Celebrilarity

Johnny Depp does the July 2009 issue of Vanity Fair and he took the magazine to his private Bahamian island where he reminisced about Marlon Brando, watched ‘Tropic Thunder’ and talked about his island getaway.  To read the complete article, pick up the July issue of Vanity Fair, which is on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on June 3, nationwide on June 9.

About the yacht

• Depp’s yacht is a 156-foot, steam-powered boat called Vajoliroja, an amalgam of the names of his partner (singer/actress Vanessa Paradis), himself, and their children, Lily Rose and Jack. There are pirate-themed touches throughout, and the ship flies the Jolly Roger alongside its official Marshall Islands flag.
About the island

• Depp named one of the six beaches on his island Gonzo, for Hunter S. Thompson (others are named Paradis, Lily Rose, Jack, and Brando, after his partner, kids, and other great mentor). Gonzo Beach features glass tables with Thompson’s face etched in the center.

• Depp says, “I don’t think I’d ever seen any place so pure and beautiful. You can feel your pulse rate drop about 20 beats. It’s instant freedom.”

What they did for fun

• Snorkeled with barracudas, neon-colored fish, and nurse sharks in what Depp has named Heath’s place (after Heath Ledger)

• Watched lots of YouTube videos and Hollywood movies old and new, including Tropic Thunder. (“That’s the best I’ve ever seen Cruise,” Depp says of his fellow actor’s portrayal of a foul-mouthed studio boss.)

How Depp relaxes

• Depp’s hobbies include reading, playing guitar, and painting. “What I love to do is paint people’s faces, y’know, their eyes,” he says. “Because you want to find that emotion, see what’s going on behind their eyes.”

Depp also talks to Brinkley about the experience of filming his new movie, Public Enemies; his favorite Hollywood icon (and what she ordered when he had dinner with her); his approach to acting and the toll it can take on him; and which famous fictional character he’d like to play.