Sam Claflin reunites with his Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides co-star Johnny Depp in Ebenezer, a new take on a holiday classic. In this interview with Collider‘s Steve Weintraub, Claflin remembers his first table read for the Disney franchise, when he sat between Depp and Penélope Cruz, and reflects on meeting Depp again to play his nephew Fred.

Directed by Ti West, Ebenezer revisits Charles Dickens‘ Christmas story with Depp as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. The Ghosts of Christmas Past (Andrea Riseborough), Present (Tramell Tillman) and Future (Robert Strange) visit Scrooge and change the course of his life. The cast also includes Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint and Daisy Ridley.

In his conversation with Weintraub, Claflin discusses the characters he would or would not invite to dinner, his experience acting opposite Depp and his role in Taylor Sheridan‘s upcoming action thriller, F.A.S.T.

How did Sam Claflin reunite with Johnny Depp after Pirates of the Caribbean?

“I feel like I belong now.”

COLLIDER: Which character you’ve played would you most like to have dinner with, and which would you refuse to spend an evening with?

SAM CLAFLIN: I know who I would refuse to spend an evening with: Oswald Mosley from Peaky Blinders. We might have plenty to discuss over dinner, but I don’t know whether I would get a word in.

As for the character I’d most like to have dinner with, Finnick would be high on the list. He won the Hunger Games and experienced a great deal, while remaining open, loving, fun and cool. My performance was [laughs] and I think Finnick would have plenty to say at the dinner table.

Your first film role was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. What was your first day on that set with Johnny like, and how did it compare with your first day working with him again? On Pirates, you must have been nervous and wondering what was going on.

CLAFLIN: Before filming both movies, we had a script read-through, which isn’t an opportunity you always get. For Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, I had just arrived in Hawaii and felt completely out of my depth. I didn’t know where I was or what was happening. At the read-through the next morning, I sat between Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp. I was terrified, barely looked up from the script and shook the whole time. At one point, Depp patted me on the back and reassured me, telling me to calm down. [Laughs]

For Ebenezer, we had another read-through, and it was the first time I had seen Depp in about 15 or 16 years. Everyone was already seated when he looked around, noticed me, did a double take and reached across Ian McKellen to shake my hand. He said it was good to see me. I remember thinking, “He remembers me!” That moment made me feel that I belonged. It was a thoughtful gesture, and he was a gentleman.

Johnny sometimes does different things from take to take and likes to shake up a scene. What is it like acting opposite him when he is unpredictable?

CLAFLIN: Depp brought a lot of playfulness to this film, too. I was about to say he seemed more focused and less like Jack Sparrow, but then I remembered the prop dead goose, or geese, that he had a lot of fun with on set. It kept me alert and did not affect me negatively; if anything, it brought more playfulness and joy to the set.

Depp does not take things too seriously, which I appreciate. Filmmaking should be fun and enjoyable, and he helps set that tone on set. Claflin described him as the person leading the charge and as a role model.

Why does Sam Claflin call his F.A.S.T. role a career risk?

“I hope it pays off.”

I’m a fan of Taylor Sheridan, and I believe he wrote the script for F.A.S.T., which you filmed. What can you say about the project? Ben [Richardson], who directed it, has directed much of Sheridan’s television work, and I’m curious to hear more.

CLAFLIN: Ben was the right person to film this story and create its world. I can’t share details at the moment, but it was an amazing experience with a great script and cast, and it was a lot of fun.

F.A.S.T. gives me a very different role, and I’m curious to see the finished film. People I know have seen it and described it as wild and a major departure for me. I think I took a big risk with this part.

Taylor Sheridan called me after I had originally auditioned for a different role. The team asked me to play this character instead, and I told them I had actually preferred this one. He is a wild character, which gave me room to have fun. I took a risk, and we’ll see how it turns out.

Did you make the performance bigger?

CLAFLIN: I don’t want to give too much away, but I had a lot of fun on the project. I hope that risk pays off, and I’m looking forward to seeing the film.

Ebenezer opens in theaters on November 13.