Johnny Depp's personal issues have been in the public domain for quite some time. Despite being one of the highest paid actors on the planet, a large portion of his $650m earnings have seemingly been blown on exorbitant spending sprees, as he finds himself locked in a heated legal battle with his former representatives The Management Group (TMG).
Now fresh details have emerged from the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, as the actor's unhinged behavior was revealed to sources close to THR. Spending tens and hundreds of thousands on wine and jewellery at his own expense, Depp's erraticism drew many on set to wonder how he ever pulled it off.
Choppers, Tabloids and Sliced Fingers All Part of Depp's Demise
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer attempted to ease concerns about Depp, explaining that he was put under a degree of stress that should not have been tolerated.
"You've got to understand the kind of pressure Johnny was under in Australia," he explained. "At times helicopters would follow him home. There would be so many media outside his gates that trucks were feeding them. There was so much stuff made up about him: that Johnny had a fight on set and had gone back to the States, which we both read about while we were in his trailer."
With the cameras shut down from operating at one period in 2015 down under, Depp was reported to have sliced a finger. Bruckheimer did not reveal how or why that occurred.
"That was pretty serious," Bruckheimer replied. "We don't really know. He got it caught in a car door, or he got it caught in a sliding door. I've heard a couple of versions."
Train Wreck With No One Holding The Wheel
An unnamed production staffer recalled times when Depp would wake from a slumber and the directors would leap out of their chairs and start rolling.
"When he got up, he'd turn on the light, and the moment the light went on they'd call the line producer, who would then call the directors (Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg): 'He's up! He's getting ready!' They even had a special code term, like 'The eagle has landed.' Johnny had no idea this was going on."
Another production staffer opened up about booze-fueled exchanges between Depp and his former agent from UTA Tracey Jacobs.
"She went over to Jerry and said, 'You've got to do something! You're the producer.' He said, 'You do something. You're the agent.' Everyone was an innocent bystander watching this train wreck. But when Johnny came on set, he was charming, nice. He's yin and yang."
Disney production chief Sean Bailey could not hide from the chaos, but praised the performer for dealing with his demons in these circumstances.
"There were certainly days when our plans were challenged. But no one should underestimate Johnny's passion and commitment to this character and franchise."
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in the US on May 26.
Source: THR
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