Showing off his 45-acre private Bahamian island, Little Hall’s Pond Cay, Johnny Depp explains to Vanity Fair contributing editor Douglas Brinkley that the island is extremely important to him. “It’s my way of trying to return to normalcy…. Escapism is survival to me.”

The 45-year-old actor adds, “You can feel your pulse rate drop about 20 beats. It’s instant freedom. And that rare beast — simplicity — can be had. And a little morsel of anonymity…. Whenever I was getting frustrated about being ‘novelty boy’ and making movies, I told myself, Calm down. I can come down here and disappear.”

Johnny, who is profiled in the July issue (out in New York and L.A. on Wednesday and nationally on June 9) says, “I look forward to my kids growing up on the island, spending months out of the year here … learning about sea life and how to protect sea life … and their kids growing up here, and so on…. Theoretically, this place can add years to your life.”

Mr. Depp then quotes the old adage: “Money doesn’t buy you happiness. But it buys you a big enough yacht to sail right up to it.”