Before Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp Says His Day Job Was "Awful"

It is always interesting to take a look into the lives of celebrities, but what is even more interesting, however, is to look at what they were up to before the fame hit.

Johnny Depp is a highly successful actor, most notably in the Disney community for his work as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but, Depp was not always an A-list actor.

Johnny Depp spoke with Iggy Pop for Interview Magazine to discuss his earlier career options, and one that he deemed as just “awful”. It seems that Johnny Depp’s first hurrah into the world of work was as a pen salesman, and somehow, Depp found a way to turn that into acting just as well.

“I marketed pens—on the phone. But the beauty of the gig was that you had to call these strangers and say, “Hi, how ya doing?” You made up a name, like, “Hey, it’s Edward Quartermaine from California. You’re eligible to receive this grand­father clock or a trip to Tahiti.” You promise them all these things if they buy a gross of pens. It was just awful. But I actually think that was the first experience I had with acting.”

Clearly, Depp was not in moral agreement with the business practices that this pen company had in terms of promoting what was likely to end up as a false promise, but the acting aspect of it all is quite interesting. Depp was able to create a world of fun and imagination through his pen-selling personas, just as he would in the future with characters such as Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, or the Mad Hatter from Disney’s live-action Alice in Wonderland.

Related: ‘Pirates’ Star Johnny Depp Told Disney Jack Sparrow Is Gay 

Depp’s talent comes from his ability to create unique takes on characters, just as he did when selling pens — so much so that he even had Michael Eisner shaking in his boots after seeing Depp’s rendition of Jack Sparrow. However, due to the consistent success of his characters within films, it seems that Depp usually knows best when it comes to taking a risk and having a heavy payoff.

What is going on with Johnny Depp now?

Johnny Depp is currently in a rough patch with his career as Depp is in a current legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard (Aquaman) for which she has accused him of domestic abuse. Although the $150 million high court legal battle is still underway, Depp also went to court with the U.K. tabloid newspaper, The Sun, who accused him of being a “wife-beater”. Johnny Depp has since lost that libel battle with the U.K. high court and in turn, his career.

First, Warner Bros. asked Depp to step down from his role in Fantastic Beasts. He lost his role as Gellert Grindelwald Fantastic Beasts 3, and now Mads Mikkelsen is currently set to take over Depp’s character in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Then came the tragic loss of his iconic and beloved Pirates of the Caribbean role Jack Sparrow. Disney had scrapped his role in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, but thanks to a fan petition, the actor is now reportedly in talks with Disney once again. Considering the love Disney fans have for Depp both in the films and in the Disney Parks, it is not hard to believe Disney would want to make their relationship work. 

That being said, Amber Heard has now subpoenaed Disney to get all information regarding Johnny Depp’s behavior when filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, as well as other correspondences the company had with him. All of this negative light has reportedly caused Depp to turn to smaller production houses in search of work.

Most recently, we discovered that Depp is in talks to star as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family, which was an idea sparked by Burton. It is also rumored that the long-awaited Beetlejuice 2, which Burton has repeatedly expressed interest in directing, may come to fruition with Johnny Depp starring in the film. Depp’s current rocky relationship with Warner Bros., however, could pose as a wrench in that plan.

If Johnny Depp was able to make a pen selling job turn into a creative acting class, I, personally believe that he will be able to rise from this career slump in the future as well.

What is your favorite Johnny Depp role? Do you think that his pen-selling job would have been as “awful” as Depp described? Let us know your thoughts!