Depp takes advice

Maybe suggesting that Johnny Depp is the Luke Skywalker of Hollywood and that Marlon Brando is its Obi-Wan Kenobi -Alec Guinness' version not Ewan McGregor's recent attempt- is a bit sacrilegious.

Yet recent events suggest there are parallels in these two pupil master relationships, because although Brando hasn't exhorted the Pirates of the Caribbean star to 'use the force' yet, Depp is following advice from the screen icon.

And if you're going to take advice from someone on your acting career then you can't go far wrong with the man who became a legend for his roles in films like On The Waterfront, The Godfather, Last Tango In Paris, Mutiny On The Bounty, or more recently Apocalypse Now.

Depp recently revealed that he'll be putting Hollywood on the back-burner for the time being, until he has fulfilled the dying wish of his screen mentor, by playing Hamlet on stage.

"Marlon wanted me to escape movies for a while," he said.

"So it's one of the things that keep ricocheting around in my head. He told me that by the time he had got to the point where he felt he could do Hamlet, it was too late. So he said, 'Do it now, do it while you can.' "

So, while Depp will be pondering 'To be, or not to be', film-goers will be asking themselves, in the case of Messrs Depp and Brando, whether the pupil will ever outgrow the master.

Titles related to this article

Related/similar articles

• The Transformers: 'Invisible' Acting (8 June 2007)
• The Wrestler (12 January 2009)
• Gandolfini relishes funny role (25 March 2009)
• Depp's Sparrow tops sea-faring swashbucklers list (11 June 2009)
• LOVEFiLM Staff Valentine's Picks (3 February 2011)
• Bertolucci regrets not making peace with Schneider (6 February 2011)