Anne Rice: Johnny Depp Would Make A Good Jesus

[The Straight Story]

Anne Rice: Johnny Depp Would Make A Good Jesus
15-Mar-2006
Written by: Ellen Wernecke

In talks to develop a Biblical drama for HBO, the Roman Catholic Rice says she knows who she wants for Jesus.

Just call it a mission from God.

In a new book which interviews celebrities about their religious and spiritual beliefs, Anne Rice, the bestselling vampire writer and born-again Christian said she believes she's been called to make a television series about Jesus' life -- and in her head, she's already cast it.

"I haven't told Johnny Depp yet, but wouldn't he be perfect?" Rice said about the series, which she described as HBO's "Deadwood" (her favorite show) set in Nazareth. But how would the profane Western translate into a Biblical storyline?

"It would be everything that's going on in Jesus' village -- all the arguments, disputes, whatever --and we'd take maybe five years to get to Jerusalem," Rice said. She said she's been begging her agent to set her up with television writers and HBO, because "if I don't do it, somebody else will, because I can't want to do something this badly... without somebody else thinking of it."


http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/5248.html

[Mythsaje]

1. Interesting...

I think he's one of our greats, and it would be very interesting to see the result. Question is--would he accept it?

[MichiganVote]

2. Johnny as Jesus? Pretty funny. Johnny makes a superb devil.

[htuttle]

31. Well, if it was REALLY going to be an interesting show...

...he'd play both parts.

:evilgrin:

[MichiganVote]

43. Now that he would probably do :)

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Sounds like she's got a thing for Johnny!! He'll never do it...

He's very picky about his roles.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Oh joy. Another Jesus movie.

Just what we've all been begging for.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. even better, a SERIES

:puke:

[stepnw1f]

7. lol

we must catapult that propaganda, until you get the truth.:sarcasm:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. I Take It You Didn't Like Passion Of The Christ?

Was a bit long for my liking, but overall wasn't too bad.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

22. It was moving

but a bit too gory for me. I kind of enjoyed the Aramaic, however.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

26. That Was Wild Wasn't It?

I thought for sure it would get annoying, or I wouldn't be able to watch a movie like that, yet by the end it was totally not a distraction whatsoever. It's just wild how the brain can adapt so quickly to different experiences.

I thought the production value was great. I understand you comments about the gore involved, and there were some parts that even made me a bit squeamish. Overall though not a bad movie, and really good acting.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

33. I saw it on Holy Thursday

the year it came out. He did a good job of portraying the Christ in the Gospels. One aspect that ISN'T in the Gospels that intrigued me was Satan in the background. Artistic license, I guess. But he seemed to love Christ. It opened a different dimension for me. Made me think.

[Canuckistanian]

34. Actually, I've never seen it.

But I've never seen it at the video store, either.

I would watch it though, just to see what all the fuss is about, even though some reviewers have called it "violence porn".

[Little Star]

40. "violence porn" that was my take on it and

I was excited to go see it. I am a christian. More of a new testament christian than old testament. Different strokes on movie choices I guess.

[Bluebear]

25. lol

[boobooday]

6. Life of Brian

It's all I need.

[arcane1]

11. LMAO, Amen to that!

:)

[boobooday]

13. I take it literally, by the way

Blessed are the cheesemakers!

:rofl:

[arcane1]

18. always look on the bright side of life :)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

23. One of my favs

[Canuckistanian]

35. Now there's a movie

"I say you are lord and I should know, I've followed a few"

[Virginia Dare]

8. Sexy Jesus? Well, that's a thought. EOM

[saracat]

9. Hey! Anne is a great Dem! It would be fabulous !

This is an opportunity to show the "Real " Jesus!

[tridim]

10. I wish just once they'd depict Jesus as an olive skinned, Middle Eastern

man like the Bible describes him. Johnny Depp could play him with makeup, but someone like John Turturro could do it raw.

[Horse with no Name]

28. BLASPHEMY!!!!

We ALL know that Jesus was blonde and blue eyed...:sarcasm:

[Lorien]

37. Depp is part Native American, which makes him fairly dark skinned

and Jesus was a Jew-not all Jews are olive skinned (though a person would be tan living at that latitude and spending so much time outdoors...) ;-)

[KingFlorez]

12. How about a black actor to play Jesus?

That would tick the fundies off

[TallahasseeGrannie]

24. How about Ben Stiller?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

44. There's actually a South African film out soon that did just that

The story of Jesus reclaimed as an African fable: a simple concept becomes a remarkable cinematic experience in Son of Man. This is the second installment from the collaboration of director Mark Dornford-May and the South African theatre company, Dimpho Di Kopane. The moniker means "combined talents," and it aptly describes the incredible creative energy on both sides of the camera. Shot against the backdrop of a violence-riddled township and with text updated to modern time, Son of Man delivers one indelible impression after another. Mary conceives the Christ child during a militia attack on a grade school, Jesus asks for the surrender of handguns from his apostles, and the angel Gabriel is a precocious child marked with simple white feathers. Equally intriguing is the melding of the crucifixion and resurrection?alluding to the fact that in today's Africa, political dissidents, as Jesus was, are conveniently made to disappear. In song and originality, the spirit of Son of Man is contagious, a life-enriching elixir for Christians and non-Christians alike who feel mired in the unyielding bigotry of fundamentalism. By modernizing one of the world's most famous stories, Son of Man creates lasting resonance and imparts a significance that is truly glorious.

http://festival.sundance.org/filmguide/popup.aspx?film=7001
http://www.southafrica.info/what_happening/arts_entertainment/son-of-man-250106.htm

[CrispyQ]

14. She was quite upset when they cast

Tom Cruise as Lestat. Afterwards she gave him kudos for a great performance.

Depp can do anything.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. Only if he stays in the character Jack

[IntravenousDemilo]

17. I'm just trying to get my head around his wanting to play Sweeney Todd

in Tim Burton's movie version of the Sondheim classic. I mean, can he even sing? It's not an easy score for someone without vocal training. Hell, it's not even that easy for someone with training.

At least Jesus wouldn't have to sing, which should make it a little easier. They've already filmed Superstar and Godspell, and I can't think of any other singin' Jesuses (or Jesi, as Colbert puts it).

Besides, when Jesus was Johnny Depp's age, he'd been dead ten years.

[CBGLuthier]

27. I had not heard about that

Sweeney Todd is one of my favorites. In fact it is my favorite musical. Got the George Hearn and Angela Lansbury version on DVD the day it came out. It would be hard to top that.

No idea if he can sing and you are correct that the role is very demanding but I would love to see him try.

[librechik]

19. for her Christian Vamp movie?

hell yes--and don't spare the eye makeup! and skip the Tom Cruise, please.

[datadiva]

20. I love Anne Rice

I own every one of her books with the exception of the last one about Jesus. I agree with her, Johnny Depp would be perfect. He can play anything. Anne writes about the good and the bad in people so I don't expect her perception of Jesus to be like everyone else's. I hope they do this. I would love to see it.

[BlooInBloo]

Well duh. He's the actor of our generation....

He would make a great ANYTHING. Woulda been a better Neo than Keanu, and so forth...

[CBGLuthier]

32. He really is good isn't he

And he seems to be remarkably free of the huge ego that some with a hell of a lot less talent seem to have.

I got a huge kick when he said he based part of Willie Wonka on the Uncle Al show he had seen as a kid in Kentucky. I was on Uncle Al myself when I was about 5 or so. Wonder if he saw me? :-)

[greyl]

36. I loved him since Jump Street.

literally. ;)

edit: but he would need a hell of a lot of makeup to portray Jesus realistically.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

21. He's beautiful but too old

[Lorien]

38. Eh, he could pass for 30

he's 42 I think-but he's an extremely well preserved 42.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

42. I would have agreed until

I saw him in Neverland. He was really showing his age.

But he is so pretty.

[bklyncowgirl]

29. I love it.

Jesus was charismatic and while usually portrayed as sweet and ascetic he had a pretty sharp sense of humor--that bit about a camel getting through the eye of a needle sooner than a rich man getting into heaven--is not what you usually expect from your usual cardboard cutout savior.

He also enjoyed a good glass of wine--and if he and the apostles ran dry he could make his own. He was a pretty good put down artist too.

Also judging by all the women who flocked to him--he may have been pretty damn hot. Not what the church would like to hear of course but I'd like to see an impish, passionate, sexy Jesus.

Bring on Johnny Depp!

[laststeamtrain]

30. So that would make Keith Richards God. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it

[berni_mccoy]

39. THAT HAS TO BE the strangest subject title I've EVER SEEN

Really made me stare for a moment...

[Warren DeMontague]

41. He made a damn fine Hunter S. Thompson, that's for sure. nt

[pookieblue]

45. what can't Johnny Depp do?

and I have always thought he would have been a damned better Lestat then Tom Cruise.