Director Wes Craven Was Blackmailed Into Casting Johnny Depp in Actor’s Debut Film in $54M Slasher ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
Johnny Depp has been entertaining his fans for decades with his versatile acting skills. The star has done some iconic roles in his career including Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and more. Depp enjoys a wide fan following for his knack for comedy. The megastar made his acting debut with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
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It was not an easy task to get cast in the horror film. However, Director Wes Craven’s daughter was the reason behind Depp’s debut role.
Johnny Depp owes his debut role to Director Wes Craven’s daughter
In conversation with Variety, Hollywood star Johnny Depp revealed how he got selected as the lead star in A Nightmare on Elm Street. The star shared that he was selected because of director Craven’s daughter, Jessica Craven.
Johnny Depp recalled,
“I read scenes with his daughter when I auditioned for the part. I guess she had read with a bunch of actors, and after the casting sessions, she said, ‘No, that’s the guy.’ I always think of her for putting me in this mess, and certainly Wes Craven for being very brave to give me this gig.”
A Nightmare on Elm Street Johnny Depp
Reportedly, Craven’s daughter had threatened to run away from home if Depp was not cast in the film.
He also thanked the director for kickstarting his career,
“Wes Craven was the guy who gave me my start, from my perspective, for almost no reason in particular. He was a good man – so rest in peace, old Wes.”
Wes Craven passed away at 76 after a battle with brain cancer.
Wes Craven’s daughter thought Johnny Depp looked dreamy
1984 release A Nightmare on Elm Street was director Wes Craven’s greatest hit. Johnny Depp‘s film achieved massive success even with a limited theatrical release.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Johnny Depp
In conversation with The Front, Wes Craven revealed that he went with his daughter’s choice for casting the lead actor for his horror flick. He recalled,
“Part of it was having a daughter who was 14 at the time. When I was casting for the role of [Nancy’s boyfriend] Glen, just by quirk Johnny Depp came in. His friend had the role of coroner who later got cut out of the film. There are times when you’re not really ahead of things, but my daughter was. I had the quarterback, the surfer-looking guy, and I had a picture of Johnny Depp that I happened to toss into the car and showed my daughter and her friend. I put the three pictures on the table and asked them which they liked best for Glen and they instantly pointed to Johnny. I asked why, he had greasy hair and nicotine stains! They both said because he was beautiful. So I was smart enough to say OK.”
The film did exceptionally well at the box office and grossed $54 million worldwide against a small budget of $1.1 million.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is available for streaming on Max.
