Johnny Depp Says Retirement From Acting Is "Not Too Far Away"

If the failure of The Lone Ranger suggested that audiences may be ready to take a break from Johnny Depp, the actor's latest statements indicate that the feeling may be mutual. Depp told UK press today that he was "probably not too far away" from retiring from acting, after about three decades in the business.

Even if Depp decides to quit, however, it won't be for some time yet. He's got about five films lined up for the next couple of years, four of which haven't even begun shooting yet. Hit the jump to read his comments.

Explained Depp: "At a certain point you start thinking. When you add up the amount of dialogue that you say per year and you realize that you've said written words more than you've had a chance to say your own words, you start thinking about that as an insane option for a human being." As for what he wants to do instead, Depp was pretty vague, saying only that he wanted to pursue "quieter things."

Depp has appeared in about ten movies over the past five years, not counting TV guest roles, and has about five more coming up in the next two or three years. That's enough work to burn anyone out, though one would think he could solve his problem by simply taking a break or scaling back instead of quitting altogether.

Of course, declaring vacation plans wouldn't have quite the same impact as teasing potential retirement. And if we're being cynical, causing a buzz like this no doubt draws more attention to The Lone Ranger, which has already flopped domestically but is still rolling out internationally.

In any case, Depp's retirement plans are a few years off at least. He's currently shooting Wally Pfister's Transcendence and is set to star in Rob Marshall's Into the Woods, both of which open next year, and recently signed on for the crime comedy Mortdecai. Beyond that, he's also expected to reprise his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and Alice in Wonderland 2.

[Source: THR]