Johnny Depp, who is known for his blockbuster films and famous lead roles, has credited director Tim Burton for saving his movie career. The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star enjoyed early success in 1980s TV series ‘21 Jump Street’ but became frustrated with his big screen career after small roles in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘Platoon’. Depp’s hopes of becoming a Hollywood star were given a boost when Burton cast him in the lead role in 1990’s ‘Edward Scissorhands’ – and they later sealed their working relationship by teaming up for seven more projects, including ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘Sleepy Hollow’. “Tim’s a great friend and a brilliant director. If it hadn’t been for Tim, I would probably be a minor actor working in horror B movies,” the Daily Express quoted him as telling the Sun. “Tim had to fight to give me the lead role in Edward Scissorhands in 1990 when I was still unknown, and he’s always stood by me even when things weren’t going well later in my career. I owe him so much because he believed in me from the beginning. I would play any role in any film that he asked me to do purely out of gratitude. I love him like a brother.” Depp also revealed the inspiration behind his infamous Willy Wonka character. “For Willy Wonka, I imagined what George Bush would be like-incredibly stoned,” he said. As for his knack for comedy? Depp replied, “Anywhere that you can find a moment of irreverence or absurdity, I’ll stick it right in there-sometimes to the dismay of the director and certainly, the studio.”
