Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Well Hello, Johnny! Depp's Dream Role Is... Carol Channing?
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 16, 2009
Modified Jul 16, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 16, 2009
Modified Jul 16, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If there's ever a motion picture produced about the life of Broadway musical theater star Carol Channing, eternally cool actor Johnny Depp would very much like to be considered for the lead role. How perfectly deranged would that be? In an interview with the Mirror in UK, Depp strayed off the topic of Public Enemies to reveal his burning passion for Channing, who is now 88 years old: "My dream role would be to play musical legend Carol Channing in a biopic of her life. I love her, I really do. With all the digital technology available these days I could probably pull it off." But who needs special effects? This the guy who brilliantly nailed such disparate roles as Hunter S. Thompson and Ed Wood. Red lipstick and a little tuck is all would take. Still, Depp may need a little post-production help to pull off his other weird fantasy role: "I'd have a go at playing a 12-year-old girl if they asked me to." Uh, that's where he loses us. But for fun, here's Channing's wacky cameo in Alice in Wonderland; coincidentally, Depp is playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's forthcoming 3-D adaptation of the Lewis Carroll novel.
Tagged
carol channing
dream role
johnny depp
movie
star
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .