Lily-Rose Depp, unfazed by the anticipation of others witnessing her stumbles, is driven by a singular mission: "to prove people wrong." This actress, who happens to be the offspring of the multifaceted actor-musician Johnny Depp and the French model-actress-singer Vanessa Paradis, recently confided in Vanity Fair about her journey to carve out a unique niche for herself in Hollywood, amidst a backdrop of relentless criticism.
"Since childhood, it feels as though people have been poised, in a sense, to witness my failures," she revealed. "This adversity has only ignited my resolve to push harder and silence the doubters. Far from being vindictive, it serves as a catalyst, fueling my ambition. My desire is to demonstrate that I am a diligent soul, driven solely by the passion to excel. Rob [Eggers, director of Nosferatu] was a director I've always dreamed of collaborating with. I never imagined the opportunity would arise so soon, so early in my professional journey."
The star of The Idol further elaborated that the perpetual pressure is nothing new to her, as "it's been my reality" growing up in a family steeped in the arts. "Both my parents are extraordinary artists, and I've been surrounded by creativity since birth," Depp clarified. "With immense respect for their contributions, navigating my own path in this world has been an intriguing challenge, especially when others perceive your presence as undeserved or mismotivated. You can either wallow in self-pity, lamenting the unfairness, or rise up, vowing to work tirelessly and give your best."
She underscored her profound love for acting, asserting that "if people persist in their misconceptions or choose to view me through a distorted lens, that's not a concern of mine."
As the highly anticipated release of Nosferatu looms on December 25, where Depp stars as Ellen Hutter opposite Bill Skarsgård's iconic vampire, she shared with the magazine that the most daunting aspect of her role was "overcoming the imposter syndrome that whispered, 'Why am I here? Why do they think I can pull this off?'"
"Reaching a point where I felt genuinely confident, believing, 'I can do this, and I'm here for a purpose,' was undeniably a struggle," Depp continued. "Humility holds paramount importance in this industry. In a way, I always want to feel like a beginner, eager to learn and grow — and that's exactly how I feel."
