Behind the scenes at the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ premiere
Out of all the people we’ve interviewed on the red carpet – Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Bruce Willis, DiCaprio – we can honestly say that we’ve never been more nervous then when face
d with the handsome visage and purple tinted glasses of Johnny Depp.
We’ve been a fan since Depp was in 21 Jump Street. We loved him in all the Tim Burton films of the 90s. We loved it when he got together with Vanessa Paradis, falling in love with her exposed back from across the room. Sighs.
Still, as much as we’re a fan we were never a fanatic. We didn’t have him on our wall and it was certainly shocking to see the crowd’s reactions to him – from piercing screams to full on bawling – as he worked the red carpet, tirelessly signing autographs and adding his signature to some amazing fan-drawn pictures.
(Check out Tanya’s on the left! Before it was signed… and on the right, afterwards. AMAZING!)
We were particularly nervous this time round because Depp was only talking to maybe 
5 press outlets and we were one of them. Pressure!
As he moved up the line, we rued the day we wore a nude-coloured long-sleeved dress on the red carpet, but by the time he got to us, we could see he was perspiring a little too.
Depp! He’s human and sweats just like the rest of us!
If you haven’t seen the latest FTRC show click here to check it out.
Depp on Penelope Cruz: “She’s fantastic, so special so talented. So funny. Funny girl”
Depp on what audiences can expect: “It’s the first time we see Captain Jack really at a loss for words and a loss for a way out. He’s found a very worthy opponent in Penelope Cruz’s character.”
This is the first one without Keira and Orlando. Do you miss them?
Depp: “It’s sort of a different area now if you know what I mean. Their stories have come and gone and there are different areas to be looked into.”
What is it that keeps you coming back to POTC?
Depp: “As an actor it
’s a great opportunity to play a character that you really enjoy. And also there are more possibilities and more situations to be mined for this character I never felt done.”
Does that mean there’s going to be another one?
Depp: “I certainly hope
so. If these people will allow us too. I’ll be more than happy.”
You narrated Keith Richards’ audiobook for his biography, would consider playing him in a biopic?
Depp: “It might be a little bit too close to home at this point. The characters might collide a little.”
Depp on British comedy: “I’ve been away from that scene for a long time I haven’t really seen that much although I do adore Matt Lucas and Sasha Baron Cohen.”
You always look very handsome (gush much!), what’s your fountain of youth?
Depp: “My fountain of youth? A drop of red wine now and then.”
And that was what happened with Johnny Depp. He seemed particularly taken by our last question and so when we thanked him for the interview, he thanked us also and gave our left, lower arm a quick squeeze (his face while doing so can be viewed here on the right).
We nearly fainted. Not really. But we were pretty thrilled.
After the jump! Interviews with Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Jerry Bruckheimer, Sam Claflin, Lovejoy – sorry Ian McShane and loads more amazing pics of devoted, pirated up fans!
So we have a confession to make. We ballsed up the Penelope Cruz interview. Hey we’re human. It was a major disaster but the way stuff works in these situations is the actor’s publicist generally 
says, “Two questions!” and then you can actually squeeze in three, if you’re cocky four questions.
But after two questions with Cruz our brain went fully blank, we gibbered, and if you gibber you lose your moment and she walks along.
Still this is what we 
did manage with the Spanish bombshell.
Cruz on Depp: “I love working with him I love spending time with him. He’s really funny, he’s very generous, very kind and I really wanted to work with him again after 12 years when we were together for the first time in Blow. It was time!”
“He’s so talented and brilliant and a very unique person. He has a very special quality. The more I see him, the more I know him, the more I see what a special human being he is. He has a very big heart.”
Cruz on what drew her to the role: “I was a fan of the other pirate movies and I was given the opportunity to play a female pirate and that’s a very attractive proposition.”
Next up - Sam Claflin with his girlfriend at his side, actress Laura Haddock. Whatta dress!
How does it feel to be the new kid on the block in this franchise?
Claflin: “I physically can’t tell you. I know I’m the luckiest man alive. I’m 24 from Norfolk. I’m enjoying this moment with family and friends.
“It’s incredible. The best experience ever thank you everyone who’s got me here really! I owe them a hell of a lot.”
“I pretty much rang Laura every day saying I’m having the best day of my life! Each moment to mom
ent is getting better and better. I’ve learned so much and had so much fun throughout that it doesn’t seem like work.”
Haddock: “The people’s names that he’s worked with just sound like make believe names. People we’ve grown up with watching them in films and reading about in magazines and then suddenly you’re seeing them face to face in real life”
What give POTC such longevity?
Claflin: “It’s gotta be Johnny Depp. Him and Jerry Bruckheimer have both made this what it is. Hats off to them they’ve absolutely achieved greatness.”
“They’ve made pirate adventures fun again. They’ve reinvented the word pirate with Jack Sparrow.”
Next up another newbie. Robbie Kay aka Cabin Boy. He’s only 16 and very articulate.
Kay: “It’s such an iconic franchise. All the film’s were received so well by the crowd no one saw it coming. It’s such a different film in a way it’s in its own genre – that’s what makes it so special.
What’s new with this one?
“I think this one is very different from the others – it’s a different direction. It’s got new characters, new ships, new crew, new adventures.”
We were a bit nervous about chatting to Geoffrey Rush, but actually old Barbossa was fun! 
What keeps you coming back to play Barbossa?
Rush: “Because eventually I’m going to win. But I have an awful feeling that the fight going on between Jack Sparrow and Barbossa over our old friend the Black Pearl is a bit like Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner. It’s never-ending… but any moment now I’m going to win!”
What’s so special about this installment?
“The visual aesthetic of 3D I find so developed and so progressive that medium. And the new blood, the new characters have really injected new life into it.”
And finally Ian McShane as the devious Blackbeard.
McShane on Depp: “You know Johnny’s a diamond. A great guy. His reputation goes before him and he’s as sweet as everyone says he is.”
What attracted you to the role?
McShane: “The part, the location, and the money. Not necessarily in that order.”
What do you keeps people coming back?
McShane: “I think maybe it’s Johnny’s character. Kids love him, women love him, men love him”
Would you come back?
McShane: “If they asked me, absolutely, in a heartbeat.”
As usual we had our hair done at The Powder Room.
Dress: Asos.com
Belt: vintage
We were really excited to pop into our favourite new jewellery designers Zoe and Morgan.
A family run business that started in New Zealand, their stuff is a brilliant blend of rock ‘n’ roll and delicate and we love their more geometric pieces too.
So for this premiere we wore their Jett Necklace (pictured in the centre) and their ‘Magic’ ring.
For way, way more pics of Depp, Cruz and all the brilliantly dressed POTC fans click here!
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[...] Zoe and Morgan necklace – which is the second outing for it on the red carpet – we wore it to the Pirates premiere [...]
[...] previously worn their jewellery on several occasions on the red carpet. At the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides premiere (right, middle [...]