Johnny Depp Goes Blond as He Honors Christopher Lee With BFI Award

Actor changes up his hair color as he shows up in London to honor his mentor

Johnny Depp's locks are on the lighter side these days.

The 50-year-old Hollywood star turned up sporting a new blond 'do as the surprise guest Saturday night at the London Film Festival, where he gave Christopher Lee a special award for his legendary career.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, upon presenting the horror icon a British Film Institute Fellowship, Depp said it was a "great honor to be here" and hailed Lee as a "great man, a very great man indeed."

The two have costarred in three films together, all directed by Tim Burton—Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Dark Shadows (Lee also lent his voice to Burton's Corpse Bride and Alice in Wonderland, both with Depp).

Working with Lee "was certainly a childhood dream come true," noted The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who called the British screen star a "true gentleman," a "national treasure' and an "artist."

"I love you," Depp told him.

Lee returned the favor, saying he was surprised to see him since he was told Johnny was working on a film "somewhere else in Europe."

The 91-year-old actor, who younger moviegoers best know for his role as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, said Depp "means an enormous amount to me" and praised him as a "true star."

Depp is currently playing the Big Bad Wolf in Rob Marshall's upcoming big-screen version of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical fantasy, Into the Woods, alongside Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick.

Just don't call him Goldilocks.