Johnny Depp: Walking Dead & Fantastic Beasts Star, Dan Fogler, Breaks Silence on Depp’s Firing
Fantastic Beasts 3 saw the departure of Johnny Depp, as Grindelwald, as a result of Warner Bros asking the star to retire himself from the role.
This was a terrible look for Depp, which puts a label on him as an allegedly abusive spouse (again, despite most of the evidence) after the loss of a case against the Sun in the UK. Depp will likely now encounter more problems finding work.
Fantastic Beasts co-star Dan Fogler broke the silence on the matter, as most co-stars have remained silent on Depp’s firing. Fogler plays muggle Jacob Kowalski in the Fantastic Beasts series and also has a role on television’s The Walking Dead. When speaking to Cinemablend, Fogler delicately danced around the major issues but did share his thoughts.
“What’s best for Johnny and what’s best for the film may not be equal. The right decision may not be what’s fair. It’s not simple. I love Johnny and want him to be the best he can be. I selfishly want him at his best if I ever get to work with him again. It’s not my decision. If it was, I’d bend over backwards to shoot around him and hope production doesn’t come to a screeching halt amidst lock down rules which are already precarious, and pray that we get a decent performance amidst all the stress. That’s a huge gamble some are not willing to take with so much on the line, guilty or innocent, and add on no guarantees and the film needs to be a hit. There’s too many moving parts. Any decision will garner losses. Damned if you do, it’s messy.”
“I’m by no means an expert in this case obviously but I felt a need to say something since fans were needing some explanation. I felt silence was even worse. I’m human. Do I wish WB had handled this better and informed the cast and gave us proper talking points when asked…? Yup. It’s a big reason why we’re here chatting. And When I say ‘Johnny is a magnificent comet with a messy debris field’ it’s my observation of exactly what I’ve witnessed over the years. I’d say the same about Jack Nicholson or any of the awesome bad boys of entertainment that we love so much, it’s why we love them. It’s Rock& roll. I can’t speak for WB & why they finally decided to let him go. I can only assume all the darkness & chaos swirling around this case finally became a possible liability in their minds & perhaps they felt the stress had taken a toll physically and mentally on JD. Shit it’s hard for me to concentrate on my own work while trying to deal with this issue with you all, I can only imagine how tough it is for Johnny right now.”
Depp’s former roll, Grindelwald, will still have a major presence in Fantastic Beasts 3 despite Johnny Depp’s removal from the role. Actor Mads Mikkelsen is expected to take on the role of the magical villain. This works for the film, as Grindelwald was first shown as actor Colin Farrell.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently expected to hit theaters on July 15th, 2022.
What are your thoughts on Fogler’s statement and what has happened with Johnny Depp? Let us know in the comments below!
Covering superheroes, anything dark, horror, and more! Lead writer for Fan Fest
Why did they fire him?
Nobody wants to work with a wife-beater. Particularly, nobody wants to work with one involved in additional litigation which, at best, will confuse the issue further. WB is a business, acting is a business, Depp (and Heard) chose that field. Don’t like it? Don’t go see the movies in question or whatever you feel like doing to support your belief. That said, the hate, vitriol and general lack of civility do nothing positive for any of the parties concerned. Discuss it if you will, but reality is what it is.
Good riddenance I was a huge fan of Johnny until he wanted our President killed when he said that I lost ALL THE RESPECT I had for him
Despite his Ignorance he has for the American people he should Not EVER wish someone harm especially Death
Personally I think wB was an idiot for letting him go, as was Disney because they didn’t do their research on whether he was actually guilty or not and as far as I’m concerned unless you can physically prove a person’s guilt, you’re ruining their reputation for nothing and walking into a future lawsuit. I hope that Mr. Depp gets the justice and redemption he deserves, that way he can get back to the career he was so good at and deserved. Never accuse unless you have physical proof !!