In our quest for Pilot Fish stories we wondered, if Pilot Fish Strategy can be applied in making career decisions too and found an interesting story about a colourful man who just last week turned 47.
Johnny Depp has a unique talent to play eccentric and controversial roles. That talent is needed to bring director Tim Burton's fantasies live.
We are sure that the man in question, Johnny Depp was not considering any „strategy“ while hooking up with a co-operation partner Tim Burton for 8 films and counting. That is because perfect Pilot Fish matches often have accidental and intuitive element involved.
According to Talk Talk Depp was struggling with his musician career in The Kids and even had to have a day job as a telemarketer selling ballpoint pens over the phone. It was then when his wife introduced him to her friend Nicolas Cage whose agent got him a side role in Nightmare on Elm Street. Or to be precise, he was chosen by the director Wes Craven’s daughter, who was at the audition with her dad and liked Depp the most. As his band split, Depp had nothing more to do than start taking acting seriously. The breakthrough came in TV series 21 Jump Street where Depp become an American teen idol. He was making handsomely money but realised, that this is not the role he wanted to be recognised with for the rest of his life.
The perfect escape from „nice guy“ image was offered by director Tim Burton who searched for a different kind of an actor to play an eccentric role of Edward Scissorshand. You understand the „difference“ in this context by comparing Depp with Tom Cruise, an original candidate to play Edward and highly recommended to Burton by the studio. For Depp the role of tragic Edward who expressed himself without words was the right direction to take. After that we have seen him in many Burton’s roles that are beyond „normal“. Whether it was Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow or Willie Wonka at Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Not to mention Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean and Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, the blockbuster that is currently sitting on fifth place ever in terms of box office revenue.
In Burton Depp found a „brother, a friend and a brave soul“ who constantly challenges Depp’s talent to introduce audience’s different kind of heroes. In Depp Burton has found a natural talent to play an eccentric roles that people come to see in a movie without these being a lead roles at all (Jack Sparrow and Mad Hatter e.g.). By hooking to Tim Burton, Depp has created a spectacular career praised by the critics and audiences. But it has also been a lucrative business endeavour as films featuring Depp have grossed over $5.7 billion worldwide.
There is a huge takeaway for any career in this story. First you need to recognise, what you are truly good at and then stick to it. Second, the chance might come unexpected and suddenly so keep your eyes open at all times. Third, look for a partner who not only has the need for your talent but who can build on that talent, who has the means to utilize your potential and with whom you can grow together. Forth, the great Pilot Fish relationship is a deep, emotional and friendly one. And sixth, it all takes time.
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