Johnny Depp tells the BBC he's thinking about quitting acting

Johnny Depp tells the BBC he's thinking about quitting acting

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has sensationally revealed he is “not too far away” from quitting acting.

The 50-year-old feels he has overworked in recent years and wants to slow down following decades devoted to films like the Pirates of the Carribbean and its sequels and Tim Burton hits like Sweeney Todd and Alice In Wonderland.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast’s Susanna Reid in a new interview, he said: “At a certain point you start thinking and when you add up the amount of dialogue you say per year and you realise you’ve said written words more than you’ve had a chance to say your own words that becomes an insane option for a human being.

“Are there quieter things I wouldn’t mind doing? Yes, I wouldn’t mind that.

“I wouldn’t say I am dropping out any second but I would say it’s not too far away.”

This is the first time Depp has directly admitted his acting days are coming to an end. He was speaking whilst promoting The Lone Ranger, a remake of the classic adventure with Depp as Native American spirit warrior Tonto and Armie Hammer in the title role.

When pushed if he would retire before a rumoured Alice In Wonderland 2 movie and a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, he laughed before adding: “No, I think we’re alright in those categories.”

Johnny Depp and a horse, lurking in the background, at the London premiere of The Lone Ranger this week

Depp appears to be trying to prepare his millions of fans for a period where he reduces his workload and then within a few years devoted his time on his other interests, which include playing the guitar and making wine.

He is also now single having announced a split from Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his two children, last Summer.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in June, he hinted at slowing down, telling the magazine: “I can’t say that I’d want to be doing this for another 10 years.”

He went on to say he looked forward to “going somewhere where you don’t have to be on the run, or sneak in through the kitchen or the underground labyrinth of the hotel”.

Asked about her interview with Depp, the BBC’s Susanna told the Mirror: “I think his fans will be spooked when he says he might be dropping out of making movies.

“He’s made some brilliant and hugely successful films and he always brings a quirky Depp charm to them. Johnny Depp is charming and funny and friendly - and his fans will hope he continues making his movies for a long while to come.”

* You can see the full interview with Susanna and Johnny on BBC Breakfast on Monday