Director Maïwenn clarifies comments on “scary” Johnny Depp behavior

Last Updated on April 30, 2024

When Johnny Depp praised and thanked his Jeanne du Barry director for giving him a chance when nearly no other filmmaker would, it showed genuine appreciation. But then director Maïwenn seemed to betray her star, giving an interview in The Independent that painted Depp as “scary” on the set and Maïwenn as disloyal. Now, Maïwenn is trying to right the wrongs ahead of the film’s North American release next week.

Speaking with Variety, Maïwenn said that her quotes about Johnny Depp had been misrepresented. “When I made a remark about Johnny being ‘scary,’ I was talking about his charisma, his notoriety, his star status, etc…[I] was shocked when I discovered that the newspaper had headlined that ‘The crew were afraid of [Johnny Depp]’ because written like that, and without its context and subtleties, it absolutely no longer means the same thing. The journalist did not want to grasp the subtlety of my words.”

As for what Maïwenn said about Depp in The Independent: “I have to be honest. It’s difficult to shoot with him… all the crew were scared because he has a different kind of humor and we didn’t know if he was going to be on time, or if he was going to be ok to say his lines…I mean, even if he was there on set, on time, the crew were afraid of him.”

Maïwenn would go on to directly call out the writer of The Independent piece while clarifying that Depp is “scary” in just how much “charisma” he brings to the set. She, too, compared him to Marlon Brando in the level of presence and genius he exudes. Depp and Brando became good friends in the ‘90s after starring with each other in Don Juan DeMarco; Depp would also direct Brando in 1997’s The Brave. Depp will be directing another past Brando co-star, Al Pacino, in the upcoming film Modì.

In Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, Depp plays Louis XV opposite the director, who portrays the titular mistress.

What are your impressions of Johnny Depp’s style and behavior on the sets of his movies? Give us your take in the comments section below.