ROCHESTER, MN – People thought Tim Burton was crazy when he began developing a film about a man with scissors for hands. Burton was coming off the enormous success of both Beetlejuice (1988) and Batman (1989). He was a hot commodity and had a lot of influence in Hollywood. Still, a film that would require the lead actor to mutilate themselves seemed improbable. Could this seemingly crazed director find someone willing to take the part and even if he could, was it ethical to allow them to chop off their hands? That movie became Edward Scissorhands, released in December of 1990 and starring Johnny Depp. The movie’s production and aftermath had far reaching consequences and accelerated stem cell research by nearly a decade.
At first casting seemed to be as difficult as anticipated. Trying to find a talented young actor willing to live with lively stumps where their hands used to be seemed too great a challenge. That is until former 21 Jump Street star Johnny Depp announced he would take the role. The twenty-six-year-old former teen idol had not yet transferred his success to the big screen and was looking for a big break. He struck a deal with Burton; if he could be guaranteed a golden globe, the option for a role in all of Burton’s future projects, and a guarantee that scientists could grow his hands back within ten years, then he would play Edward Scissorhands. Burton guaranteed everything despite not knowing if the science was possible. He knew that Depp was probably the only person desperate enough for the part and figured that if worse came to worse, he would have no problem fighting someone without hands.
Dr. James Alexander Thomson was in his lab when he received a call from Burton explaining the situation. Thomson was offered $2.5 million cash if he could develop a method to regrow Depp’s hand. Thomson agreed and immediately began research on human embryonic stem cells. He believed he could grow the hands on the back of racoons. While Thomson knew that the science was sound, he secretly expressed doubt to colleagues about whether he would be able to hit the ten-year deadline. In a letter to his fellow researcher Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, he wrote that “It is wonderful that we have received so much funding, but I really think Depp is an idiot for putting so much faith in us. Hands are pretty important”.
Meanwhile the movie had begun filming outside of Tampa, Florida. On the first day of production, costar Winona Ryder fittingly dismembered Depp with a pair of hedge clippers. The scissors were quickly attached, and Depp spent the first week in agonizing pain. Years later Depp would say that the worst part was the constant cycle of struggling to wipe his behind, being unable to wash his scissors, and getting food poisoning causing him to spend even more time on the toilet. With Depp irritated and the morale of the cast and crew low, Burton knew something needed to be done. This led to several angry phone calls to Thomson pressuring him to move up the timeline of his research, culminating in the irate director flying to Minneapolis.
Burton burst into Thomson’s lab with his own pair of hedge clippers and threatened to cut off his hands if he could not produce results immediately. The crazed director grabbed the scientist by the throat and chokeslammed him to the floor. Burton moved to get the clippers around Thomson’s wrists. It was at this moment that a lab tech conveniently entered and announced that growth of the first hand had begun. It was a shocking and badly needed breakthrough in the field of hand growth. It was explained that the hands could be ready in just days. He explained that once Depp had his hands back, they should just attach prop scissors instead of using the real thing. The two men shook hands and went their separate ways.
Filming was delayed until the surgery could be completed. Both transplants were done without issue. Burton was upset with the fake scissorhands used for the rest of the movie and forced the editor to painstakingly overlay the original scissors from the first weeks of filming over the rest of the footage to create a more authentic feel. The film was eventually released to critical acclaim and box office success and earned Johnny Depp a golden globe. With Burton going on to cast the lead actor in several of his future movies, he was improbably able to hold up his end of the bargain. Just as importantly, Burton was able to coerce Dr. Thomson into performing groundbreaking stem cell research. The research would be featured by Science as their “scientific breakthrough of the year” and earn the scientist the moniker “The Hand Man”. He quickly became the world’s leading expert on stem cells, and it was all thanks to a certain crazed director with a quirky movie and desperate lead actor.