Johnny Depp felt like he had "landed on a strange planet" when he attended his first film festival.

The actor is now one of the most recognised faces in the world, but admits being in the spotlight wasn't easy at first.

Johnny has recalled his first time at the Cannes International Film Festival.

"I will never forget my first time being in Cannes. I locked myself up and panicked in the hotel room. Whenever I opened the door there were hundreds of paparazzi at the end of the floor. I spent the whole festival on approximately 15 square metres," he quipped in an interview with German TV station Tele 5.

"That was my first experience with this whole madness and it felt like being landed on a strange planet."

Johnny thinks stars should strike a careful balance between fame and a normal life. The actor would hate to have an uneventful existence.

"I couldn't endure more fame or stress. On the other hand I couldn't endure doing nothing. I have the need to be creative. On a lonely island I would probably be making figures out of palm leaves," he smiled.

Johnny values his trustworthy friends amidst the fickle Hollywood world.

"Loyalty is the most important. I was always lucky with my friendships. Men of the old school like Marlon Brando and Keith Richards taught me a lot about generosity and loyalty," he said.

Johnny's success in the film industry is down to his carefully picked movie roles. The 48-year-old thinks his choices have served him well.

"After 21 Jump Street I swore to myself to keep true to myself and only do things that feel right. I cancelled several things even if the money kind of lured me," he admitted.

"But I didn't want to become exchangeable and like everyone else. And it worked - I'm still here many years later."