Johnny Depp owes the start of his acting career to Wes Craven. He signed him to “A Nightmare on Elm Street” – mind you, on the recommendation of his daughter, who was present at the casting. But if there’s one performance that early shaped the Hollywood star’s career, it’s over “Edward with the Scissors.” hands”.
The fantasy classic not only brought him great popularity, it also laid the foundation for his close relationship with director Tim Burton, with whom Depp has worked on several occasions. However, before that came about, other options for casting Edward were up for debate. One of the most famous applicants was Tom Cruise, who was turned down by the director because of the questions he asked about the character.
Cruise wanted to know how Edward goes to the bathroom
Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest were the first to be cast in Edward Scissorhands. In addition, Burton had already decided to let screenwriter Caroline Thompson adapt his idea. Finding the lead was more complicated At Fox’s insistence, Burton and Cruise met to discuss possible casting . However, the conversation was anything but successfulhow reported.
The actor asked the director questions he thought were irrelevant. Like how Edward can eat and drink despite scissor hands. As if that wasn’t irritating enough, Cruise also criticized Burton’s intended ending. It was too melancholic for him and he would have liked to exchange it for a happy ending. But it got even more absurd.
‘Cruise wanted to know how Edward goes to the toilet’, Thompson told Dazed magazine. He asked questions about the character that you couldn’t ask for this type of character. It all led to Burton deciding against Cruise.
The start of a wonderful friendship
After the “Top Gun” star was ruled out, the search continued: with Tom Hanks and Gary Oldman, two other well-known actors were up for discussion. Both declined the offer as they were already involved in other projects and considered the story too absurd. In addition, Jim Carrey and John Cusack were considered for the role. Robert Downey Jr., William Hurt and Michael Jackson also expressed interest.
Eventually, Burton found his dream cast and was able to sign Depp. Depp was thrilled to be working with Burton and got in touch quickly after receiving the script. The rest is history. Since Edward Scissorhands“ the two have become a dream duo and we always enjoy their movies together.
This article first appeared in a similar form on our Spanish sister site adorocinema. HERE is the original text.