Johnny Depp Is Nearly Unrecognizable As Notorious Mob Boss In ‘Black Mass’

Johnny Depp may be worshiped as a sex symbol worldwide, but discerning fans know it’s his acting chops that have really secured him a permanent seat at the table with the all-time greats. In his latest film, Black Mass, Depp raises the bar once again with an epic portrayal of James “Whitey” Bulger, a Boston-based mob boss who gained notoriety in the 1970s, ’80s, and early ’90s as a violent gangster with FBI and Washington connections, the Guardian reported.

“The film is based on one of the ripest true stories of political chicanery, stranger than fiction and something to be savored by anyone who remembers the moment in the Godfather when the Don himself fantasizes about the idea of a ‘Senator Corleone.'”

Johnny Depp is almost beyond recognition in the biopic, Peoplereported, pulling off an incredible transformation that is reminiscent of the magic he summoned to portray Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, way back in 1998.

“Depp, 52, is known for his ability to completely transform himself both mentally and physically for a role. In his latest film, Black Mass, Depp becomes almost unrecognizable to play notorious Boston mob boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.”

Just how transformative is Depp as Bugler? Let’s just say it’s hard to believe the Huffington Post reported the actor has been selected as the face of Sauvage, a new designer men’s cologne by Dior, when you see him looking pale, gaunt, and sporting receding whitish-blonde hair with his flat, dead, cold blue stare, director Scott Cooper told People in an interview.

“The physical transformation was utterly transfixing and complete, but his interior transformation was mesmerizing.”

Black Mass opened at the Venice Film Festival Friday to rave reviews, already creating a buzz among those anticipating an Oscar nod for Depp, the Boston Globe reported.

“One of the most anticipated films of the festival, Black Mass drew an enormous crowd to the Palazzo del Cinema Friday morning… It could earn the actor an Oscar nomination.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyFrgNJQzBs

Benedict Cumberbatch also shines in Black Mass as Whitey’s politician brother, Massachusetts State Senator Billy Bulger, while Kevin Bacon and Joel Edgerton play the main FBI connections in the film and Dakota Johnson rounds out the all-star cast as Johnny Depp’s love interest.

Black Mass opens in theaters Friday, Sept. 18