Johnny Depp has been hiring homeless people to play extras in his latest movie.

The 49-year-old actor convinced the casting director of his forthcoming sci-fi thriller Transcendence - which sees him star opposite Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Rebecca Hall - to employ two people living on the streets after he spotted them while out and about in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"Johnny always likes to help out the community when on location. While scouting out the area around Albuquerque, he came across these two characters. He was straight on the phone to the casting director," a source said.

It is not the first time Johnny has helped out people living on the streets after he bought a hat from a homeless person in 2011 to add to his vast collection of headgear. However, Vanessa Paradis - the Pirates of the Caribbean star's partner at the time although they split last June after 14 years together - was said to be furious at the Hollywood actor for purchasing so many hats. "Vanessa was livid and told him the hats had to go or she would trash them. But he's way too fond of them, so he'll move the bulk of the collection to one of their other homes," a source said at the time.