Date: 29th January 2001

Depp Does Secret Research For Ripper Role


Actor JOHNNY DEPP has toured the London haunts of notorious serial killer JACK THE RIPPER - as research for his new film role.

The handsome star went unrecognised by fans on his two-hour tour of the city's East End, as he was accompanied by Ripper expert and ex-policeman DONALD RUMBELOW.

Depp wanted to find out more about the nineteenth century killer, who was never caught, for his role as INSPECTOR FREDERICK ABBERLINE, a drug-addicted police inspector desperately trying to catch the murderer, in new movie FROM HELL. The pair rounded off the tour with a stop in THE TEN BELLS PUB, where one of the Ripper's victims used to enjoy a drink. Rumbelow reveals, "A few people gave us a second look but probably assumed he was a lookalike." And the expert was highly impressed by Depp, saying, "He's one of the best-informed people I've guided. He's intelligent, easy to get on with, genuinely nice. He'd read my book, which was flattering."

And a spokesman for The Ten Bells pub confirmed, "Depp was a really nice bloke, very friendly. He had a couple of halves of lager and talked about the Ripper. He knew his stuff." (CPT/WNWCCB/KW)

Source: WENN