"King of the Hollywood Hill"–the WALL STREET JOURNAL praises Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp’s remarkable acting talent has earned the praise of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL; in a critical assessment entitled “The Surprise Artist: How Johnny Depp Keeps Defying Expectations,” critic Joe Morgenstern notes that Johnny’s success as Captain Jack Sparrow has brought him a “new real-life role as king of the Hollywood hill.” Observes Morgenstern, “What his sudden ascension means for the studios is clear–a mad competition for his services, now that the second installment of PIRATES is a staggering success [. . .]. What it means for movie lovers, especially those who care about actors and acting, is equally clear. Stardom isn’t always synonymous with interesting acting [. . .]. Yet every Depp performance holds out the promise of surprise, and he delivers on the promise more often than not.”

According to Morgenstern, Johnny Depp is such an extraordinary actor that the public can’t help responding to his genius. “Moviegoers who don’t usually register the specifics of performance love to talk about his work in PIRATES, but it’s hardly the first time Mr. Depp has inspired such discussion,” Morgenstern writes. “He has a star presence and a star’s set of skills–in DON JUAN DEMARCO he managed to dominate most of his scenes with Marlon Brando–but without the burden of a star persona. [. . . H]e declines to confine himself to roles that conform to his public’s expectations. [. . .] Now that he’s in the singular position of doing anything he chooses,” writes Morgenstern, “it will be fascinating to see what he does next.”

On the list of Morgenstern’s favorite (but underrated) Depp performances: DON JUAN DEMARCO, FROM HELL, BLOW, and DONNIE BRASCO. You can read the entire article–and it’s a gem–on the Zone’s News & Views forum; thanks very much to emma for sharing the story.

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