Johnny Depp's King Louis XV Casting In Cannes-Selected Jeanne Du Barry Surprised Him

The 2023 Cannes Film Festival just saw the return of Johnny Depp onto the international stage with the premiere of the French language film "Jeanne du Barry" directed by Maïwenn. After dismissing the idea of casting a French actor in the role, Maïwenn turned to Depp to play King Louis XV in a biopic that focuses on the life of the King of France from September 1715 to his eventual death in 1774. Maïwenn stars alongside Depp as the titular Madame du Barry, a socialite that becomes the favorite concubine of the King in his later years.

Not only is it a surprise to see Depp cast in the role because he's from the U.S., it's somewhat of a shock to see him back on the red carpet at all after he was sent packing from the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise in 2020 due to the domestic abuse allegations raised against him during his legal battles with his former wife and actor, Amber Heard. A high-profile trial soon followed, attracting a frenzy of social media hype and press coverage that turned Depp into more of an oddity than a Hollywood star.

Currently, "Jeanne du Barry" is garnering mixed to generally negative reviews after receiving a 7-minute standing ovation from the infamously overzealous Cannes crowd. The film premiered on Tuesday, but it was the press conference on Wednesday that stirred up the most attention. In what was likely an attempt to avoid as many questions as possible, Depp arrived 42 minutes late (per the New York Times) to field a few queries about his supposed career comeback, the controversy surrounding his attendance at the festival, and how surprised he was to be offered the role of King Louis XV.

When Johnny Depp was asked about being cast in such an out-of-the-box role at such an uncertain time in his career, he feigned humility saying he felt "like there was a terrible misspelling somewhere." Depp continued (via People):

"Maïwenn and I ended up in the wrong room at the same time. I didn't feel any hesitation with regard to the guy, to character and all that, or the language necessarily, I didn't find particularly intimidating."

Maïwenn's decision to cast Depp may seem completely random, but the estranged actor has lived in the South of France for years. Still, Depp acknowledged how unexpected the choice was, adding:

"So I thought it was very brave of her to choose some hillbilly from Kentucky to play Louis XV. Very brave."

Thus far, "Jeanne du Barry" appears to be an opulent social drama in the vein of "Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady," showing Madame du Barry's climb from commoner to courtesan. As for Depp's performance, Vanity Fair wrote that he "haunts the film like a grim specter," So, not exactly a winning endorsement. 

At this point in his life after amassing a staggering amount of wealth and fame, Depp doesn't seem too concerned with pleasing anyone anymore. "I keep wondering about the word 'comeback,'" he said. "I didn't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away. Maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But I didn't go nowhere. I've been sitting around."

After premiering as the Cannes Film Festival's opening night selection, "Jeanne du Barry" currently does not have a release date in the U.S. Stay tuned to /Film for our coverage of the festival over the next couple of weeks.