A Disney executive has revealed to Business Insider that Johnny Depp‘s partying and drug abuse finally caught up with the actor’s professional life during the shooting of 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express.
The star’s messy court battle with former wife Amber Heard has so far publicized many sides of their personal lives. And while a lot of people see the Aquaman actress as the true perpetrator of abuse in their relationship, Depp’s erratic lifestyle also had something to do with the two falling out. After all, it’s not exactly news that the American thespian has struggled with alcoholism and addiction for much of his life. And apparently, when Heard filed for divorce in 2016, things really got out of hand.
An unnamed executive from the Mouse House recently discussed the actor’s unprofessional behavior while shooting Murder on the Orient Express. The adaptation of Agatha Christie’s popular novel took advantage of a star-studded cast, and Johnny Depp, too, had a huge role to play in the film as the infamous gangster Edward Ratchett. Though it seems that director Kenneth Branagh had a difficult time working with him.
“Shoots, interviews. He never hid his partying. But he finally hit the wall on Murder on the Orient Express. Right when rehearsals began, in 2017, he walked in late the first day and Ken Branagh, who directed, very calmly said: ‘That’s not the way I work. I don’t allow lateness. If you choose that behavior, you can leave the film. Right now. It’s fine.’ Johnny just said, ‘I hear you, sir, I won’t do it again.’ It humiliated him in front of the stars, as big as he was,” the source revealed.
Given the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s social presence in the past year, it’s safe to assume that he’s currently in a better headspace. Though we can hardly say the same thing about his career, which due to losing the libel lawsuit against Heard, and subsequently his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series, has taken a turn for the worse, to put it mildly.
Johnny Depp has reportedly been eyeing lower budget projects to get by, though how successfully is anyone’s guess at this point. With any luck, though, he’ll soon be back on his feet and return to at least something resembling his former glories.