Cast

• Johnny Depp stars as Edward Scissorhands. A lonely, naïve and creative being with scissors filling in for hands, he is adopted by Peg and taken into her neighborhood. Tim Burton personally expressed the character as "both simple and complicated. Both beautiful and off-putting, both creative and horrifically clumsy."[3] Twentieth-Century Fox demanded Tom Cruise.[4][5] The studio wanted a "bankable" actor and Burton felt it was best "to be open about casting." Burton claims Cruise wasn't his ideal choice but found him remarkably interesting; though claims Cruise wouldn't stop asking questions about the character. It got to the point where Burton found it impossible to work with him.[4] Cruise also wanted the ending to be "happier"[6] and in addition, cited scheduling conflicts with Days of Thunder[5] while blaming Edward's "lack of virility".[3] In due time, Michael Jackson expressed having interest for the role but was ignored. Tom Hanks then turned it down in favor of The Bonfire of the Vanities. William Hurt and Robert Downey, Jr. had both openly expressed interest.[3] Although Burton was unfamiliar with Depp's previous work, Burton was impressed with his "subtlety and ability to act with his eyes," citing that "for a character that doesn't speak a lot, eyes are very important."[4] In 1989, Depp read the script and "wept like a newborn". Meeting Burton and producer Denise Di Novi in Los Angeles, California, he and Burton got on very well, and he was cast a few weeks later.[7] In preparation for the role, Depp watched many Charlie Chaplin films to study creating sympathy without dialogue.[8] Studio executives were so worried about Edward's image that they tried to keep pictures of Depp in full costume under wraps until release of the film.[9] Burton was so impressed with Depp's performance that he would become close friends with Depp and go on to include the actor in five later films.[7]

• Winona Ryder as Kim Boggs: A fragile, beautiful, bright, compassionate teenage girl, who has a progressive attraction to Edward. Burton claimed he couldn't envision any other actress in the role, feeling that Ryder gave a positive performance in Beetlejuice. At the time, Ryder was coincidentally romantically involved with Depp. Burton felt "she could respond to this dark material" and the idea of her as a cheerleader and wearing a blond wig "was very funny." Burton feels that it was the hardest role for her to take at the time, as she herself was "tortured" and made fun of by cheerleaders at school.[4] Ryder dropped out of The Godfather Part III in favor of this film.[10]

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