Johnny Depp said he tried to dissuade the director of his new film from giving him one of the lead roles.
The Hollywood star plays French King Louis XV in the historical drama Jeanne Du Barry and attended the UK premiere in London on Monday evening.
Depp60, made his return to the red carpet for what is his first feature film since the conclusion of his high-profile defamation case against his ex-wife. Amber heard in the United States in 2022.
The film follows the life of Jeanne, a worker who uses her intelligence and looks to climb the social hierarchy, eventually landing on the king’s radar. The character is played by French actress Maiwenn, who is also the film’s co-writer and director.
Depp spoke on stage at the premiere, saying he was surprised when he was told about the film.
According to Hollywood trade publication Deadline, the actor, originally from Owensboro, Kentucky, told the audience: “Instantly what’s happening in your brain is you’re going back to Eastern Kentucky. . you realize that you come from the umbelico, the navel, the navel of nowhere, and you embody the king of France.
“It made no sense to me, I tried to dissuade her. She didn’t hear it and she had a lot of courage to accept me in her casting.”
Jeanne Du Barry received a seven-minute standing ovation during her premiere at the Cannes film festival in May 2023.
The film is Depp’s first major on-screen appearance following his lawsuits against Heard and the publishers of The Sun newspaper in the UK.
In 2022, he successfully sued Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for the Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic violence, which her lawyers said falsely accused her of being an abuser.
However, his trial in the United Kingdom two years earlier was unsuccessful, with a High Court judge finds Depp assaulted Heard during their relationship.