Jackson Resemblance Surprises Depp
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Johnny Depp (search), star of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," says he didn't base his Willy Wonka character on Michael Jackson (search) — and is surprised that some people see a resemblance.
Depp's demure voice, pasty complexion, perfectly bobbed locks, neo-Victorian garb and androgynous air seem to present a reflection of pop singer Jackson, recently acquitted on child-molestation charges.
"A few people have mentioned it, and it kind of took me by surprise. I really didn't expect that," Depp told reporters recently, according to AP Radio. "Michael Jackson was not a sort of ingredient or inspiration for the character at all."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Depp said he based the way Wonka speaks on children's show hosts he remembers from his childhood. "How odd it was the way that they spoke," the 42-year-old actor said. "That bizarre, musical cadence to their speech pattern."
As for the bob, Depp said he figured Wonka had been a recluse for so long, he wouldn't know what a modern haircut looks like.
"I just did this sort of strange, almost like a Brian Jones' kind of bob and super-short bangs. His line of reference would be very, very dated," Depp said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (search), Tim Burton's wildly imaginative take on Roald Dahl's beloved children's book, took in $56.2 million on its opening weekend.