Johnny Depp is returning to organized crime.
The 50-year-old actor, who had previously starred in the mob dramas "Donnie Brasco" and "Public Enemies," was photographed on the set of his new movie, a biopic about Boston mobster James (Whitey) Bulger — though he's virtually unrecognizable under a bald cap and heavy makeup.
Sporting a blond weave, the actor looked a dead ringer for the notorious gangster who was convicted in 2011 on 11 counts of murder, drug trafficking, racketeering, money laundering and extortion.
"He's a fascinating character," Depp told Collider. "It's not like anything I've done before, on that level. I'm very excited to slide into that skin for a little bit."
"Black Mass," directed by Scott Cooper and also starring, is currently filming in Bulger's old stomping grounds in Boston.
<figure class="a-image s">
The now 84-year-old Bulger has been a source of awe for Hollywood, and the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in the Academy Award-winning movie, "The Departed."
The actor is famous for undergoing shocking transformations for roles such as “Edward Scissorhands,” “Alice in Wonderland” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.
But Depp told the Daily News last summer that he felt added responsibility "playing a character that's a real person."
"Take John Dillinger (in "Public Enemies") for example, I felt a great responsibility to John Dillenger and his family to play him as close as anyone could to play him properly," said Depp. "I did as much research as I could. It was a great responsibility playing the Earl of Rochester, you know, because he was a real person. It was a great responsibility playing Joe Pistone in 'Donnie Brasco.'"
