“It comes down to trust”–Gore Verbinski on his film collaborations with Johnny Depp

In a recent interview with Christy Grosz of Variety, Gore Verbinski talked about his working relationship with Johnny Depp . . . a very successful collaboration that includes the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies and last year’s critical and commercial hit, Rango. Now, as the pair prepares to hit the dusty trail to film The Lone Ranger, Grosz asked the director to explain “what works well” in their relationship.

“I think it comes down to trust,” Verbinski replied, and gave the genesis of Rango as an example. “We had just started shooting the second Pirates, and I was talking to him about this lizard project, this chameleon with an identity crisis in the West, and he was just like, ‘I’ll do that!’ Never read a script. We didn’t talk much more about it. From time to time, I’d say, ‘Here’s what I’m doing on the lizard project.’ We obviously wouldn’t have gotten the film made if he wasn’t on board,” Verbinski added.

As for Johnny’s improvisatory acting style, the director explained that the process is actually very efficient — there’s very little waste of time or resources. “He’s very much a two- or three-take actor and really knows where the camera is. He isn’t sort of improvising in a way that is unusable when you get into the edit room. (He gives) seemingly wild performances, but they’re actually in a frame, and that’s really wonderful for a director. He’s very in control of his instrument.”

Verbinski also appreciates Johnny’s willingness to take risks. “(Having that) relationship with an actor where he’s willing to throw those eggs against a wall, that’s where the joy comes in,” he told Variety. “We’re both fans of the awkward moment.” Of course . . . because that’s where character is revealed.

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the Verbinski interview; you can read more on the Porch General Discussion forum.