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Actor Johnny Depp spent hours studying Rab C Nesbitt videos to get his Mad Hatter perfect. Johnny said Rab reflected the “dark and dangerous” side of the character.
Johnny, 46, is starring as the Hatter in the newly opened Alice in Wonderland movie.
He came across the iconic Scots character when buffing up his accent for the film.
After a few minutes, he became a die-hard fan of the Govan string-vest wearer.
He uses the Glaswegian accent for the Hatter’s darks side, switching to an English accent for his other moods.
Johnny’s vocal coach Gerry Grennell said: “Johnny was slightly puzzled when he first watched it, but before too long his ears got attuned and he was laughing out loud.
“He loves that kind of dark Scottish humour and the fact that Rab has such a big personality and is so outspoken really appealed to him.
“There is no doubt that he got a real kick out of watching Rab C Nesbitt. Who knows? Maybe he’ll turn up to his next film set sporting a string vest.”
The expression "mad as a hatter" comes from the fact that hat-makers used glue containing mercury which poisoned them, causing madness.
In a recent interview, Depp said: “So my take on him (the Mad Hatter) was that he knew something was wrong with him and couldn’t figure out what, so it was like a multiple personality disorder and sometimes he’d go into a Scottish accent to protect himself because he was a guy with high highs, low lows and a very dangerous rage.”
Actor Gregor Fisher, who brought Rab to life, said: “I’m very surprised and extremely flattered. “It was not something I was aware of, but it’s a great honour.”
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