Sep 15, 2015 02:26 PM EST

Johnny Depp Pays Tribute to Wes Craven

Johnny Depp, who appeared at a Q&A on Monday night at a screening for upcoming film, Black Mass, paid tribute to to Wes Craven after a fan asked him about being cast in "Nightmare on Elm Street".

Depp responded, "Wes Craven was the guy who gave me my start, from my perspective, for almost no reason in particular. I read scenes with his daughter when I auditioned for the part. At the time, I was a musician. I wasn't really acting. It was not anything very near to my brain or my heart, which is pretty much how it remains to this day (he said jokingly)." He went on to say, "But Wes Craven was brave enough to give me the gig based on his daughter's opinion. I guess she had read with a bunch of actors, and after the casting sessions, she said, ‘No, that's the guy.' I always think of her for putting me in this mess, and certainly Wes Craven for being very brave to give me this gig. But he was a good man - so rest in peace, old Wes."

Depp stars as James "Whitey" Bulger in Black Mass, due out on September 18th.