Despite his imposter syndrome, Johnny Depp revealed he overcame competition from some of the biggest names in Hollywood for his breakout role. The Academy Award nominee disclosed that he edged out actors such as Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and even Michael Jackson for the titular role in Tim Burton’s 1990 gothic fantasy Edward Scissorhands.
During an interview with director Tara Wood for an untitled docuseries about Burton, Depp shared, He was not far away from actually playing Edward Scissorhands — true story.
Reflecting on the film, Depp landed the character of Edward, a loving outcast with scissors for hands, created by a scientist (Vincent Price). After his creator dies, he’s introduced to suburban life by local woman Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), where he falls for her daughter Kim (Winona Ryder) but later gets ostracized by the townspeople.
Depp reflected on Burton and Caroline Thompson’s script, stating it passed through everything, anything, solid and went to the very core of whatever I am. The writing was beautiful. The character was beautiful.
He added, What I suppose [attracted] me emotionally was that Edward was me. It’s exactly what I should be doing.
Escape from Teen Idol Status
During his time on 21 Jump Street from 1987-1990, Depp felt pigeonholed as a teen idol. He stated, Coming off Jump Street, I had to fight that label.
His role in John Waters’ Cry-Baby, also released in 1990, marked a significant departure toward the kind of roles he wanted. Depp described it as the first solid step in the direction I wanted to go.
The Battle for Edward Scissorhands
The success of Tim Burton’s previous hits like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, combined with Hollywood’s interest in Edward Scissorhands, left Depp doubtful about getting cast. He shared his initial reaction upon reading the script: I thought he’s never going to cast me when everyone in Hollywood is after the part.
Depp recalled pressure on Burton: Tim’s really juggling because he’s getting hit by his agent, the studio, everybody.
At one point, Depp almost cancelled his meeting with Burton but was persuaded otherwise by his agent. He humorously remembered telling her to cancel: Please cancel the meeting; I’m not going.
A Golden Globe Nomination and Continued Collaborations
Eventually, after meeting Burton, Depp secured the part and earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the role. This marked the beginning of numerous collaborations between Depp and Burton across films like Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and many others.
The untitled Tim Burton docuseries premiered on June 10 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
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