Johnny Depp On Fear Of Flopping As Demon Barber

Jan 6 2008 By John Millar

Exclusive Star Johnny On His Fear Of Flopping As Musical Barber Sweeney Todd

DEMON barber Johnny Depp has revealed his terror that he would murder the tunes in his latest musical role.

The Hollywood star is even too scared to sing in the pub despite showcasing his vocal talents in the musical Sweeney Todd.

He admitted: "I've never tried karaoke, it scares the hell out of me."

Depp was approached by his pal, Batman director Tim Burton, to play Fleet Street's most famous barber but was panicked by the musical score.

He said: "I knew I wasn't tone deaf but I wasn't sure I'd be able to sing. "I suppose they had some weird blind faith in me or were assured that technology would put the notes into a proper tune."

Once the production was underway, Depp discovered how hard it is to sing the songs composer Stephen Sondheim created for the 1979 Broadway musical.

He said: "There were several instances when I thought, 'I'm going to hit the deck and I might just pass out.' But somehow I stayed upright."

His vocal efforts have earned a Golden Globe nomination and been compared with everyone from David Bowie to David Essex.

Co-star Helena Bonham Carter has described him as having a sexy, beautiful and soulful singing voice.

Burton - who had worked with Depp, 44, on bizarre movies Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, The Corpse Bride and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - first approached the actor about the role five years ago.

Todd seeks bloody revenge on the judge who had him transported on a trumped-up charge so he might seduce the barber's wife.

And Burton had only one star in mind to play Todd. He visited Depp at his home in the south of France, where he lives with French star Vanessa Paradis and their children Lily Rose, eight, and Jack, five.

He gave him the actor a copy of the CD of the Broadway show before turning his attention to other projects.

Depp said: "Then five or six years later the question comes, 'Do you think you can sing?' I said, 'I don't know, I'll see if I can.'

Despite his reservations there was no question he had a musical ear. He had been in a rock band called The Kids and more recently has played in a group he named P.

He is also best mates with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who had a guest role as Jack Sparrow's dad in the last Pirates Of The Caribbean romp, and Depp portrayed a guitarplaying gypsy in the film Chocolat.

He also played slide guitar on British band Oasis' hit Fade In-Out, on the 1997 album Be Here Now. But the actor's biggest worry was that although he had provided backing vocals in The Kids, he had never carried a song on his own.

Burton was more confident about Depp's singing ability.

He said: "I just knew he could." The story of the making of the movie - which also stars Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall - is told in Mark Salisbury's book, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, which reveals the secrets behind Burton's determination to bring it to the big screen.

In it Depp revealed he did a dry run to see if he could do the vocals. With the help of Bruce Witkin - the singer with The Kids - he recorded numbers from the musical.

Producer Richard Zanuck and Burton loved his voice.

During filming Depp suffered every parent's nightmare when daughter Lily Rose was hospitalised with a serious illness, thought to be E.coli poisoning. He took a break to be at her side and she made a full recovery.

Depp said: "Now every single millisecond is a mini-celebration. She pulled through beautifully, perfectly, with no lasting anything."

And no matter how well Sweeney Todd does during the awards season, you know Depp's biggest role is being a caring father.

Sweeney Todd is released on January 25.

TOUGH GUYS TACKLE THE HIGH NOTES

JOHNNY DEPP is not the only the non-singing actor to burst into song on the big screen.

Movie icon Marlon Brando was a shock choice to play Sky Masterson in 1955 hit Guys And Dolls when he tackled songs such as Luck Be A Lady.

Rex Harrison famously talked his way through classics like I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face in 1964 Oscar-winner My Fair Lady.

And screen tough guys Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin showed their also did a spot of warbling as the voice of John Smith in Disney's 1995 cartoon Pocahontas.

And in 2001 movie Moulin Rouge, Ewan McGregor - who had done his glam rock thing in Velvet Goldmine three years earlier - had duets with Placido Domingo on Your Song and with Nicole Kidman on Come What May.

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