A real-life former mobster reacts to Johnny Depp’s performance inBlack Mass. Set during the 1970s,Black Massis a biographical drama about Boston-based Irish mafia boss James “Whitey” Bulger. Depp takes on the lead role of Whitey in the film, whileBlack Mass’s supporting castincludes Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Sarsgaad, Jesse Plemons, and Dakota Johnson. It was directed by Scott Cooper with an adapted screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill.
In an interview withInsider, former mobster John Shea discusses Depp’s role inBlack Mass. In the opening of the video, Shea explains that he was an associate of Whitey Bulger. Reflecting onBlack Massitself, Shea noted that he thought “the book was better than the movie.” This fact did not stop Shea from being stunned the first time he saw Depp in his hair and makeup to play Whitey, however. Shea said that theBlack Massteam “did such a great job” thatShea himself felt like Whitey was in the room, leaving him “sick to [his] stomach.“Check out the full quote from Shea below:
I thought the book was better than the movie, that’s for sure. Johnny Depp invited me on set. When he was being made up to look like Whitey. And I hadn’t seen Whitey in so long. And the disdain that I had for Whitey for becoming a rat. And I’ll tell you, they did such a great job, I thought it was Whitey.
And I started getting sick to my stomach because I wanted to react, I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to just annihilate him. I had to get up, and walk outside, and get some air. And I walk back in and I said ‘Johnny, I apologize but.’ He goes ‘John, I am so sorry, but I didn’t even realize that would affect you like that, and I know it’s been so long.’
What This Says About Black Mass' Accuracy
Black Mass Got Some Things Right
It is important to note that Shea said this quote aboutBlack Massin a segment of the video wherein he was discussing howmob movies are “not always accurate.“The former mobster does not delve too far into these inaccuracies, but by saying the book was better than the movie, he certainly implies thatBlack Massmay not have been entirely true to form. At the time of its release,Black Masswas criticized for over-dramatizing its main events, which could be part of what is leading Shea to deem it not as accurate.
Black Mass Ending & Whitey Bulger’s Fate Explained
Black Mass' ending not only reveals what happened to Whitey Bulger but also confirms the fate of every player who was involved in his FBI alliance.
That said, what can be gleaned from Shea’s reaction is thatBlack Masswas highly accurate in terms of its hair and makeup. Going beyond justDepp’s performance, if Shea had such a knee-jerk response of disgust upon seeing someone playing Whitey Bulger, it is a testament to how good the hair and makeup for the movie was. Shea knew Bulger himself, so the fact that seeing Depp in appearance made him want to “just annihilate him” shows how much care was put into researching Whitey’s physical look forBlack Mass.
Why Black Mass Is An Underrated Johnny Depp Performance
Black Mass’s Negative Reviews Overshadow An Otherwise Strong Performance From Depp
When I sawBlack Massback in 2015, I had the same reaction as many critics in that it leaned too heavily on the melodrama at some points. I do think, however, thatBlack Massis a largely forgotten Depp performance that is one of his best. Not only does the makeup radically change the actor’s look; so too does Depp transform into the role, becoming a chilling and believable version of the mob boss. WithBlack Mass’s mixed reviews, it’s easy to forget this key performance from Depp, but it deserves recognition.
Black Mass
Cast
Black Mass is a crime drama biography based on the true story of one of the most notorious criminals in U.S. History, Whitey Bulger. When Bulger’s turf is encroached on by a rival mafia family, the Angiulo brothers, the death of one of his own mafia family members leads him to join his long-time friend and become an informant for the FBI to exact his revenge - and push the Angiulo’s out of his turf.
