Depp says he can ‘finally be me’

Johnny Depp has opened up about loving the quiet life in the UK.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star resides in an 850-acre estate in Somerset, complete with a 19th-century mansion in the west country, and has given an interview to Somerset Life about turning his back on Hollywood.

According to reports, Depp dropped £13 million on, what has been described as a Downton Abbey-style estate.

The 59-year-old said he has no regrets about leaving Tinseltown, and now enjoys a life where he is rarely bothered by movie fans and celebrity spotters.

After years of being a Hollywood bad boy, and years of legal proceedings involving his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Depp says he can finally be himself.

He told Somerset Life that despite outwardly appearing like a larger-than-life character – a movie star and a rock star – he is in fact a shy person. And the countryside, rather than the bright lights, is what suits him.

“I just love places with character,” Depp told the publication.

“British people are cool and will greet you as if you are a neighbour, without going over the top – I like going to places, seeing things and meeting people but I’m not the great extrovert that people think.

“In truth, I’m quite a shy person. That’s one of the great things about Britain, and especially Somerset. I can just be me — and that’s nice.

“I can go into shops without being surrounded by people wanting selfies. I don’t mind that up to a point, but sometimes it gets a little too crowded.”

Last year Depp surprised staff at an antiques shop in Lincolnshire, dropping in unannounced by helicopter to do a spot of shopping.

According to Robert Miler, the owner of Hemswell Antique Centres, Depp left with “a lot of very quirky items” including a desk chair, three guitars, paint sets, easels, a few pictures and posters.