"I still wonder if it's okay to be this happy:" Johnny Depp interviewed in Ms. London magazine

The September 27, 2004 issue of Ms. London magazine contains a fabulous new interview with Johnny Depp. The interviewer, Jan Janssen, persuades Johnny to speak at length about “the happy reversal in his previously dismal outlook on life” since he met Vanessa Paradis: “When I was 30, I wasn’t that convinced I would make it to 40,” Johnny confided, “but maybe I had to go through all the crap that had built up inside me to get to a point where I could start enjoying life. When I met Vanessa I was still drifting . But being with her has blown me away and made me a better man. Ten years ago I never would have believed in the kind of life I have now as a father, although I still wonder if it’s okay to be this happy.”

Johnny also discusses FINDING NEVERLAND, his unusual childhood, his love for music and his early experiences as a musician, and the connection between heavy drinking and an unhappy life full of “self-loathing.” About the paparazzi, Johnny says he now refuses to let them provoke him: “I’ve stopped playing into their hands. I`m just trying to be a boring family guy so there’s no value to taking my photo any more.” He also speaks at length about acting. “I still love the challenge of playing eccentrics,” Johnny admits. “I don’t see the point in playing the usual kind of leading men type roles.” Earlier in his career, acting was an escape mechanism: “Making films was always a refuge for me because I was totally focused on the work and not thinking about my own problems. Being with Vanessa and having children has made things very easy and clear for me.” Adds Johnny, “There`s nothing dark about my world anymore.”

A special Zone bouquet of lilies and roses to Mudge, who posted the entire interview on the Zone’s news forum. It is a joy to hear Johnny sound so content and joyous–thanks, Mudge!