He’s been a rock singer, a villainous clockmaker, a bodyguard and an assassin. He has been featured on merchandise, been replicated in media, and has been the symbol of High Tea the world over. Of all the characters from Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the most memorable and recognizable is none other than the Mad Hatter. This time, he breaks down Johnny Depp’s iconic Mad Hatter costume (on which he has a Master Milliner’s worth of knowledge) and examines how the famed actor used the attire to embody one of the best known characters in literature. ‘They were,” Depp says, “ very close.The Top Hat of Hatters and my personal friend Chad Evett is back to share with us another compelling peak through the looking glass. Burton, whose background in art and animation is well known, also draws his characters, and when he and his star compared their handiwork they grinned like the Cheshire Cat. ![]() Depp let the two ideas germinate in his head and it informed his own Hatter concoction. And you start thinking about the letter ‘M’ and Hatters and the term ‘Mad as a hatter’ and ‘mercury.’”ĭepp was also intrigued by one of the Mad Hatter’s nonsense questions during a dizzying tea party: “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” “I think he is referencing Edgar Allan Poe,” Depp said, referring to the haunted author of “ The Raven,” which was published in 1845, two decades before Carroll’s surreal tale reached the public. “So I started kind of doing a little researching, reading a bunch. “There’s a great line in the book where the Hatter says, ‘I’m investigating things that begin with the letter ‘M,’” Depp said. The 46-year-old actor said his Hatter’s springy mass of tangerine hair became a particularly important detail because of one of the suspected origins of the term “Mad as a hatter.” But his version of the Mad Hatter for Tim Burton’s interpretation of “ Alice in Wonderland” has stirred both interest and, early on, some skepticism from literary purists who say it’s a far cry from the character as described in Lewis Carroll’s 19th century writings or from images in the collective public imagination shaped by years of stage productions and the 1951 Walt Disney animated classic.ĭepp’s extreme vision for the character - who arrives in theaters on March 5 - creates yet another vivid screen persona for the Hollywood chameleon who has played Sweeney Todd, Willie Wonka, Edward Scissorhands and a certain scoundrel named Jack Sparrow. It’s hard to imagine any pink slips in the future for Depp, who arguably reigns as the biggest movie star in the world at the moment. “I was thinking,” the actor said, “‘Oh my God, this one will get me fired!’” After putting the finishing touches on his painting for “ Alice in Wonderland,” Depp looked down at the Mad Hatter staring back at him from the canvas and giggled. ![]() When he takes on a role, Johnny Depp often paints a watercolor portrait of the still-forming character to help find his face and personality. We have big plans here at the Hero Complex for covering ‘ Alice in Wonderland’ and today we have an early exclusive as Rachel Abramowitz talks with star Johnny Depp about the very specific madness of the Mad Hatter. ![]() This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links.
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