Deppville Rep Meets Depp
Photo by Todd Christopher Stevenson
Deppville Representative meets Johnny Depp: report by Pamela Richardson
Monday, April 7, 2008
There are Angels in Aurora, Illinois, ladies and gents, and they were working on my side one recent chilly wet evening as all aspects culminated in a close encounter between myself and the number-one celebrity object of my admiration, Johnny Depp.
I had come from Chicago to Aurora Sunday, April 6, only to learn that no "Public Enemies" filming was planned for that day; that it would take place the following day - one day and one day only. I went home, returned again the next morning, bright and sunny, arriving in Aurora around noonish. I parked in a garage strategically convenient to the Paramount Theater, started walking toward it ... minutes later, a black SUV zooms past, and there he is, window rolled down and waving! Jeez. Apparently, he was arriving right after me, which meant the day's filming started rather late (considering that I'd heard others were there from around 6:00 a.m. on; perhaps they were filming non-Johnny scenes earlier). I watched the SUV drive down to the back entrance to the theater (beyond the taped-off sections of property where we admirers were soon to take up our vigil); it parked, and out jumped the driver, then Johnny, who turned to wave at those of us standing and staring, our mouths hanging wide open at the unexpected sighting. Even that brief glimpse, I have to say, my goodness, he's so damn beautiful! They went inside, and Lovely Kim of Security informed us that they would be in there for quite awhile, they were just beginning filming. She advised everyone to come back around 6:00 p.m. - rumor was that, if the filming went well, they hoped to arrange for Johnny to come out for a meet and greet. So I went to the tasty Tavern on the Fox for red wine and a salad, took advantage of some inspiration and wrote what may be a new song ... I returned to the back of the theater around 4:00 p.m. or so, where others had once again gathered, and soon we were rewarded with another sighting - this time he was leaving in the SUV for a dinner break, and he returned within about an hour and a half.
Then began the big WAIT.
We waited and waited, the temperature fluctuated due to a stiff breeze that came and went. We were glad for the increased crowd by that time, blocking the chilly wind. We waited longer, night fell, and suddenly they moved us from the back of the theater to the front, saying that once the shoot was finished, he would come out and walk up the street. No autographs, but he would be available for us to snap his picture and have a moment or two to speak with him, maybe shake his hand. We reached the front of the theater, where they lined us up across the street, behind plastic guard rails that ran for I'm thinking 2-3 large city blocks.
Then the even bigger and more trying WAIT.
This was the wait that separated the men from the boys, so to speak! It became very cold, and we stood and shivered for hours, waiting, watching all the signs of filming wrapping up for the night. We watched the crew pack up equipment, we saw Michael Mann leave. Security continued to promise us that Johnny was coming out sooner or later, we would just have to be patient. (By this time, I think it was after 11:00 p.m., and we heard that he'd returned to his trailer to get out of costume and, I'm guessing, to "decompress" from being in character all those hours before facing the fans.) The minutes dragged on, and weary people started to peel off from the group. Not everyone could stay, try as they might - some folks had work or school the next day, some were simply too exhausted, cold, or hungry to last longer. But I figured I'd been there since noon - I wasn't leaving till it was all over. Around midnight, as if the existing discomforts weren't enough, it started raining; not a downpour, but steady enough to make us all feel pretty miserable. Some were beginning to grumble, wondering if they'd been "had." Security assured us once again he was coming. I never had a doubt, because I know how he is. I was certain that, barring extreme unforeseen circumstances, nothing would keep him from coming out and greeting the fans who had been standing and waiting so long for him. He doesn't work that way.
Then the rain and wind seemed to pick up a little...and OUT HE CAME!
The crowd went wild, as you can imagine. Jerry the bodyguard, the police and the Security folks constantly warned us all to be cool, don't push; and overall (from where I stood), I think the crowd acquiesced as best they could. Seemed to be a pretty good group of folks. But oh boy, the excitement! There he was, up close and personal, with a familiar look I've seen in photos - tan leather jacket, blue work shirt, ripped up jeans, no facial hair, glasses, short hair, no hat, delicious. He started making his way down the long line of people at the gates, and he was completely gracious and taking his time with everyone, especially the kids; he's such a dear.
I watched him approaching, and suddenly there he was, right before me, and he looks up. I figured that first look would be highly thudworthy, and it was (gulp!); but beyond that, it was surprisingly "calming." He makes full eye contact, smiles very warmly ... and I just felt my whole body relax. All the crowd noise around me disappeared, and it was truly as if this moment was going to be just for us. Dare I say it, it felt like a bit of hypnosis. Absolutely lovely, like a soothing stop in time, like a relaxing dip into a perfect temperature bath. I put out my hand, smiled like a slack-jawed idiot no doubt, and just said, "Johnny ... Johnny ... " LOL, I'm such a dork! He took my hand in both of his, squeezing it, looked at me very kindly and said, "Oh, you're so cold." (Let the fainting begin NOW!) I handed him a packet with some of my CDs, which promptly went to Jerry (the modus operandi when he receives gifties). I said, "This is for you and Vanessa, I hope you like it," or somesuch. He thanked me, still maintaining eye contact with those amazing dark eyes. He moved forward, kinda pulled me closer for a quick hug, and darned if my hand wasn't suddenly on his waist, OMG! Somehow I held myself together till he moved away, I think I kept patting his back and shoulder till he was out of reach ... then the mature, respectful admirer dissolved, leaving a dancing teengirl in her wake (giggle, hairflip, eyeroll, squeal, ad nauseam). I wish I could say I took photos, but sadly, by the time this all took place, my fingers were so frozen I couldn't operate my camera. Fortunately, earlier in the day I had befriended a wonderful couple (in fabulous vintage clothing, they're aspiring extras; I hope they make it into the film, they deserve it), and they were taking pix (one of theirs accompanies this account). Once our encounters were complete, we left the front of the line and moved back behind the crowd, making our way to the end of the line to see Johnny wrap up and take off. When he finally had greeted as many as he possibly could, he ran over to the SUV passenger side, hopped onto the running board so we could see him standing up, his head above the roof of the car, waving as everyone cheered like mad. Then he finally jumped in, closed the door, and off they went.
Now I'm here to tell you, beyond my own girlish excitement, this man is phenomenally handsome. It's almost ridiculous how beautiful he is, it's unreal. He looks at least ten years younger than he is; if you can imagine it, he's even more handsome in the flesh than in photos, he positively glows. Now that I've seen him up close, I believe a key factor in his fine looks is that he's very happy. That may sound silly, but I really do think that's a lot of it. This is a man who knows what's important in life, who learned those valuable lessons early on. If he lost all the fame and fortune tomorrow, he would be fine because he knows what matters. This doesn't mean he doesn't care about his career, but that he's learned to keep it in its proper perspective, nurturing the aspects of show business that matter, that endure. He's always ready to express sincere gratitude to his fans, he doesn't mess about with the Hollywood nonsense, he cherishes his family and privacy above all else. He exudes contentment and cool self-assuredness, humility and class in the true sense of the word, the kind of class no amount of money can buy. He's charming and gracious, his joie de vivre is infectious. It's as if he's figured it all out and he hopes we will, too, and he leads by example.
It's a beautiful thing to watch, the way he lifts everyone's spirits just by taking a little quality time with each encounter. I've met famous people before, but I never met a celebrity who is so completely focused on the individual he's speaking to. So many stars don't get this, even the best-intended ones. For some reason, that simple extra effort eludes them, and meetings are often little more than a quick and absent handshake. I watched Johnny as he approached me and after he moved on, and I never saw him distracted by the weather, the noise of the crowd, the flashing lights, the screams, his own weariness from the long day of work, and so on. He moved along steadily, taking enough time to make every single person feel special. When he speaks with you, he keeps looking into your eyes, offering undivided attention, letting you know you're the most important person in his life at that moment. If you're only going to share a minute or two, he does everything in his power to make sure it's a quality minute. If he shows any partiality at all, it's with the children. He crouches down to their level, offers them an equally dignified exchange; the difference is, you can't help but notice an extra look of delight in his face when he comes to children standing in the lines. And that's as it should be.
I find myself wishing after the fact that I could express appreciation to everyone involved in the activities - the Security staff, the people working at the Paramount, the police, and the ever-patient Jerry. To all of them, I would love to say thanks for their honesty in the proceedings and updates provided, thanks for their patience with all of us, thanks for being approachable and at least pretending to understand and sympathize with the workings of adoring fans' hearts and minds. These folks worked tirelessly throughout the day well into the night, and they all did a great job without any authoritative actions beyond what was necessary to ensure everyone's safety. I'm grateful for their part in an extraordinary experience.
To sum it all up, I'll always cherish this chance to experience a true star, one I have admired for years as an artist and as a person, and to learn so much more about him just by observing. But then, I guess I didn't so much learn as confirm; I already knew that Johnny Depp is a 100 percent class act.