Johnny Depp Explains Why He Didn't Want Tonto To Be The "Sidekick" In THE LONE RANGER

Bullshit,hes the bigger draw and thats it

HE didn't want to be a sidekick & wasn't thinking about the Native Americans. Come on, Johnny.

Depp, is crap... True story

I'm not going to speak on Depp's hypothetical arrogance or intentions. I don't know that guy so I will not speak on it.

As far as the issue of Tonto as a sidekick, my first reaction is to stay true to the source. But after thinking back on the old westerns I definitely understand what Depp is talking about.

The way Native Americans were treated in Hollywood films and tv was terrible. It would be like a white man dressing in black face to play Luke Cage today. It was embarrasing to see white women with red paint on their faces in order to play a love interest of the civilized white man.

So I can definitely see where some things need to be left in the past.

It's not like what you're saying isn't true, we just don't believe it coming from the highest paid actor on the planet.

Lots of hate brewing for Depp here. And it looks like its because he makes the big bucks.
The only way a person should hate on an actor for getting a big piece of the pie is if they are fans of execs and studio heads and are pissed that a mere actor would dare take money out of the hands of the execs and the studio.
Its the actor that has to work with trainers and manage their bodies 24/7 and fly all over the World promoting the stuff. And its the actors people pay to see.
So when I hear Depp, Downey and the Avengers cast make the studios pay them well Im glad to hear it.
If Downey JR didnt get his cut from Marvel/Disney, that money wouldve gone to the fat guys running the studio and their freeloading grown children and grandchildren. Is that what people want?
Depps a damn good actor. His films will entertain hundreds of millions of people for many decades after hes dead. While not one person will be entertained by the fatguys that sit in the studio offices.

“Since cinema has been around, Native Americans have been treated very poorly by Hollywood"
Well, he is playing a Native American whose name means "silly" in Spanish.

Depp is obviously the bigger draw, and this movie appears to be in the vein of the Green Hornet, where the "sidekick" is better written and more interesting than the main character. I grew up watching the Lone Ranger and had the action figures and kid's costumes. I'm disappointed that they finally make this movie and it's the Tonto Show. Josey Wales had a real Native American actor playing a "sidekick" and he was hilarious and evolved to be more than just the typical "movie indian". I don't know why a white dude is using a Native American "sidekick" character to push some agenda for Native Americans in a movie about a white dude called The Lone Ranger. It's ridiculous. Besides Johnny, you're Tonto just sounds like Captain Jack with more broken English.

Maybe Depp just picks these movies so he can keep Helena Bonham-Carter employed... she's hideous

@KeefNCookies The only reason I might watch this is because Depps in it. And hes an accomplished box office draw.
I wouldnt call it ego that hes the main star/character but I would call it a smart move. No way a guy who can carry films should be second to Armie Hammer. If youre Depp why would you show up to work as second to a nobody? You wouldnt. You show up for a role that interests you in some way and the studio puts the big draw 1st instead of putting someone like Hammer 1st. Hammer cant carry a summer film right now. Most people have never heard of him.
Depp is the main attraction and should be treated like it. Hammer is trying to build himself up to being the draw.
Too often we've seen guys get roles because they look like Superman or some other character and they get treated like theyre the big guy. Brandon Routh as Superman and Reynolds as GL come to mind.
When those guys get lifted into that position too soon it doesnt work out. Its not all about name recognition but also about learning how to be an entertainer/actor and learning what works best for you as an actor.
Hammer's lucky hes not getting thrust in as the lead when hes just not ready.

@wcwpoet Depp really doesnt need to justify it. He and Downey bring something to the screen that no one else does right now. No other white, black, Asian, Hispanic or Indian are doing what these two have been doing the past several years.

Remember Robert Downey Jr blew people away as a black guy in Tropic Thunder. Yeah he was supposed to be white but for 98% of the film he was black.

There simply are no American Indian actors who are major box office draws that a studio would bank on in that role right now.

Depp's character may change perceptions about American Indians and possibly open things up for them when people realize they dont have to be the sidekick to white guys and an Indian character can be the Big Dog. I think thats what Depp is saying.

But if this film had an unknown actor playing Tonto then the part is scaled back. No unknown actor would get the screen time hes getting. Without a major American Indian star in that role the film goes back to being a typical Lone Ranger film. And right now that star just doesnt exist.

Errrrrrrr why not cast a Native Amerian in the role then? Why would he even need to be a big name? Who had heard of Chris Hemsworth before Thor, huh?

It just gets worse and worse. His comments about Native Americans in Hollywood are proof of his total lack of self-awareness, and OMG he is going to catch hell for that rape comment. What happened to this guy, I used to worship him as a kid!

Let's be real Johnny, you wanted to play this role for the money, the fact that you're a bit of a pretentious hipster and that this role is just another Jack Sparrow knock off which doesn't require much of a stretch for you acting wise. Laziness all round.

So much bull. Depp just wanted more money, that's the only reason he's been first billed on the casting credits. I seriously hope that this movie flops hard because I'm seriously tired of seeing Depp in blockbusters (especially since they tend to keep getting worse and worse with the likes of Alice in Wonderland and the latest Pirates film).

BULL. Good call queenofdisaster, he is a pretentious hipster. Being "probably" one sixteenth native American in order isn't enough for me to buy the claim that his top billing is some grand stand for Native American's everywhere when it is obvious that the studio just wants to use his name and not his race. There are actors who are DEFINITELY one sixteenth native American or more that the studio could have chosen. I'm trying not to discount his sense of racial identity, but he shouldn't pretend like he's fighting so hard for the cause of the native American actors.

Besides, he's done this before without race being involved at all. Remember Johnny Depp in Wonderland? I saw this poster all over the place. Not so much Alice. Not so much billing of the actress who played Alice.



And I know I'm not the only one who noticed that giant superfluous Pirates of The Caribbean logo in the middle of the Lone Ranger trailer.

It's good that Depp wants to expand the character as more than a sidekick (an outdated stereotype of minorities), but frankly he isn't the best representation of the native american people. If he never mentioned it you'd never guess he wasn't white.