Quentin Tarantino has a stable of familiar actors he works with, but for his latest film, “Django Unchained,” the director switched it up, casting two actors he’s never worked with before for prominent roles: Jamie Foxx as the lead and Leonardo DiCaprio as the villain (arguably there are lots of new faces including Kerry Washington, Don Johnson and more).
Tarantino was on Charlie Rose recently and the talk show host asked about how he came to work with DiCaprio and then segued into another question: he was suprised that Tarantino’s never worked with actor Johnny Depp, who like DiCaprio, is one of the biggest name actors in the world. Maybe not so surprisingly, Tarantino said he and Depp have discussed working together in the past and hope to do so some time in the future.
“We would love to work together. We’ve talked about it for years,” Tarantino said of Depp. “Not that we get together and talk about it for years, but from time to time. We’re obviously fans of each other. It just needs to be the right character. I just need to write the right character that I think Johnny would be the right guy to do it with. And if he agrees, then we’ll do it. And then it’ll be magical. I haven’t written the perfect character for Johnny Depp as of yet. Maybe someday I will, maybe someday I won’t. We’ll see.”
When asked about who else is on his to-work-with wishlist, Tarantino said Meryl Streep and Michael Caine. Wouldn’t that be something to see Streep in a QT film?
Interestingly enough, much like we assumed when we first read the “Django Unchained” script, Tarantino says he originally envisioned a much older Calvin Candie character (the villain that Leonard DiCaprio plays). The filmmaker said he had an actor in mind, but didn’t name him, but it turns out he was too old in the end. “It was supposed to be for an older guy,” Tarantino said about writing the Candie role. “I kind of had somebody in mind when I was writing it, but me being me, I forget that the last time I saw them was in 1991 and it’s actually been twenty years since then. [So] I had a rude awakening. He’s kind of a really old man and not really what I was thinking about.”
The clip in question with Tarantino discussing Johnny Depp is below (though the first part is slightly cut off). The entire interview is the final clip at the bottom. “Django Unchained” is in theaters now. You can read three of our distinctly different reviews here.
So I guess the retirement QT was talking about in THR clip is off. Too bad. I HATE HIM!
That's great advice from Terry Gilliam. Glad QT brought that up.
Johnny I see happening def. Meryl Streep I believe will NEVER EVER happen, Im pretty sure she went on record, I could swear I read it b4 not sure where, that she finds his films like disgusting & far too violent & bloody for no reason…. basically she aint no fan haha
The old guy he is referring to is spaghetti western legend Franco Nero
Slighly ironic: The part of Agent Sheldon Jeffrey Sands that Depp played in Robert Rodriguez' Once Upon a Time in Mexico was originally written by Rodriguez for Quentin Tarantino.
…….^ Johnny Depp interview, Total Film, May 1998, p.38: "I've always admired actors who can try their hand at anything and, more often than not, succeed at it… people like Daniel [Day-Lewis] and Gary Oldman are just inspiring to watch."
Sag Aftra 10246661 would love to work with them also.
@yousef: Many of the considered great actors have not won a Oscar.It´s not the measure of talent.Not every superstar is a good actor and sadly not every great actor is a superstar .If this would be the case we would face a lot of unknown names in big movies LOL.
The biggest compliment for a actor is to be idolized by his peers ,they know what they talk about.Gary Oldman has a lot of them of both genders actually who think he is great .This includes the so called big names like Brad Pitt and yes Johnny Depp too.
I would love to see Quentin and Gary work together again even with Johnny too ,because Iam a fan of Mr.Depp as well
@SASH by the way johnny is number 4 on imdb list "The Top 20 Actors of the Last 20 Years" its by the editors and gary is not on the list !
@SASH iam not a tennager fangirl i am 33 old , and i didn't say johnny is better than DDL thats impossible but yea he's better than Joaquin Phoenix, Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Gandolfini, Mickey Rourke, Bryan Cranston, and if gary oldman is the then why he's didn't win oscar ? like the real greatest actors of all time marlon brando,alpacino,antony hopkins,jack Nicholson,Daniel Day-Lewis ????and ofcourse they will idolized gary becuz he's 54 and older than depp and he's acting since the 80's !!
@yousef Depp cant hold a candle to Gary Oldman. Even Depp consideres him an idol.
Gary Oldman >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Johnny Depp
@SASH Johnny Depp = 3 Oscar nominations
Gary Oldman – 1 Oscar nomination
Johnny Depp >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gary Oldman
WOW what a passionate man I had not idea he was so great. Please work with Johnny that would be wonderful.
Johnny Depp and not Gary Oldman?
I'm disappointed in you, Quentin.
Beatty? Guess not. According to Warren Beatty himself, he´s too beautiful to play a villain.
Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Gary Oldman, Joaquin Phoenix, Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Gandolfini, Mickey Rourke, Bryan Cranston
Oh please, please, work with Johnny!!
Daniel Day-Lewis.
He had Warren Beatty in mind for Candie at 1st.