Last 200 Years: Defining Moments & Greatest Achievements
Johnny Depp Names Marlon Brando as Greatest Actor
Updated June 10,2025
Despite a career ebb in Hollywood,Johnny Depp remains a celebrated figure in Europe,where he has received honorary awards and directed a biopic about Amadeo Modigliani,starring al Pacino and Stephen Graham. Depp’s career, marked by roles in Tim Burton films and as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, faced turbulence amid his legal battles with ex-partner Amber Heard.
In an interview with Far Out magazine, depp was asked to name the best actor of all time. Without hesitation, he chose marlon Brando. Depp lauded brando’s intellect and perspective, calling him perhaps the best actor of the last two centuries.
Depp shared that he had a close relationship with Brando, who passed away in 2004. He recalled Brando advising him to take a sabbatical from cinema to study Shakespeare. Brando believed that by the time an actor felt ready to tackle Hamlet, it would be too late, Depp said.

Depp embraces fear as essential to his craft. He mused about performing Hamlet, envisioning a small theater and stage, acknowledging that time is running out. “fear is a necessary ingredient in everything I do,” Depp said.
What’s next
Depp’s continued presence in European cinema and his reflections on acting suggest a focus on smaller, more personal projects, including the possibility of a future performance in Hamlet.
