Remember those end credits in “Grumpy Old Men” that had Burgess Meredith reciting a hilarious laundry list of sexual double-entendres? Well, now I have a new favorite perverse phrase – thanks to the biggest movie star in the world.
As we all remember, Johnny Depp was announced not too long ago as the star of a “Lone Ranger” movie – but instead of playing the man in the mask, he was set to play the Ranger's Kemo Sabe. So naturally, when I spoke to Depp recently at the premiere of his new film “Public Enemies,” I had to get a status report. My question came out thusly: “So, are you workin’ on your Tonto?”
“That sounds lewd,” he said with a grin. “Am I workin’ on my Tonto?”
Depp’s fans are well-aware of his fondness for infantile humor, and one of his co-stars in “Enemies” told me that between takes in a death scene, he and Depp would try and come up with the most outrageous slang-name for a sexual act (Dirty Sanchez, anyone?). Being no highbrow myself, we both got a giggle out of my unusual phrasing in the heat of the moment.
“Well, at one point, I will work on my Tonto,” Depp added, expanding his answer. “I think I have some pretty decent ideas.”
Produced by “Pirates of the Caribbean” hitmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, “The Lone Ranger” isn’t due in theaters until 2012, so it would seem that Johnny has plenty of time to figure out how to give us a unique take on Tonto that isn’t just the old-fashioned stereotype of a Native American. The first draft of the film is currently being penned by “Pirates” writers Ted Elliott and Terry Russio.
“I’m just waiting to get the right script, you know?” Depp said of when he’ll really start brainstorming ideas.
Although it might seem odd to some that Depp is scheduled to play the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, I can’t help but think back to one of my favorite movies in Johnny Depp’s career: the Jim Jarmusch not-Western, “Dead Man.” In it, Depp is brilliant as William Blake – a man who becomes immersed in the world of Native Americans, effectively becoming one. So I couldn’t help but ask: will his Tonto have anything in common with his William Blake?
“No,” he said of his “Lone Ranger” role. “This is pretty different; pretty different.”
What do you think of Depp “workin’ on his Tonto?” Can he pull it off?
Comments