Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Johnny Depp
In 2016, Amber Heard filed for divorce and a temporary restraining order against Johnny Depp, who she alleged had been physically and mentally abusive toward her. Whether these claims are true or not, which they probably are, does not change the fact that Depp is an asshole. This man has punched a location manager, stumbled drunk onto sets and is constantly late to screenings and filming. The acclaimed brilliance of his acting is overshadowed by his repulsive and shameless personality.
But is this enough to take him out of the cast of a new Harry Potter franchise? The Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald cast didn't even know he would be present. In an interview with Playboy, Ezra Miller said, “None of us were consulted. None of us knew.” Later in the same interview when asked about his comfort with Depp being in the movie, Miller said, “I would say that literally every single aspect of my reality, inclusive of a lot of things that are not fine with me, are fine with me. It’s amazing how far the banner of all good can extend.” I’m not saying Depp should be barred from every role, but when you have this big of a prick, is it really okay to continue casting him in Disney films? Disney has even dropped him from his role as Jack Sparrow. Regardless, I guess it is best to cast him as the dark wizard, fitting for his vile demeanor.
But is this enough to take him out of the cast of a new Harry Potter franchise? The Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald cast didn't even know he would be present. In an interview with Playboy, Ezra Miller said, “None of us were consulted. None of us knew.” Later in the same interview when asked about his comfort with Depp being in the movie, Miller said, “I would say that literally every single aspect of my reality, inclusive of a lot of things that are not fine with me, are fine with me. It’s amazing how far the banner of all good can extend.” I’m not saying Depp should be barred from every role, but when you have this big of a prick, is it really okay to continue casting him in Disney films? Disney has even dropped him from his role as Jack Sparrow. Regardless, I guess it is best to cast him as the dark wizard, fitting for his vile demeanor.
I agree with you but I would say that if we think of the larger issue, it's not Depp's assholeness. It's Hollywood's acceptance of physical/sexual abuse (not just of women but also as you point out , of workers) by continuing to give abusive actors jobs and consumers continuing to watch it and ignore the facts. Also when you show up drunk to a job usually your job offers you help and lets you take time off to go to rehab or get substance abuse counseling without firing you, unfortunately drug abuse is normalized to an extent in Hollywood so that is also one of the larger issues.
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