Amber Heard Says She Doesn't Want To Be "Crucified" As An Actress After Johnny Depp Trial

The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard fight and trial garnered intense media attention, with both parties making serious abuse allegations against each other.

Amber Heard Gets Honest About Future Acting Career (Image: Getty Images)

The legal battle, including a defamation lawsuit, exposed disturbing details of their troubled relationship, dividing public opinion.

The fallout from the trial significantly impacted their personal lives and acting careers.

Even after the highly-publicized Virginia defamation trial with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard remains committed to her art.

Taking a brief break from the spotlight, the actress has now emerged in full support of her upcoming movie, "In the Fire."

She shares that she won't let her challenges define her career and is determined to continue showcasing her talent and passion for acting.

Amber's resilience and dedication to her craft have become evident through the tough times. Despite the media scrutiny and personal hardships, she is eager to prove that her talent and hard work are the true pillars of her career.

Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

With "In the Fire" on the horizon, fans eagerly anticipate seeing Amber Heard shine once again on the silver screen, reaffirming her position as a formidable actress in the industry.

"You know, I just want to make movies and be appreciated, as an actress," she told Deadline in an interview published June 26.

"I don't want to have to be crucified to be appreciated as one."

However, Heard said that the focus may not always center on her projects.

"I'm in control for the most part of what comes out of my mouth," she said.

"What I'm not in control is how my pride in this project and all we put into this film can be surrounded by clips of other stuff. That's a big thing I had to learn, that I'm not in control of stories other people create around me. That's something that probably I'll appreciate as a blessing further down the line."

As she continues to navigate her return to the public eye, Heard prefers not to have "stones thrown at me so much." As she noted to Deadline,

"So let's get the elephant out of the room then, and just let me say that. I am an actress. I'm here to support a movie. And that's not something I can be sued for."

Amber Heard and producer Pascal Borno Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

"I'm not telling you I have this amazing film career, but what I have is something that I've made, myself, and it has given me a lot to be able to contribute," said Heard, who has been acting since she was 16-years-old.

 "The odds of that in this industry are really improbably but somehow, here I am. I think I've earned respect for that to be its own thing. That's substantial enough. What I have been through, what I've lived through, doesn't make my career at all. And it's certainly not gonna stop my career."

In fact, Heard returned to the red carpet on June 23 for the premiere of In the Fire at the Taormina Film Festival.

"Thank you for such an incredibly warm reception at the Taormina Film festival for my latest movie In the Fire," she wrote on Instagram June 30. "It was an unforgettable weekend."

"Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to," Heard, who filed for divorce from Depp in 2016, wrote in a message to Instagram at the time.

"I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward."

Director Conor Allyn told Variety he met Heard while developing a serial killer TV drama set in Colombia a few years earlier.

When that project stalled in 2022, Heard read the script for “In the Fire” and agreed to work on what Allyn describes as a “a gothic Gaucho western” after she had finished her “Aquaman 2” commitment.

“When Amber showed up in Italy to shoot, she was a force to be reckoned with. She was a star who was amazing in front of the camera, but also was a partner in crime behind the camera,” Allyn said.

“Once we started shooting, it was from Day One a comfort blanket to have her there. I knew I could point the camera at her, and I would get something good.”

Whether or not the film will move the narrative on from Heard’s legal affairs is yet to be seen, but Allyn hopes for a “mega-comeback.” Calvani agreed enthusiastically: “Amber is back. She’s great; she is radiant; she’s a good actor and she is resilient.”

“In the Fire” was produced by Angel Oak Films, ILBE and Paradox.

Heard will also be appearing in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” which is due for release later this year.