Singing, murder should net Depp an Oscar

Miki Turner Entertainment writer

LOS ANGELES - After having been overlooked more times than Meryl Streep has nominations, it’s beginning to look like Johnny Depp might be a very old man before he wins an Oscar — even though he’s done all the things great actors should do.

During a career that has spanned just over two decades Depp has mixed it up well. He’s routinely chosen projects that appeal to his soul as well as his bank account. He’s played pirates, vampires, drug addicts, a candy maker, the proverbial big brother and a singing barber among other things.

But despite his efforts, Depp, who made his feature film debut in “The Nightmare on Elm Street,” has only been nominated for best actor twice. The Kentucky native got his first nod in 2004 for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl.” And followed that up with another nominated performance in the sleeper hit “Finding Neverland” the next year.  But Depp lost out to two other actors who couldn’t be denied. Sean Penn topped him in ’04 with his stellar performance in “Mystic River” and Jamie Foxx took the golden boy home the following year for transforming himself into Ray Charles in “Ray.”

He might have a better chance next year.

Video   ‘Sweeney Todd’ Johnny Depp reunites with director Tim Burton for this gruesome musical about a murderous barber. Coming Dec. 21. Dreamworks Pictures

Four days before Christmas audiences will get an opportunity to see another stirring Depp performance in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” The film reunites Depp with director Tim Burton who called the shots in some of Depp’s greatest screen triumphs including: “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood” and “Sleepy Hollow.” In “Sweeney,” we see the Johnny we’ve hardly ever seen before. Sure, he’s donned some makeup and transformed himself into something scary and vile, but he’s never done it while belting out a tune.

Although Depp has played in rock bands on and off for the past 20 years, he’s no Luther Vandross and knows it. “I told Tim I didn’t know if I could sing,” Depp said during a recent interview to promote the film. “I didn’t know if I felt because of my background in music I could hit a note or two. I didn’t know if I could sustain a note or pull it off.”

Slideshow   Faces of Depp From the Mad Hatter to Cry-Baby, Johnny Depp prefers oddballs and outsiders to traditional leading men. more photos

To prepare for the role Depp recorded some tracks in a buddy’s garage studio and determined that even if he didn’t sound that great that it didn’t matter if he knew how to sing. “You just sing and that’s what I did.”

If Depp, who’s not really into the whole awards thing, doesn’t balk at the notion of doing a little campaigning during awards season; and if the other front-runners like Javier Bardem, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis and Philip Seymour Hoffman somehow get slighted come nomination day, Depp could avoid becoming the next Henry Fonda, who got his due just months before his death.

Even with Thursday’s Golden Globe nomination for outstanding actor those are big ifs, but if he doesn’t win in ’08 let’s hope that “Johnny Right Note” continues to choose roles that allow him to keep singing literally and figuratively.

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