Johnny Depp, 60, talks about feeling ‘normal’ in the Bahamas because it’s where he ‘escapes’ from scrutiny: ‘You’ve got to have a sanctuary’

Johnny Depp has been promoting the new Sauvage ad from Dior.

And in an interview shared with the South China Morning Post, the 60-year old movie star and musician talked about his interests these days.

The versatile actor shared that he loves the Bahamas, because he can feel ‘normal’ there.

The Hollywood A-lister added that he loves being on his own island because it’s like a ‘sanctuary.’

It is where he feels ‘freedom’ because he can ‘escape scrutiny.’

The actor has been famous for over 40 years thanks to his many hit films and his high-profile love life.

His likes: Johnny Depp has been promoting the new Sauvage ad from Dior.

And in an interview shared with the South China Morning Pos , the 60-year old movie star and musician talked about his interest these days

Good location: The versatile actor shared that he loves the Bahamas, because he can feel ‘normal’ there.

The Hollywood A-lister added that he loves being on his own island because it’s like a sanctuary

Blue water: It is where he feels ‘freedom; because he can ‘escape scrutiny.’

The actor has been famous for over 40 years thanks to his many hit films and his high-profile love life

Turns out the Bahamas is where he feels ‘normal.’

‘Where I feel the most myself in this world, and where I go to feel absolutely normal, I suppose, is my place in the Bahamas, because it’s an island and nobody’s looking at me,’ said the star.

‘You’ve got to have some sanctuary, a safe place where you can escape the scrutiny and the interest of others, a place where you can just sit on a beach, read, paint, meditate or whatever, that’s freedom to me.

‘That’s the only real freedom.’

And the ocean makes him feel refreshed.

‘The idea of being under, just free in the ocean, with the wind pounding against you, the sun pounding down on you, and the shimmery ripples across the water, sparkles everywhere … It cleanses your mind,’ added the father of two.

‘The thing that intrigues me most is the most basic, the simplest way of living. I don’t have a decadent lifestyle.

‘Yes, everything boils down to real simplicity for me. When you’re on the island, you’re not at some swanky hotel. It doesn’t look like the Four Seasons or anything.

It should look like what it is. It should look like a simple island house. Nothing grand, nothing. Just simplicity.’

Depp added that working in Hollywood reminds him of how competitive life can be.

‘Everyone is going to be affected by the passing of time, but I understand that in terms of the idea behind it, which is to say that I’ve always felt better in myself by sticking to my guns about choices that I’ve made,’ said Depp.

New normal: Turns out the Bahamas is where he feels ‘normal.’ ‘Where I feel the most myself in this world, and where I go to feel absolutely normal, I suppose, is my place in the Bahamas, because it’s an island and nobody’s looking at me,’ said the star

He then called it a ‘competitive racket.’

He added, I’ve never felt the need to be competitive with anyone. I hate the idea. It’s about who wins what, who gets what, who’s better and who’s worse, and who makes more, and all that …

‘I don’t care about any of that stuff. If you care about any of that stuff, man, I just think it’s counterproductive to the actual work that you’re doing as an actor.’

Johnny shared that an actor should do his best.

‘When I finish a film I say goodbye to the character, and I don’t watch other people. Most of the time – not out of disrespect to the filmmaker – the less I’m aware of any “who’s hot, who’s not, who’s f***ed up, who’s this” … the better it is. I prefer ignorance to knowledge in that field. (Laughs)

‘I feel that I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to present some characters over the years – characters and scripts that I felt really had something, and I felt like I had something to add to them.

He also brought up his special connection to music.

Grounded feel: ‘You’ve got to have some sanctuary, a safe place where you can escape the scrutiny and the interest of others, a place where you can just sit on a beach, read, paint, meditate or whatever, that’s freedom to me,’ he said; seen in May in Cannes

‘Music for me has always been by far the fastest, most effective way to a feeling, to an emotion, to thoughts and situations that you’ve lived.

And if you apply those things to your work, you know that you can live inside the moment that you experienced 30 years ago, or you can apply various memories to things.

‘So music has always been super important, it was always somehow connected with that lonely blues guitar.

The beauty of it for me, was that it was automatically rock ‘n’ roll, but at the same time, it’s Bach. It’s Mozart as well.

Now he is directing his pal Al Pacino in a film about the artist Modigliani.

‘I thought after that film, I’m never directing again. That was dumb. With this new project, Al Pacino – when we did Donnie Brasco together, we got tight and have been very close, to this day – had this as a project he was going to direct back in the Nebraska days, then everything went other ways.

‘Maybe a year and a half ago, Al called and just said, “Hey, John, remember that Modigliani thing? You know what I was thinking, man?

What about you direct it? I would like for you to direct the thing. I’ll play a part!” And I just thought, “Great.

I don’t have to be in it … if I don’t have to be in it, sure!” All I have to do is put together a cast that can deliver and just capture the moments that they give me and put it together in a cutting room. It’s a lot easier when you don’t have to look at yourself, your own mug on the screen.’

Rock on: ‘Music for me has always been by far the fastest, most effective way to a feeling, to an emotion, to thoughts and situations that you’ve lived.

And if you apply those things to your work, you know that you can live inside the moment that you experienced 30 years ago, or you can apply various memories to things,’ he noted

Rock on: ‘Music for me has always been by far the fastest, most effective way to a feeling, to an emotion, to thoughts and situations that you’ve lived.

And if you apply those things to your work, you know that you can live inside the moment that you experienced 30 years ago, or you can apply various memories to things,’ he noted

Fire man: ‘So music has always been super important, it was always somehow connected with that lonely blues guitar.

The beauty of it for me, was that it was automatically rock ‘n’ roll, but at the same time, it’s Bach. It’s Mozart as well,’ he said

He also talked drawing.

‘Since I was a little kid, my escape from reality was a piece of paper and a pencil.

So I was always drawing, getting in trouble for it, even in school, and getting yelled at by the teacher in first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, for just drawing: drawing Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and Wolf Man. And weirdly, dark things, like sort of universal monsters.

‘So drawing has always been a part of my life and painting as well – I started painting a long time ago now, but never thinking that I was going to display paintings or anything. It was just something for me to do and keep my brain occupied really. It still doesn’t make me any good, but it’s a nice outlet.’

Last week the actor was seen in a new commercial called The Call Of The Blazing Sun for the Dior fragrance Sauvage.

He talked about eagles, the sky, dry wood and the cold wind in a moody clip.

‘Bold and powerful, in his essence, his truth, embodies the soul of Sauvage,’ Dior said on Instagram. The brand also called him ‘fearless.’

The Hollywood star looked gypsy handsome in his black clothing with his silver jewelry and his long hair worn down.

In his interview he said he likes the solitude of his ads.

‘There’s a sense of solitude, but not a lonely solitude.

‘It’s a kind of Zen-like solitude that I feel in those little films.

‘You do not quite understand the reason behind certain things, but it makes perfect sense if you just accept what is happening – like the wolves [for the 2021 campaign], for instance. That was magic, I thought.’

The ex of Vanessa Paradis was reportedly paid an eye-watering $20million to reup his contract with the French company earlier this year.

He never goes out of style: Last week the actor was seen in a new commercial for the Dior cologne named Sauvage

Money bags: The ex of Vanessa Paradis was reportedly paid an eye-watering $20million to reup his contract with the French company

He first signed on as the face of Sauvage in 2015.

Depp – whose daughter Lily-Rose Depp dates 070 Shake – had on a black button-down vest over a black collared shirt with silver chains dancing down his chest.

Johnny added black coated denim jeans with silver buttons on the pockets.

He seemed to have on some eyeliner – which his POTC character Jack Sparrow was known for – as well as a deep Malibu tan.

The red carpet wonder had manicured facial hair that  included a mustache with a scruffy goatee.

The ads were shared by Christian Dior on social media on Thursday.

In May it was reported that the What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? actor would continue serving as the face of Dior Sauvage, after signing a three-year contract ‘upwards of $20 million.’

T he Edward Scissorhands actor may have struck the largest men’s fragrance deal in history, according to Variety.

The publication pointed out he was paid nearly twice what Robert Pattinson earned as a spokesperson for Dior Homme.

Similarly, Brad Pitt was paid $7 million to promote Chanel No. 5.

A source told the outlet that ‘most A-listers with fragrance deals pull in around $2 million-$4 million per year like Chris Pine, whose deal with Armani is valued at $4 million a year over 3 years.’

Depp first became the face of the men’s scent in 2015.