Johnny Depp Receives SBIFF's Maltin Modern Masters Award

By mid-day, the streets outside of the Arlington theater were already packed with fans anxiously awaiting the arrival of the recipient of this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Maltin Modern Masters award, Johnny Depp.

Johnny arrived in style and greeted his screaming fans on the Santa Barbara International Film Festival red carpet. Once backstage, the montage rolled with some highlights from his illustrious career. The sponsors of the evening, UGG, opened the night with a quick welcome to the crowd and praise for tonight's honoree. Festival director Roger Durling took the stage to introduce the moderator Leonard Maltin, who then brought out Johnny.

The conversation covered the full span of his career, from his start as a struggling musician who fell into acting, all the way through his most recent performance in BLACK MASS. Depp kept the audience laughing throughout, with funny stories from his many attempts at getting fired from jobs (including one particular time when he refused to remove a turban) and the many subsequent apologies to his agent Tracey Jacobs who was also in the audience. When Maltin attempted to redirect the conversation towards a more serious route, Depp quickly responded "Is Barbara Walters here? Am I gonna cry?"

At the end of the conversation, Depp's BLACK MASS director Scott Cooper took the stage to say a few words and present him with the award.

Guests made their way to the festival's Hennessey Lounge afterwards to celebrate the evening.

Photo Credit - Getty Images for Santa Barbara