Phoenix 24
The actor reflects on the personal experience that changed his priorities.
NEW YORK, United States. Johnny Depp has revealed how becoming a father fundamentally changed his understanding of life, success and professional ambition, describing the birth of his first child as a turning point that gave new meaning to decisions he had previously struggled to explain.
During an interview broadcast on CBS Mornings on November 13, 2026, the 63-year-old actor reflected on his experiences raising daughter Lily-Rose and son Jack with his former partner, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis.
“There was a great veil lifted,” Depp recalled, describing the emotional clarity he experienced when Lily-Rose was born in 1999.
Before becoming a parent, the actor frequently questioned his motivations for pursuing a career in film. Although financial success influenced some of his professional decisions, he said that fatherhood ultimately provided a deeper sense of purpose.
He characterized the arrival of a child as an experience that redirects attention away from personal ambitions toward another person’s needs.
Depp and Paradis spent much of their children’s early years in France, where they sought to maintain a family life relatively removed from Hollywood’s constant public attention. Their relationship lasted approximately 14 years before ending in 2012.
Now 27, Lily-Rose has established her own acting career, appearing in productions including Robert Eggers’ gothic horror film Nosferatu. Jack, 24, has generally maintained a more private life.
In a June 2025 interview with The Sunday Times, Depp also spoke affectionately about raising his children in southern France and acknowledged experiencing the emotional adjustment commonly described as empty-nest syndrome.
His latest reflections coincide with the theatrical release of Ebenezer, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, directed by Ti West.
The film features Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy and emotionally isolated businessman confronted by supernatural visitors who compel him to reconsider his past and his relationships.
The project marks Depp’s return to a leading role in a major American studio production following several years of professional controversy and independent film work.
His recent credits include the French historical drama Jeanne du Barry and Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, which he directed.
Although the interview formed part of the promotional campaign for Ebenezer, Depp’s comments focused less on professional achievement than on the responsibilities and emotional significance of parenting.
His reflections offer a personal perspective on how family relationships can reshape an individual’s understanding of ambition, identity and success.
For Depp, the defining moment was not a major film role or an industry award, but the arrival of his children and the enduring sense of purpose he associates with being their father.
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