Johnny Depp recently opened up about the help he and his family received from celebrity director Tim Burton. The Pirates of the Carribean mentioned the heartfelt respect and gratitude he and his family felt for Burton who stood by them in a family crisis, and he said that this made the acclaimed director a part of his family. Johnny Depp expressed his feelings in the docuseries Tim Burton: Life in the Line, that is currently streaming.

Johnny Depp said that his daughter Lily-Rose Depp fell ill when he was shooting Tim Burton directed Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2007. He said, “Tim made huge sacrifices on Sweeney.”

The actor noted that Lily-Rose was only 7 at that time and she had developed a kidney disease. He and his then wife Vanessa Paradis spent about three and a half weeks in the hospital while their young daughter underwent dialysis.

As he was shooting for Sweeney at that time, he said that he had told Tim Burton that he had to drop out of the movie as he had to take care of their daughter’s health. However, Tim Burton insisted that they would “make it work.” 

The director also visited the hospital the day after Depp called and brought flowers. Depp described Burton as a “great uncle and godfather.” 

Tim Burton’s former partner and Depp’s costar Helena Bonham Carter as well as Derek Frey, a longtime producer who has worked with Burton for decades also recalled in the docuseries that the production of Sweeney Todd had been shut down for about two weeks as Depp stayed by his daughter’s side. 

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have worked together on several successful movies. They include Edward Scissorshand, Ed Wood, the extremely successful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow and Corpse Bride.