Tim Burton saw past Johnny Depp's good looks

Tim Burton has revealed he almost dismissed Johnny Depp when the pair first met because of his heartthrob status, but he saw a sensitive quality in him he felt was perfect for the lead in 'Edward Scissorhands'.

Tim Burton cast Johnny Depp in 'Edward Scissorhands' in spite of his pretty boy reputation.

The filmmaker - who has worked with the Hollywood actor countless times - saw past the teen heartthrob status Johnny's '80s TV crime drama '21 Jump Street' afforded him and discovered a sensitive man pigeon-holed because of his looks, which he thought was perfect for the lead role in his iconic fantasy film.

He explained: ''It was quite simple. I mean, I knew about '21 Jump Street', and I had seen pictures and stuff, and I met him and he just reminded me of what the character was. At the time he was perceived as a teen idol, you know, a Justin Bieber type of guy, but as a person he wasn't that.

''So, for me, he mirrored what Edward Scissorhands was: he was something inside, but people treated him a certain way because of the way he looks. So in a weird way, he was the character, because he had those feelings.''

The 1990 film marked the beginning of the pair's many collaborations, and Tim says over the years he has looked to his muse for creative inspiration when it comes to penning scripts.

Quizzed about Johnny's involvement in the films, Tim added in an interview with Deadline's AwardsLine: ''It depends. Every one has been different. I'm trying to think back. With 'Ed Wood', the script was there.

''I think on 'Sweeney Todd', I just asked him, before there was a script, if he'd go for it. But usually there's a script.''