Johnny Depp, known for his work as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and other signature roles such as Edwards Scissorhands, and Jack in The Pirates of The Carribean series, has proven himself to be a master of his own craft. Depp will be awarded with the renamed Maltin Modern Master Award, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced Wednesday.
The Maltin Modern Master award is an honorable award named after the film critic Leonard Maltin. This award is the highest honor bestowed among actors and actresses. The individual is recongnized for enriching culture with their accomplishments in the motion picture industry.
Roger Durling, the executive director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, announced that "Johnny Depp is a true embodiment of a modern master." He goes on to say that Depp has had a long career that shows his commitment in taking on compelling and dynamic roles or characters. To date, his role in "Black Mass" was his defining performance.
Black Mass, as directed by Scott Cooper, is a film that revolves around the criminal career of Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp). Bulger was an Irish-American mobster. This role was Depp's peak compared to his previous roles where they were mostly cartoonish. He had years under his belt for leading cartoonish directed roles that was comedic to the audience but his work in Black Mass, was a chilling performance that received multiple praises.
Past recipients include Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck Christopher Nolan, Michael Douglas, Sir Anthony Hopkins, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Clint Eastwood, Diane Keaton, James Cameron and Will Smith.
The 31st Annual Santa Barbara Film Festival will be on February 3-13, 2016. Depp will be receiving the award on the last night of the festival, as told by EW.
