood hopefuls have moved to the West Coast in hopes of becoming a star, so it might be surprising to hear that such an established film actor doesn't feel that was. Johnny Depp also explained that he tries to be associated with like-minded colleagues, which might be difficult considering how many people are concerned with fame and status.

Many of Johnny Depp's friends and even exes have recently made headlines for coming to the actor's defense in his ongoing legal battle with Amber Heard. Names like Winona Ryder, Vanessa Paradis, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz have all spoken about Depp's character, and they're likely some of those professionals who the actor made reference to in his above comment. Perhaps this gaggle of celebs similarly don't think of themselves as stars, despite being household names in their own right.

Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3 which is currently set to arrive in theaters on November 12th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.