Johnny Depp says Scottish TV character Rab C Nesbitt helped him play Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

Depp, 46, revealed that he watched old episodes of the BBC sitcom and based the Mad Hatter's Scottish accent on the alcoholic Glaswegian layabout played by Gregor Fisher, 56.

"This character was made up of different people and their extreme sides, so I wanted to go extremely dark and dangerous with the Scots accent," the Daily Star quoted Depp, as saying.

He added: "Hatters used to use highly toxic glue containing mercury and it would render them crazy, which is where the expression 'mad as a hatter' came from."

Depp's vocal coach Gerry Grennell said the actor practised the accent for hours, adding: "Rab stood out."

Gregor was delighted when he found out and said: "I'm very surprised and extremely flattered." (ANI)