| “ | Nothing is permanent, not even death! | „ |
| ~ Tony Shepard's most famous quote. |
Anthony "Tony" Shepard is the main protagonist of Terry Gilliam's 2009 fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He is a suave con artist who attempts to use a traveling show as a vehicle for fame and fortune.
Portrayals[]
The character was portrayed in his main form by the late Heath Ledger in his final film role, who also played the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Ledger completed at least half the work of playing Tony, but died during production of the movie. Afterwards, the character was recast, and reworked to undergo three physical "transformations" of the character within the Imaginarium. In his transformation forms, he was played by the following:
- Johnny Depp (first transformation), who also played Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts, Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Wolf in Into the Woods, Lanfranco Cassetti in Murder on the Orient Express, John Shooter in Secret Window, and John Dillinger in Public Enemies.
- Jude Law (second transformation), who also played Harlen Maguire in Road to Perdition, Pitch Black in Rise of the Guardians, King Vortigern in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel and James Hook in the live-action Peter Pan remake.
- Colin Farrell (third transformation), who also played Bullseye in Daredevil, Bobby Pellitt in Horrible Bosses, Jerry Dandridge in the Fright Night remake, Carl Hauser in the Total Recall remake, Percival Graves in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Oswald Cobb in The Batman.
History[]
Tony Shepard first appeared when Doctor Parnassus' theatre troupe finds him drowning in a river; they end up rescuing Tony by pulling him out of the river, shortly before Tony then spits up a golden pipe. Tony thereupon claims claims to have amnesia, and they take him in a carnival barker. He convinces the troupe to put on a more modern show, with him as its star.
Soon enough, Tony finds out about a bet that Doctor Parnassus has with a Satanic trickster called "Old Nick"; the bet's game is that the first one to claim five souls takes possession of Valentina. Tony offers to help in return for Parnassus teaching him his magical tricks. Parnassus refuses at first, but relents out of fear of losing his daughter.
During a show, he invites a wealthy old woman into the Imaginarium, where his face changes shape and he romances her, dancing with her and taking her on a gondola ride, and in the process wins her soul away fro Old Nick. The woman, smitten, gives him a large check. He does the same with three other wealthy older women, bringing in vast sums of money. He also romances Doctor Parnassus' daughter, Valentina, frustrating her fellow troupe member and true love Anton.
Russian gangsters to whom Tony owes money chase him into the Imaginarium, but he escapes. He offers to give Doctor Parnassus his soul in exchange for the power to control the dream world within the Imaginarium. He tries to entice Valentina into the Imaginarium, but Anton blocks their way and fights Tony, while revealing that Tony has defrauded dozens of people through a series of fake charities. Tony pushes Anton into the Imaginarium and follows him in with Valentina.
In the dream world, Tony (whose face has once again changed) is speaking before a posh fundraiser. Anton interrupts him and exposes his fraud, and the angry crowd chases Tony to a gallows. Smitten with Tony and angry at her father, Valentina gives her soul to Old Nick; he thus wins the bet. Disappointed with the easy victory, Old Nick offers to trade Valentina for Tony; Parnassus agrees. Parnassus confronts Tony at the gallows holding Tony's golden pipe and a fake one. He challenges Tony to pick the real pipe for his life. Tony picks one and Parnassus swallows it and then hangs himself, Tony then makes Parnassus spit it out believing it is the real one, he then swallows it and lets the people hang him, however Parnassus wakes up and reveals to Shepard that the real pipe was inside his throat all along. Tony watches in horror as the people hang him and the fake pipe breaks inside his throat, letting the rope hang him and kill him for good.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Depp, Law and Farrell starred in the film series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Depp played Gellert Grindelwald, Farrell played Grindelwald while impersonating Percival Graves and Law played Albus Dumbledore.