Johnny Depp is one of the most acclaimed and versatile actors and musicians of his generation. He has starred in a wide range of films, from horror to comedy, from fantasy to drama, from indie to blockbuster. He has also collaborated with some of the most visionary and eccentric directors, such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, and Jim Jarmusch. He has received numerous awards and nominations, including three Academy Awards and two BAFTA awards. He is also known for his musical talents and his involvement in various bands and projects, such as the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. His full name is John Christopher Depp II. He is the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. His family moved frequently during his childhood, living in more than 20 different places across the country. He eventually settled in Miramar, Florida, when he was seven years old.
Depp developed an interest in music at a young age. He received a guitar as a gift from his mother when he was 12 years old. He taught himself how to play and started writing songs. He also became influenced by various rock bands and artists, such as the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Alice Cooper.
Depp dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old to pursue a music career. He joined a band called The Kids, which relocated from Florida to Los Angeles in 1983. The band performed at various clubs and venues, opening for acts such as Iggy Pop and the Ramones. However, they failed to secure a record deal and disbanded in 1984.
Depp married Lori Anne Allison, a makeup artist, in 1983. She introduced him to her friend Nicolas Cage, who was an actor. Cage encouraged Depp to try acting and arranged for him to audition for director Wes Craven. Depp landed his first film role as Glen Lantz, a teenager who gets killed by Freddy Krueger in his own bed, in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Depp divorced Allison in 1985.
Breakthrough Roles and Collaborations
Depp continued to pursue acting while still playing music on the side. He appeared in several films in the mid-1980s, such as Platoon (1986), a war drama directed by Oliver Stone; Cry-Baby (1990), a musical comedy directed by John Waters; and Edward Scissorhands (1990), a fantasy romance directed by Tim Burton.
Edward Scissorhands marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Depp and Burton. The film starred Depp as the title character, an artificial man with scissors for hands who falls in love with a suburban girl played by Winona Ryder. The film was a critical and commercial success and established Depp as a leading actor with a unique style and charisma.
Depp also began dating Ryder after meeting her on the set of Edward Scissorhands. They got engaged in 1990 but broke up in 1993. During their relationship, Depp tattooed “Winona Forever” on his right arm, which he later altered to “Wino Forever”.
Depp followed Edward Scissorhands with another collaboration with Burton: Ed Wood (1994), a biographical comedy-drama about the infamous filmmaker of the same name who was known for making some of the worst movies ever made. Depp played Ed Wood with enthusiasm and humor, earning critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
Depp also starred in several other films in the 1990s that showcased his versatility and range as an actor. He played Gilbert Grape, a young man who takes care of his mentally disabled brother (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and obese mother (played by Darlene Cates) in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Sam, an eccentric young man who falls in love with a mentally ill woman (played by Mary Stuart Masterson) in Benny & Joon (1993); William Blake, an accountant who becomes an outlaw after killing a man in self-defence in Dead Man (1995), a western directed by Jim Jarmusch; Donnie Brasco,
an FBI agent who infiltrates the Mafia under the alias of Donnie Brasco in Donnie Brasco (1997), a crime drama based on a true story; and Raoul Duke, a journalist who goes on a drug-fueled trip to Las Vegas with his lawyer (played by Benicio Del Toro) in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), a film based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson, whom Depp befriended and admired.
Commercial Success
In the 2000s, Depp achieved his greatest commercial success by playing Captain Jack Sparrow, a charismatic and eccentric pirate, in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, produced by Walt Disney. The first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), was a huge hit and spawned four sequels: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Depp received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the first film and became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
Depp also continued his collaboration with Burton in the 2000s, starring in several more films directed by him, such as Sleepy Hollow (1999), a horror film based on the legend of the Headless Horseman; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), a remake of the classic children’s book by Roald Dahl; Corpse Bride (2005), an animated film in which Depp voiced the groom of a dead bride; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), a musical horror film based on the Broadway show by Stephen Sondheim; and Alice in Wonderland (2010), a fantasy film based on the books by Lewis Carroll. Depp received another Academy Award nomination for his performance in Sweeney Todd and won a Golden Globe for it.
Depp also starred in several other films in the 2000s that received critical acclaim and recognition, such as Chocolat (2000), a romantic comedy-drama about a woman who opens a chocolate shop in a conservative French village; Finding Neverland (2004), a biographical drama about the playwright J.M. Barrie and his friendship with a family that inspired him to create Peter Pan; Public Enemies (2009), a biographical crime drama about the notorious bank robber John Dillinger; and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), a fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam, in which Depp was one of the actors who replaced Heath Ledger after his death during production.
Depp also pursued his musical interests in the 2000s, playing guitar on several albums and songs by various artists, such as Oasis, Marilyn Manson, Shane MacGowan, Iggy Pop, and Aerosmith. He also formed his own record label, Infinitum Nihil, and produced several films through it, such as The Rum Diary (2011), Hugo (2011), Dark Shadows (2012), The Lone Ranger (2013), Transcendence (2014), Black Mass (2015), and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
In 2015, Depp formed a rock supergroup called Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The band released two albums, Hollywood Vampires (2015) and Rise (2019), and performed at various festivals and venues around the world.
Depp also starred as Gellert Grindelwald, a powerful dark wizard and the main antagonist of the Fantastic Beasts film series, which is a spin-off of the Harry Potter franchise. He appeared briefly in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and had a larger role in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018).
Controversies
However, Depp also faced several controversies and legal issues in the 2010s that tarnished his reputation and career. In 2012, he separated from his longtime partner Vanessa Paradis, a French singer and actress, with whom he had two children: Lily-Rose Depp, who is also an actress and model, and John Christopher Depp III. In 2015, he married Amber Heard, an actress whom he met on the set of The Rum Diary. However, their marriage was short-lived and tumultuous. In 2016, Heard filed for divorce from Depp and accused him of domestic violence. Depp denied the allegations and countersued Heard for defamation. Their divorce was finalized in 2017.
In 2018, Depp was sued by two former bodyguards for unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions. He was also sued by two former lawyers for breach of contract and unpaid fees. In 2019, he was sued by a former location manager for allegedly assaulting him on the set of City of Lies (2018), a film about the murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G.
In 2020, Depp lost his libel case against The Sun newspaper, which had called him a “wife beater” in an article about his relationship with Heard. The judge ruled that the newspaper had proved that the allegation was “substantially true” based on the evidence presented in court. Depp appealed the decision but was denied permission to do so by the Court of Appeal in March 2021.
As a result of the libel case, Depp faced backlash from the public and the industry. He was asked to resign from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series by Warner Bros., which he agreed to do. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen, a Danish actor. He also lost several other projects and endorsements, such as Dior’s Sauvage fragrance campaign.
Depp is still involved in a separate defamation lawsuit against Heard in the United States, which is scheduled to go to trial in April 2022. He is seeking $50 million in damages from Heard for allegedly lying about him in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she spoke about being a survivor of domestic abuse without naming Depp. Heard has countersued Depp for $100 million, accusing him of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her.
Net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Johnny Depp has an estimated net worth of $150 million as of 2021. His main sources of income are his film salaries, residuals, and royalties. However, his net worth has declined significantly in recent years due to his legal troubles, lavish spending habits, and loss of lucrative deals.
FAQs
How old is Johnny Depp?
Johnny Depp is 58 years old as of 2021. He was born on June 9, 1963.
What is Johnny Depp’s real name?
Johnny Depp’s real name is John Christopher Depp II. He does not use a stage name or a nickname.
What kind of music does Johnny Depp play?
Johnny Depp plays various kinds of music, but mainly rock and blues. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and harmonica. He was influenced by artists such as Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Elvis Presley.
Who are Johnny Depp’s friends?
Johnny Depp has many friends in the entertainment industry, such as Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Marilyn Manson, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Hunter S. Thompson, and Winona Ryder. He is also close with his family members, especially his children and his sister Christi Dembrowski, who is also his business partner and producer.
