Johnny Depp might be one of the most famous actors in the world. But he insists he doesn’t crave the spotlight, particularly after his highly publicized legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. 

The Pirates of the Caribbean star recently sat down for a rare and wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, where he opened up about his relationship to fame and his decision to sue his ex for defamation. 

Johnny Depp claims ‘fame is the last thing I ever chased’ 

Depp, 62, moved from Florida to Los Angeles in the early 1980s with dreams of becoming a rock star. Instead, he lucked into a career as an actor. But despite a successful string of movies such Alice in Wonderland, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Edward Scissorhands, he says he never sought the spotlight. 

“Well, fame is the last thing I ever chased,” he says. “If you look at the 9,000 years that I’ve been doing this sh*t, it’s pretty clear that I wasn’t ever thinking how I could be more famous, make a hit or please the press. Fame is an occupational hazard — but if I spout off about how upset I am, people will say, ‘Sweetheart, take a job pulling trash bags.’”

While Depp is no longer the box office draw he once was, he still finds it difficult to live a normal life. Going out in public tends to cause a stir. 

“I can be isolated and happier than a clam,” he said. “But I don’t get out much. I’m stuck with my thoughts; just thinking, writing or watching weird shit on YouTube. It can’t be healthy.”

Disguising himself doesn’t work. 

“I’ve tried hats,” he said. “Or I can grow a beard. But there is never any way to hide, and I just feel uncomfortable causing this weird form of attention I do, because I’m really shy.”

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star explains decision to sue Amber Heard 

Depp also spoke about his defamation suit against Heard, which resulted in a lengthy trial. Heard was eventually ordered to pay more than $10 million in damages for saying he abused her. She countersued and was awarded $2 million in damages. Both appealed, and they eventually reached a settlement, with Heard paying her former husband $1 million. 

The Oscar nominee has no regrets about suing Heard. He said he had to defend himself against what he insists were false accusations. 

“Look, it had gone far enough,” he said of the 2022 trial. “I knew I’d have to semi-eviscerate myself. Everyone was saying, ‘It’ll go away!’ But I can’t trust that. What will go away? … If I don’t try to represent the truth it will be like I’ve actually committed the acts I am accused of. And my kids will have to live with it.”

As for his relationship with Heard, who is 23 years his junior, he believes he pursued it as a way to understand his own parents’ dysfunctional marriage. 

“If you’re a sucker like I am, sometimes you look in a person’s eye and see some sadness, some lonely thing and you feel you can help that person,” he said. 

Though the relationship ended badly, Deep says he has moved on. 

“So it would be dumb for me to carry any bitterness,” he said. “Eternal hatred? You want to put curses on someone? No. I know who I am, what that was and, look, it was a learning experience.”

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