Johnny Depp finds his character from "the outside in"

LOS ANGELES - Johnny Depp enjoys playing Mr. Dressup. Perhaps, it's because he wears his costumes well.

For instance, Depp will always be remembered as the swaggering buccaneer Captain Jack in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies: A role that earned him an Oscar nomination and box-office clout.

And there's more on his list. Depp just completed another iconic part that relies on wardrobe, and a flair for the unusual. He is Tonto to Armie Hammer's Lone Ranger in the film remake of the 1950s cowboy series set for release next summer.

The 48-year-old also dons 19th-century garb to re-invent ashen-faced vampire Barnabas Collins in the horror-comedy loosely based on supernatural soap opera, Dark Shadows - which opened May 18.

So, it's no surprise that Depp has flair for fashion off camera, as well. On this particular day at a Beverly Hills hotel suite, he's wearing a trademark fedora, tinted glasses and black jacket and slacks. He looks cool for all ages. He's also receptive to the Mr. Dress Up theory.

"I do a movie depending on the character," Depp said. "So it's almost like working from the outside in. You put whatever on, and it makes you stand or walk a certain way.""

In fact, the actor seems to be at his most bizarre in Tim Burton's movies; Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter, and now Dark Shadows.

Appropriately enough, Depp and Burton started kicking around the Dark Shadows idea on the set of Sweeney Todd. Both were fans of the cheesy afternoon soap, which aired from 1996 to 1971. And both agreed they wanted to have fun with the concept without making fun of the show.

What they ended up keeping was the fish-out-of-water story as Barnabas re-appears (in 1972) with his dysfunctional relatives (Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller and Gulliver McGrath), and the witch (Eva Green) who cursed him 200 years before.

T! hrow int o the movie mix a nanny with a past (Bella Heathcote), the Collins family's heavy-drinking live-in psychiatrist (Burton's wife Helena Bonham Carter), and a hypnotized caretaker (Jackie Earle Haley).

Add to that narrative stew, huge servings of post-modern referencing by using rock songs and pop culture items from the 1970s.

Depp even gets a producing credit on Dark Shadows for his behind-the-camera involvement, although he considers it more of a courtesy title than something deserved.

"I mean it's almost impossible for anybody to consider me a producer," admitted Depp, smirking a little. "I can barely produce an English muffin in the morning."

He will concede that he worked closely with Burton on making sure the light theme didn't diminish the edginess of the vampire.

"Tim (Burton) and I got together, and we started figuring out how it should be shaped, but it basically dictated to us what it wanted to be," Depp said. "Then Tim was at the forefront of, you know, leading the troops."

The silliness factor of the 1970s images in Dark Shadows is a Depp favourite. "There were weird things, like lime-green leisure suits, macrame owls, and earth shoes. Those things didn't make sense then, and still don't."

What worried the actor most were the dangerous Barnabas fangs. He compared them to his Sweeney Todd shaving sequences with Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin.

"When I had the fangs in I wanted to be a little bit careful that I didn't actually pierce the jugular," said Depp of his Barnabas biting scenes. "It was kind of like my experience shaving Alan Rickman, which by the way, neither of us want to do again, especially Alan."

For a change of pace, Depp has fewer props and wardrobe embellishments for his upcoming movie, The Night Stalker. He'll play Kolchak (originated by Darren McGavin in the 1972 series), an investigative reporter who's on the trail of serial killer he suspects is a vampire.

Apparently, it's not a coincidence that Dark Shadows and The Nig! ht Stalk er were produced by the dearly departed Dan Curtis.

"I think Dan Curtis was a great influence," Depp said. "From Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker appeared. And it was another show I really loved, because it had a weird tone to it."

Still, Depp does have a more mainstream side. Recently, he gave a little help to his friend Paul McCartney by appearing in McCartney's video for his single, My Valentine. Depp and Natalie Portman provide sign language for the lyrics.

"I've known (McCartney) on and off over the years," said the actor, who dabbles in rock 'n roll from time to time. "He asked if I would be interested in his video, and I said, 'Yes'."

A few courses in signing followed. And despite best intentions, he proved that even a respected movie star can make a mistake.

"Apparently, instead of 'love', I think I might have signed 'murder'," he said of a possible foul up in the video. "But I was only copying what the guy showed me, so track him down."

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