Depply entertaining–Johnny Depp appears on TRL, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, and ACCESS HOLLYWOOD on July 7th!

Zoners’ VCRs went into overdrive on Thursday, July 7th, as they scrambled to capture three different Johnny Depp interviews on three separate entertainment programs. Voted as the celebrity MTV viewers would most like to see on TRL, Johnny Depp made a long-awaited appearance on the video countdown program–but he didn’t come to the Times Square studio. Instead, MTV aired an interview filmed during the Nassau press junket two weeks ago. To his credit, Damien asked a few questions that weren’t standard fare: for example, which was Johnny’s most recent tattoo? Johnny pointed to the sparrow on his forearm done in celebration of his son Jack, and mentioned the tattoo artist who created the sparrow: Mark Mahoney on Sunset Strip. Asked to name the greatest gift he’d ever received, Johnny first asked if it had to be a material object, then chose the time he spent with Marlon Brando. Damien also contributed an unintentional moment of hilarity when his cell phone went off in mid-interview. Johnny instantly identified the ringtone as a song by Journey and teasingly offered to help Damien get a better ringtone. Thanks to Johnnys Grape, who started a thread about TRL in the Pit, and all the Zoners who posted their comments.

Johnny’s appearance on ACCESS HOLLYWOOD, also taken from the Nassua junket, stressed his close friendship with Tim Burton. Johnny’s comment that he and Tim scarcely need any language to communicate their thoughts was borne out by a clip of Tim directing Johnny on the CATCF set, in which Tim needed to say only two or three vague words before Johnny nodded agreement. Johnny then offered two vague words in reply, and they were ready to shoot the scene.

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT featured Johnny in their “Before They Were Stars” segment, along with Nicole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan. ET dug into the vault and unearthed a vintage clip of Johnny shot backstage on the 21 JUMP STREET set. “Even then the publicity-shy actor was uncomfortable with the spotlight,” noted film critic Leonard Maltin. In the interview, Johnny talked about how “strange” it was to go to a restaurant and have people “gawking” at him “like an animal on display, like some kind of freak.” Johnny added, “The least important thing to me is [. . .] becoming famous and being well-known, you know, trying to be everybody’s hero. That’s not what I’m about.” His comments still hold true today. Thanks to alias4 for breaking the news and artistatheart for transcribing the interview on the News & Views forum.

The VCRs will continue to get a workout on Friday, as Johnny’s appearance on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW is rebroadcast in the United States.

A dancing Oompa Loompa celebrates Chocolate Day in Los Angeles!

Seizing every possible opportunity to promote CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Warner Bros. had actor Deep Roy, who plays all the Oompa Loompas in the upcoming film, dance in front of one of the CATCF billboards at Franklin and Highland in Hollywood this morning, July 7th. The Oompa Loompa danced to Danny Elfman songs from the new film, of course, and appeared as “an ambassador from Willy Wonka” to celebrate Chocolate Day. Among the crowd gathered to enjoy Deep Roy’s performance was the Zone’s johnnybloom–be sure to catch her lively account of the event which is posted on the Pit. She even shares her photos of the dancing Oompa Loompa! Thanks, johnnybloom–you make us feel as if we were there, too!