Serbia Gave Johnny Depp A Gold Medal For Playing A Cartoon Puffin & It Was All So Strange
"Johnny Puff" is a big deal in Serbia.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is a big Johnny Depp fan — and, apparently, a big fan of puffins.
The Serbian leader presented Depp with a gold medal of merit in Belgrade on Tuesday, at an event to honour him for voicing a character in Puffins Impossible, a Serbian cartoon.
The authoritarian leader gave Depp the special honour on Serbian Statehood Day, praising the actor for his work and his influence in promoting Serbia around the world.
Depp reportedly cracked a joke upon receiving the medal, saying: "I'm scared."
He also said he hopes to be "on the verge of a new life" after a scandal-plagued few years.
"I like a re-beginning, and I would love for that beginning to start here," said Depp, according to Daily Mail.
Vučić didn't mention the bitter feud between Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard.
Heard accused Depp of domestic violence in 2018, amid a bitter divorce and a string of court battles that have turned many people against both Hollywood stars.
Depp ultimately lost his role in Fantastic Beasts, the Harry Potter spinoff franchise, after the allegations came out.
In 2021, he was given the green light to move forward with a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard.
And while he's become a bit of a black sheep in Hollywood, it seems like he's found a few other places that will give him a warm welcome.
Depp previously met with Serbian leaders a few months ago after launching Puffins Impossible in the country in late 2021.
The show stars Depp as a character named "Johnny Puff," a cool puffin with a snowboard.
Depp was also welcomed to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain last year, where he spoke against the "cancel culture" he claims has made it harder for him to find work.
"I'll go to somebody's house, man," he said at the time. "I'll perform in your kid's birthday party at this point."