Johnny Depp's childhood advice from mom regarding bullies: 'Pick up a brick and lay them out'

TORONTO, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Johnny Depp says the childhood advice he received from his mother regarding how to deal with bullies was somewhat similar to what gangster James "Whitey" Bulger told his young son about standing up for himself in the new movie Black Mass.

Depp, 52, plays Bulger in the film, which is based on true events and largely set in 1970s and '80s Boston. In one memorable scene, Bulger encourages his little boy to retaliate against his tormentors, but be careful not to get caught.

Asked by a journalist during a recent press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival how he felt as a real-life father of two children about what his character says to his son in the movie, Depp replied with a laugh: "You're assuming that wouldn't be the advice I'd give my kids. Wrong!"

"No, well, me, myself, I didn't find it at all strange, that advice," he added, smiling. "I remember when I was a kid -- this probably says a lot about a lot -- but I remember when I was a kid and I was little, like maybe six years old or something like that, and there was some little horror at the school who was kind of needling me or whatever and I think I told my mom and my mom -- I mean, I come from nothing but hillbillies -- and my mom said to me: 'All right, here's the deal. The next time anybody puts their hands on you, pick up a brick and lay them out.' And I've taken that advice ever since. So, it worked for me and, yeah, no, if somebody tried to bully my kid, if they didn't destroy the little booger, I would."

Co-starring Joel Edgerton, Julianne Nicholson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Rory Cochrane, Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, David Harbour, Peter Sarsgaard, Juno Temple, Jesse Plemons and Adam Scott, Black Mass opens Friday.