Blondie icon Debbie Harry sets sights on working with Johnny Depp one way or another

metro.co.uk

By Rishma Dosani – 17th June 2024

Debbie Harry has opened up about her incredible, decades-spanning career, and why she would love the chance to work with Johnny Depp.

The Blondie frontwoman first stepped into the spotlight in the 1970s and quickly became a punk icon after forming the group with Chris Stein.

Since then, she has expertly straddled both music and movies, appearing in Six Ways to Sunday, Wiseguy, Absolutely Fabulous and many more – while also dropping hits including Call Me and One Way or Another.

The 78-year-old is set to steal the screen again in director Brian Logvinsky’s short film, Catharsis, also starring Harrison Ball and Jemima Kirke, with the project premiering at Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Despite having commanded a career in the industry that most couldn’t even dream of, she is showing no signs of slowing down and wants to take on a huge part in a mainstream movie next, setting her sights on some big A-listers.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she was questioned over whether there is anyone she would dream to work with, or roles she wants to take on, and she didn’t hold back.

‘Gee, that’s a big question and I must say that it’s probably a very long list,’ she told us. ‘I was just talking with one of our crew about Johnny Depp, somebody I’ve always admired.

‘It’s a very long list of directors and actors that I would love to work with.

‘I’ve not really thought of anything specific. I would certainly like to do a character in a major, big picture, but I’m sure everyone else in the business would like the same thing. I think that I’ve worked with some wonderful directors, so that’s been something that I really cherish.

‘I’d like to look at it from that perspective, of not necessarily choosing a character and then waiting for it to happen or pursuing it. For me, having a strength of understanding with a director, it’s very important for me.’

Johnny is returning to Hollywood himself after a turbulent few years, including two highly-publicized court cases with Amber Heard, following the end of their marriage.

He successfully sued the Aquaman star for defamation in 2022 after she wrote an op-ed about her experiences with domestic violence in 2018 – although he was not named in the 2018 piece, his team argued that it implied he was abusive over the course of their relationship, which he denied.

In the wake of the trial, he released comeback movie Jeanne du Barry earlier this year, and has now been cast as Satan in the Carnival at the End of Days.

Meanwhile Debbie has been very busy with Catharsis, as well as roles in High Fidelity and Bad Reputation, while also performing her solo music and Blondie tracks.

The fact that the music legend is still going strong well into her 70s isn’t surprising to her in the slightest – as she always aspired to have a long career.

‘I always intended or tried out for different parts,’ she said. ‘When I was younger, much younger, I was considered for some very nice roles – unfortunately, I didn’t get them. But I’ve always admired Dame Judi Dench for her long and wonderful career.

‘I hope that, in some ways, I might be considered in that way.’

When we suggested wanting to see Debbie follow in Dame Judi’s 007 footsteps and appear in James Bond – but as a baddie – she relished the thought of unleashing her inner villain.

‘Wow, I like that, I like that a lot,’ she laughed. ‘How do we make it happen? I don’t know! Write to King Charles perhaps?’

Aside from being a staple of our screens, Debbie has lived a lot of her life on stage thanks to her efforts in Blondie, alongside Chris, Clem Burke, Tommy Kessler and Matt Katz-Bohen – as well as Glen Matlock and Andee Blacksugar, who join them on the road.

Most of the group have been together since the 1970s and enjoyed countless performances, including bringing down the iconic pyramid stage at Glastonbury last year.

‘I have a lot of fun performing for the audiences,’ she enthused of her rockstar status.

‘The music is so well known to many, many people over the generations, since we did start quite a while ago and have become… I don’t mean historic in a bad way, we are very active and creating new music too, which has always been my prerogative, really.

‘The audiences are wonderful, it’s wonderful for me to reach out to them and to speak with the audiences, to do the songs and talk a little bit.’

Shedding light on why fans are turning back in time to nostalgic music at the moment, she described it as an ‘honor’ for their tracks to still resonate to so many people today.

‘I’ve worked with a lot of bands, my contemporaries. I think it’s part of proof in a way that what you’re doing is about music, and that’s really all you need to know,’ she shared.

‘You get woven into the fabric, and that’s an honor and something that we all hope for, and work towards. It’s the same thing with many, many bands and with all the great music that we’ve grown up with. It’s a wonderful tribute.’

Before getting back to work with Blondie, Debbie is promoting Catharsis, which premiered at Tribeca last Friday.

It follows troubled dancer Alex [Harrison], who is forced to live with his aunt Anya [Debbie] following the death of his mother – she encourages him to seek treatment over his grief and destructive behavior before it’s too late, while a doctor helps him through some concerning hypnosis sessions.

‘I like working with Harrison Ball very much,’ she said of her time on set. ‘He’s very energetic and he actually wrote it with Brian. It was very, very familiar to him and I’m pretty sure it was pretty close to his own personal experience as a dancer. I think it reveals a lot about the world of ballet and dancing, and how short their careers can be, and how damaging to their bodies.

‘It’s a revelation for a lot of people. I don’t think they realize just how extreme ballet can be. It has a beautiful heart to the story. I’m a coloration, a little bit of a shade in the shape of the story. It’s really about his story.’

Harrison reached out to the superstar along with designer Zac Posen, who worked on the costumes for the film, which clocks in at less than 20 minutes.

She quickly jumped on board but explained that it only took ‘a couple of days’ to get her scenes in the bag, and proudly added: ‘It’s a process that I like very much. As I say, I would really like to do it more.’

https://metro.co.uk/2024/06/17/blondie-icon-debbie-harry-sets-sights-working-johnny-depp-21037736/