Johnny Depp talks his role in “The Lone Ranger”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Johnny Depp has discussed his role in The Lone Ranger, Digital Spy said.

The actor, who plays the Lone Ranger's Native American companion Tonto in Gore Verbinski's new adaptation, spoke to Total Film about the character's ethnicity and the importance of making him "more than a sidekick".

"Since cinema has been around, Native Americans have been treated very poorly by Hollywood," Depp said. "What I wanted to do was play Tonto not as a sidekick - like 'Go fetch a soda for me, boy!' - but as a warrior with integrity and dignity.

"It's my small sliver of a contribution to try to right the wrongs of the past."

Director Gore Verbinski collaborates with Depp for the fifth time on The Lone Ranger, which sees Tonto join forces with Armie Hammer's masked hero to fight against greed and corruption.

William Fichtner and Tom Wilkinson play villains Butch Cavendish and Latham Cole, while Ruth Wilson portrays the Lone Ranger's sister-in-law Rebecca Reid.

Pirates of the Caribbean scribes Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio co-wrote the script with Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road).

The Lone Ranger will be released on July 3 in the US, and August 9 in the UK.