Depp: Dillinger was never really a public enemy

Published: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:01:01

Public Enemies star Johnny Depp has explained he felt the renowned bank robber John Dillinger was always more of a hero than a villain. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor plays the 30s icon in Michael Mann's new crime drama and revealed he had been interested in the outlaw since childhood. "When I was about nine or ten years old, I had a fascination with John Dillinger - probably not a healthy one - but I think it was something about the twinkle in his eye. There was something mischievous about him and it intrigued me," he told a London press conference.

"In terms of taking on the role - the guy was 'Public Enemy Number One' but if you think about it, he was never an enemy of the public, ever, so that intrigued and challenged me." Depp also revealed that the character's Indiana roots helped him find a voice for an infamous American of whom no audio recordings exist. He added: "With a guy like John Dillinger and where we were in 1933 - which is not unlike where we are now - the banks were sort of the enemies and were taking the knees out from everyone, people's lives were being ripped from them.

"And John Dillinger arrives as someone who's spent ten years in prison for some youthful, drunken, ignorant crime and arrives in the ultimate existential arena and says: 'I'm gonna stand up against these people'. "I think for me what's fascinating is the guy who says: 'I ain't taking it. I don't care who you are, I ain't gonna take it'."

Public Enemies is out now.

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