By the time production began, it seemed like Depp had fully adhered himself to Thompson's character. Depp and Benicio del Toro were so committed to their roles that the cast and crew thought they might actually be on acid, and Depp remained in "Thompson mode" until over a year after filming wrapped. The two remained close until Thompson took his own life in 2005; Depp allegedly paid $3 million to shoot Thompson's remains from a cannon.