News culture “I don’t care” There was tension between Johnny Depp and a star on the set of this film which was a turning point in his career
Published on 08/11/2024 at 8:00 p.m.
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The 61-year-old American actor has participated in a multitude of filmings in his very successful film career. If for most of the films, everything seemed to have gone well, for some, it was more difficult to collaborate with several actors.
Johnny Depp has a busy career. The famous Captain Jack Sparrow charted his path to success and recognition from his peers. He therefore worked with very great directors throughout his life but also great actors. But relationships weren't always good. especially on the shooting of the film Fear and Loathing à Las Vegas (1998) by Terry Gilliam.
Tension on set
The film is based on Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: a Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. He tells the story both horrific and comical journalist Raoul Duke and his lawyer, Dr. Gondzo, who are heading to Las Vegas. The first has been tasked with running a major sporting event and the second decides to accompany him. But this report is only a pretext because the two friends aim to explore the city under the influence of the drugs they brought back with them. Thus, we find in the film Johnny Depp in the role of Raoul Duke and the Oscar-winning actor Benicio Del Toro who plays Dr. Gondzo.
But the way the two actors work seems very different during the filming of the feature film. In an interview with Hey Guys in 2019, the director of the film stated that “Johnny knew exactly what he was doing, but Benicio was almost completely out of control, which made us all angry”. He even adds that the American star was far from being “the most popular person during filming” but the end result was simply “amazing”. And tensions continue to grow over time.
When it came to filming a scene, there was no question of Depp letting himself be beaten by his American counterpart. I said to him: “Here's what we're going to do: we're going to do your long, medium and close shots, but I'm going to do Benicio's first so you can see what he's doing.” Johnny said, “No, I want to be first. I know what I'm doing and I don't give a damn what he does.”
A good thing?
After all his filming adventures, Terry Gilliam finally admitted that the problems between the egos of the actors had allowed the film to be a great success. Competing for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was initially heavily criticized by the media. But over the years, the specialized press, and especially spectators, began to reconsider the film. On RottenTomatoes, the feature film obtains 90% positive reviews from the public.
