It’s been more than three decades since the 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands hit theaters, with new details surfacing from the casting process.
Johnny Depp played the title character in director Tim Burton‘s film, which took in $86 million worldwide from a $20 million budget.
Now a new documentary on the filmmaker from director Tara Wood debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival, with Depp, 61, revealing Tom Hanks, Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise were considered for the role.
Depp even teased that Cruise, ‘was not far away from actually playing Edward Scissorhands — true story,’ via People.
Depp was still on the hit Fox series 21 Jump Street, though he admitted being ‘pigeonholed’ with the role and was actively looking for different things.
It’s been more than three decades since the 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands hit theaters, with new details surfacing from the casting process.
Depp even teased that Cruise, ‘was not far away from actually playing Edward Scissorhands — true story,’ via People .
He said that director John Waters’ 1990 film Cry-Baby, ‘was the first solid step in the direction I wanted to go,’ admitting he was even trying to get fired from 21 Jump Street.
When he got a hold of Burton and Caroline Thompson’s script for Edward Scissorhands, Depp insisted it, ‘passed through everything, anything, solid and went to the very core of whatever I am.’
‘The writing was beautiful. The character was beautiful. What I suppose [attracted] me emotionally was that Edward was me. It’s exactly what I should be doing,’ he said.
Depp said his agent had set up a meeting with Burton, though he then heard about the A-list talent in contention – Hanks, Jackson and Cruise.
Depp admitted thinking, ‘He’s never going to cast me when everyone in Hollywood is after the part,’ and told his agent to cancel the meeting, to which she replied, ‘Are you f***ing nuts?’
‘It was weird because there’s always that bastard in your skull that goes “Come on, man. You’re a TV actor guy.” Because at that time it was almost either-or,’ Depp said.
He ultimately met with Burton and was cast, the first in a long line of movies they would make together including 1994’s Ed Wood, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and 2007’s Sweeney Todd.
Writer Thompson also said in a 2020 Insider interview that Jackson, ‘pursued’ the project by Burton didn’t pursue him.
Depp said his agent had set up a meeting with Burton, though he then heard about the A-list talent in contention – Hanks, Jackson and Cruise
He ultimately met with Burton and was cast, the first in a long line of movies they would make together including 1994’s Ed Wood, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and 2007’s Sweeney Todd
Writer Thompson also said in a 2020 Insider interview that Jackson, ‘pursued’ the project by Burton didn’t pursue him
As for Hanks, a 1990 LA Times article revealed that he was interested in the role, though he ultimately passed to star in The Bonfire of the Vanities
She added that Cruise’s chances at the role fell apart when he met with Burton, and he asked a specific question.
‘In his interview with Tim, he asked how Edward went to the bathroom. If you start asking those questions, the whole thing falls apart. You can’t ask questions like that. If you ask questions like that, you’re f***ed. You’ve missed the metaphor, you’ve missed the point,’ Thompson said.
As for Hanks, a 1990 LA Times article revealed that he was interested in the role, though he ultimately passed to star in The Bonfire of the Vanities.
Others who were considered at the time were Jim Carrey, Robert Downey Jr. and William Hurt before Depp was cast.
