Depp: Growing Old Is Great

VENICE, Italy – Unlike legions of other Hollywood stars, hipster heartthrob Johnny Depp (search) says he actually enjoys aging.

The boyish-looking Depp — who plays the author of "Peter Pan" in his latest picture "Finding Neverland" (search) — was asked if the children's character famed for never growing old made him wish for the same power.

"Nowadays, it's all a question of surgery, isn't it?" Depp, 41, joked to reporters at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

"No, of course the notion is beautiful — the idea of staying a boy or a child forever. But I think you can. I've known plenty of people in their later years who were like little kids, had the energy of little children, the curiosity and fascination," he said.

"But I think it's great fun growing old. I think it's great."

Depp also discussed the Scottish accent he assumes for his role as writer J.M. Barrie (search).

"Musically, rhythmically, I initially couldn't quite get ahold of it," he said. "Luckily I found this dialect coach who helped me out a great deal. ... Also, we had a couple of crew guys who were Scottish who picked up the falsities."