Johnny Depp says he tried to convince the director of his new film not to cast him in one of the lead roles.
The Hollywood star plays King Louis XV of France in historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, and attended the UK premiere in London on Monday night.
DeppThe 60-year-old returned to the red carpet for what is his first feature film since the conclusion of his high-profile libel case against his ex-wife Amber Heard in the US in 2022.
The film follows the life of Jeanne, a working-class woman who uses her intelligence and fascination to climb the social hierarchy, eventually falling on the king’s radar. The character is played by French actress Maiwenn, who is also the film’s co-writer and director.
Depp stars as King Louis XV. Photo: Stephanie Branchu / Why Not Productions
Depp spoke on stage at the premiere, saying he was surprised when he was approached about the film.
According to Hollywood trade publication Deadline, the actor, who is from Owensboro, Kentucky, told the audience: “Instantly, what happens in your brain is you go back to eastern Kentucky…you realize you came from ‘ombelic’, ‘nombril’, the navel of nowhere, and you’re playing the king of France.
Johnny Depp reading at MacGowan’s funeral
“It didn’t make sense to me, I tried to talk her out of it. She wasn’t listening and had a lot of nerve to put me in a cast.”
Jeanne Du Barry received a seven-minute standing ovation when she debuted on Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.
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The film is Depp’s first major on-screen appearance following his lawsuits against Heard and the editors of The Sun newspaper in the United Kingdom.
In 2022, he successfully sued Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about his experiences as a survivor of domestic violence, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.
However, his case in the UK two years earlier was unsuccessful, with a Supreme Court judge concluding that Depp had assaulted Heard during your relationship.
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