🇪🇸 Toca para versión en español
Johnny Depp has finally spoken about his new big project, Jeanne du Barry, a French production directed by Maïwenn, in which Depp takes the role of Louis XV of France.
The film is fully immersed in its promotional campaign after being revealed to premiere in Cannes this same year. The plot will bring us the story of Jeanne Vaubernier, a humble woman who climbed the rungs of the social ladder until she became the Kings’ favourite. Still her time at Versailles will mean a true challenge for this woman, whose presence will bother the entire French court.
First Depp’s words
We won’t make you wait any longer: now you can read Johnny Depp’s exclusive interview below, released by Le Pacte (French distributor):
What was your first reaction when Maïwenn came to you and asked you to play Louis XV’s role in Jeanne du Barry?
Johnny Depp: You don’t see this kind of proposals every day, as you can imagine! I could have never imagined that someone offered me to play a king of France as the American that I am. So when I received the proposal, I was intrigued. I asked who was the person who came out with this project and how she have had the insane idea of giving me Louis XV’s role.
I watched every one of her movies. I read her very well written script, very well documented about the ‘offstage’ of Versailles in that age, the power struggles, finally weaving links between the 18th century and our age, without falling in easy anachronisms. But our first exchanges were the ones that validated all of those positive first impressions. I had the feeling of having found a soulmate. Someone with passion and fully devoted to this crazy ambitious project for years. Actually I had only one question for her: ‘Are you sure you want me for this role, instead of a French actor?”. She assured me she had spent months picturing me as this character, beyond these language issues. When someone is so precise and enthusiastic in the way they explain their film and what they want to do with it, your concerns just disappear. So I accepted with enthusiasm. And even more because I was convinced that the person in front of me was ready to go to battle, being concious of what a shooting like this would mean, disguised, in prestigious and therefore intimidating locations, with hundreds of extras. There was no dobut.
From that point, how is Louis XV’s character built? Do you start reading biographies about him or you just base it on the script?
Johnny Depp: Generally I only start from the script. But when you play the role of a historic character in a country and a language that aren’t yours, there is an obvious responsibility of trying to figure out everything possible about him. So I used two complete biographies on him, from one of the experts that was hired for the project and was a great connoiseur of the subject. What I tried to do is to learn about the little stories about Louis XV, anecdotes from his everyday life, what did he like to eat or to drink… rather than learning about the History with H. And I use those anecdotes to build the character, to enrich it with many identities that, due to the royal protocol, make them approach differently to the different audiences, in an extremely precise way, without any step on the side. Only when the king faces Jeanne, he becomes a new man. It’s fascinating imagining what crosses someone’s mind that has been forced to compartmentalize everything. Having a life entirely written beforehand, except when the unknown arrives and fills the space with Jeanne du Barry more and more every time.
Does performing in French change the way of building the character and acting on the set?
Johnny Depp: Firstly, although I speak little French, in order to approach myself to 18th century’s French, I worked with a trainer who was extremely efficient regarding the pronunciation’s precision, for instance. My goal was to disassociate myself as much as possible from that question, so words could come out my mouth as naturally as possible, in order to concentrate in the acting and in my castmates. That, beyond the words, I could explore, as when I perform in my mother tongue, to see what’s under those words. And mostly I can be free to improvise, to play with the words, to have fun with my castmates, not constraining myself only to the text and the situations for the pure obsession with a precise pronunciation or a complete inability to react to what is happening around me. This previous work about the language gave me the ammunition to do my job as an actor, basically.
Louis XV is also a character whose silences and looks are as eloquent as the words he pronounces. And this is something that is in the tradition of many characters I’ve played, such as Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. I have met many of those men that make you understand everything with a single look, and that had the ability to impose the power and the fear. They didn’t need to open their mouth for that!
By virtue of his position and personality, Louis XV is one of them. So for incarnating him, I was lucky to follow the lead of those who have always been my cinema heroes, silent movies stars, Lon Chaney, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin… but also Marlon Brando, whose body language was unique in the world. By observing them, but also spending times at cafes throughout the years simply observing real life contemporaries, I never stop working on this kind of expression in order to go beyond the words. An actor is like a sponge.
What is that thing that surprised you the most from the way Maïwenn directed her set?
Johnny Depp: I was very surprised by the mix of strength, courage and passion with which she directed the set. Every day it was obvious that she knew where she was going with it, wearing the director and main actress’ hat in a project like that is a true challenge! Starting with something very specific: a director must be conscious of what is happening on set at any time, while an actor needs to take a break and empty their mind and forget everything. And it’s insane how she managed to tame that dichotomy.
And how did you live your colaboration with her on the set?
Johnny Depp: Between an actor and a director, it’s all about trust. Mutual trust to reach the same goal. To my eyes, my work consists in offering a director the maximum number of ways of achieving that result, in order to give them the maximum number of editing options. Having directed myself a film, I know how frustrated you can be in an editing table if you don’t do it. Inevitably, in a shooting set, there are some time limitations that add up at the end of a 35mm film. And there may have been, and I perfectly understand, certain reluctance from them to put any of my proposals in a box. But, every time, I insisted that she shoot at least one shot, even though that could mean throwing it in the end. I don’t say that my inspirations are all good, not at all. Maïwenn took some and discarded others. But at least she could choose!
In Jeanne Du Barry, you also form a delicious duet with Benjamin Lavernhe who plays La Borde, King’s first patron… How did that complicity between you both resolve on the screen?
Johnny Depp: Benjamin’s acting is absolutely insane. I feel like I want to steal him and use him as a castmate in every of my upcoming movies! An incredible talent, an availability at all times, a kind look in his eyes. With him, I could enjoy improvising and throwing ourselvess with just an exchange of glances. He bounced instantly to any proposal that you could make to him to bring it to places that you hadn’t think of. He understands everything at two thousand miles per hour. But with this film, as far as actors are concerned, they just made me lose! Seeing my friend Pacal Greggory, for instance, who I know for more than 30 years, was very touching and cheerful for mí. And shooting for the first time with Pierre Richard… what an actor! What a man! What a legend! I used to speak about my heroes, the Keatons, the Chaplins… Pierre is one of them.
What image, what moment will you remember from this adventure?
Johnny Depp: The first time that I walked through the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. Instantly, everything that I have ever dreamed of or fantasized regarding the film and Louis XV’s character, became alive. The costume, the makeup, the scenery… I felt completely in Louis XV’s sking and ready to embark on this exciting journey through time, imagined by Maïwenn. I will always keep that image in my mind for a long time. As if suddenly I could see myself propelled to the heart of the 18th century… but with a less pestilential smell than then. That’s the luxury of the 21st century!
Jeanne du Barry, produced by IN2 Film and distributed by Le Pacte in France and by Notorious Pictures in other European countries, was shooted during May 2022 in multiple French locations such as Versailles. Shooting photos were already showing a movie plot full of intensity and beauty of the most flourishing ages for the French monarchy.
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The film project cast is expected to attend this year’s Cannes Festival edition next month, where it will be premiered in its official section. There are already rumors about other film festivals hosting it during the second half of this year. Keep in touch on our social media, where we will give every exclusive about the Spanish and other countries premieres.
And in case you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you can watch it below (English subtitles):
SOURCE: Le Pacte
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