I love me some Johnny:

The Dapper Buccaneer Spills Secrets on Wonka, Keith and--Yes!--Porn
by Glenn Whipp | March 10, 2004

Okay, so Johnny Depp didn't get the Oscar. He never expected to win the damn thing anyway. When interviewed two days before the ceremony, he still hadn't quite recovered from the shock of being nominated for playing a pirate--one modeled after a degenerate rock star and a cartoon skunk, no less.

Now, though, he's channeling a Beach Boy in Secret Window, a thriller about a successful writer whom a psychotic hillbilly accuses of plagiarism. For Depp, it's another left turn in a career of interesting choices. Next up, he plays Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Here, the 40-year-old dishes on his inspirations, favorite things about France and a certain, er, homage to one of his films.

You always model your characters on famous people. Pirates of the Caribbean's Captain Jack Sparrow was a mix of Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew. Ed Wood: Charlie McCarthy and Ronald Reagan. Who inspired the layabout writer you play in Secret Window?
Brian Wilson. I remember hearing those famous stories, or maybe myths, about him in this very reclusive period where he didn't leave his house and had sand brought in to cover his living-room floor. Then he dropped the baby grand on top of that and wrote these great beach classics. That was the level of reclusiveness I was looking for.

Did you ever plagiarize in school?
Never papers. You know what I used to do? It's horrible. When I was a little kid, and I guess all kids do it, I copied other people's test answers. It was a question of survival. You do what you've got to do. At least, that's what it felt like to me. I couldn't take another failing grade.

Isn't it irresponsible to portray pirates as likable?
Well, how do we know they weren't? [Laughs.] Irresponsible? Hmmm...maybe. It might very well be. But who wouldn't want to take to the high seas and wave a sword? What a ball that would be. That's why I'd love to play [Jack Sparrow] again. It'd be purely for selfish reasons; he's such a fun guy.

Did Keith Richards ever ask for royalties off your Pirates performance?
I ran into him in New York a couple of months after Pirates was released. He was great about it. We've known each other for a long time...he is a pirate. Apparently, he's even on the DVD. That's really sweet of him. And how cool is it that Keith Richards is on a Disney DVD? That's a coup in itself.

Where's the best Mexican food in France?
You know what? It's at my house. Yeah. My girl's a good cook; she can make burritos, tacos, whatever you want. Otherwise, you can't find good Mexican food in France. No Mexican food and no doughnuts in Paris. Not that I'm a big doughnut fan. Anyway, there's other stuff there that's just as bad for you.

Now that everybody--audiences, critics--likes you, do you like everybody?
I've always liked everybody. [Laughs.] I'm not sure everybody likes me. Everybody thinks that I don't live in the United States anymore, that I live in France, which is not true. I just happen to have a home in France, as well, because my kids are half French. And that interview where suddenly I'm anti-American? It was untrue. It blew over quick, but it was an ugly moment. You don't want people believing that stuff. If I had said it, I'd take full responsibility. But it wasn't what I meant.

What's tastier, Mr. Wonka: Scrumdidilyumptious Bars or Everlasting Gobstoppers?
Scrumdidilyumptious Bars. But there's one even better, the Willy Wonka Scrunch Bar. They don't make it anymore. It was just unbelievable. If I have anything to do with it, the Scrunch Bar will be coming back--with my mug on it. Why not?

Okay, we're talking two days before the Oscars, but this interview won't run until after the ceremony. Um...anybody else you wanna thank?[Laughs.] God. Being nominated was such a surprise, such a shock. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before. Being nominated is plenty, actually. I'd just thank the people out there who have been with my up-and-down, weird-road, strange career and supported me and stuck with me all these years. I mean, they're my boss. That's what keeps me working.

Quick--name your favorite painting in the Louvre.
Does it have to be the Louvre? Oh...there's too many. The painting I'm unbelievably fascinated with at the moment is Picasso's Guernica. I think it's in Madrid. In the Louvre...well, of course, the Mona Lisa. You look at it and go,"Yes. It's great, especially for its time." But when you read about it, the thing really starts to take shape and come alive. It still fascinates me.

Did you ever seen the porn flick Edward Penishands?I certainly did. I absolutely did. And there was a sequel as well--Edward Penishands 2. I think it was either Tim [Burton] or John Waters who sent it to me. It might have been both. Tim and I were both quite proud they decided to do that. It was low budget and cheesy, but it was hilarious to watch. Those hands...they served him well.