Johnny Depp.

## Introduction:

**John Christopher Depp II** (born June 9, 1963)[1] is an American actor, producer, and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. He rose to prominence on the 1980s television series *21 Jump Street*, becoming a teen idol.

Depp has taken on the task of challenging himself to portray "larger-than-life" roles, starting with a supporting role in Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film *Platoon* in 1986, then playing the title character in the romantic dark fantasy *Edward Scissorhands* (1990). He later found box office success in the fantasy adventure film *Sleepy Hollow* (1999), the fantasy swashbuckler film *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl* (2003) and its sequels, the fantasy film *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* (2005), the fantasy film *Alice in Wonderland* (2010) and voicing the title character in the animated action comedy western *Rango* (2011). He has collaborated on nine films with director, producer and friend Tim Burton.

Depp is regarded as one of the world's biggest film stars.[2][3] He has gained worldwide critical acclaim for his portrayals of such people as screenwriter-director Ed Wood in *Ed Wood*, undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone in *Donnie Brasco*, "gonzo" journalistRaoul Duke in *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas*, cocaine kingpin George Jung in *Blow*, author J. M. Barrie in *Finding Neverland*, theDepression-era outlaw John Dillinger in Michael Mann's *Public Enemies*, and the Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in *Black Mass*. Films featuring Depp have grossed over $3.2 billion at the United States box office and over $8 billion worldwide.[4] His most commercially successful films are the *Pirates of the Caribbean* films, which have grossed $3 billion, *Alice in Wonderland*, which grossed $1 billion,*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, which grossed $474 million, and *The Tourist*, which grossed $278 million.[5][6][7]

Depp has been nominated for major acting awards, including three nominations for Academy Award for Best Actor.[8] Depp won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for *The Curse of the Black Pearl*. He has been listed in the 2012 *Guinness World Records* as the highest paid actor, with earnings of $75 million.[9] Depp was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2015.[10]

## Early life:

Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky,[11][12] the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells; 1935–2016),[13] a waitress, and John Christopher Depp (born 1938), a civil engineer.[14][15] Depp is of mostly English ancestry, with some ancestors from elsewhere in Europe. He is descended from a French Huguenot immigrant, Pierre Deppe or Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700.[16] He is also of 3/2048 African descent, as he descends twice over from an African slave whose biracial daughter, Elizabeth Key Grinstead, was the first woman of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in North America to sue for her freedom from slavery and win (in 1655).[17] Depp is a 20th cousin of Elizabeth II.[18]

Depp moved frequently during his childhood. He and his siblings lived in more than 20 different places, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida in 1970.[19] Depp's parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15.[19][20] His mother married Robert Palmer (died 2000), whom Depp has called "an inspiration to me".[21]

With the gift of a guitar from his mother when he was 12, Depp began playing in various garage bands.[19] A year after his parents' divorce, he dropped out of high school to become a rock musician.[19] He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician.[19] He played with The Kids, a band that enjoyed modest local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method, but the group split up before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels[22] and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debutGeffen Records album *Young Man's Blues*.

On December 20, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison,[12] the sister of his band's bass player and singer. During their marriage she worked as a makeup artist while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a telemarketer for pens. His wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to pursue an acting career.[19] Depp and his wife divorced in 1985.[12]

## Acting career:

### Early film roles and *21 Jump Street* (1984–1993):

Depp's first film role was in the horror film *A Nightmare on Elm Street* (1984), in which he played the boyfriend of heroine Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and one ofFreddy Krueger's victims.[19] After a starring role in the comedy *Private Resort* (1985), Depp was cast in the lead role of the skating drama *Thrashin'* (1986) by the film's director, but the decision was later overridden by its producer.[24][25] Instead, Depp appeared in a minor supporting role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's Vietnam Wardrama *Platoon* (1986).

Depp became a popular teen idol during the late 1980s, when he starred as a police officer who goes on an undercover operation in a high school in the Fox television series *21 Jump Street*, which premiered in 1987.[19] He accepted this role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Despite his success, Depp felt that the series "forced [him] into the role of product."[26] He subsequently decided to appear only in films that he felt were right for him.[26]

Depp's first film release in 1990 was John Waters' *Cry-Baby*, a musical comedy set in the 1950s. Although it was not a box office success upon its initial release, over the years it has gained a cult classic status. Depp's second 1990 film was Tim Burton's film *Edward Scissorhands*, in which he played the title character opposite Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder. It was a critical and commercial success that established him as a leading Hollywood actor[*citation needed*] and began his long association with Burton. Producer Scott Rudin has stated that "basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies";[27] although Burton disapproved of the comment, Depp agrees with it. In his introduction to *Burton on Burton*, a book of interviews with the director, Depp called Burton "... a brother, a friend, ... and [a] brave soul".[28]

Depp had no film releases in the following two years, with the exception of a brief cameo in *Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare* (1991), the sixth installment in the *A Nightmare of Elm Street* franchise. He appeared in three films in 1993. In the romantic comedy *Benny and Joon*, he played an eccentric and illiterate silent film fan who befriends a mentally ill woman and her brother; it became a sleeper hit. He then starred alongsideLeonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis in Lasse Hallström's *What's Eating Gilbert Grape*, a drama about a dysfunctional family. In his review of the film, Todd McCarthy of *Variety* said that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization."[29] Depp's final 1993 release was Emir Kusturica's surrealist comedy-drama *Arizona Dream*, which opened to positive reviews.

### 1994–2002:

In 1994, Depp reunited with director Tim Burton, playing the title role in *Ed Wood*, a biographical film about one of history's most inept film directors. Depp later stated that he was at the time depressed about films and filmmaking, but that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed."[30] He found that the role gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun" and that working with Martin Landau, who played Bela Lugosi, "rejuvenated my love for acting".[30] *Ed Wood* received critical acclaim, with Janet Maslin of *The New York Times* writing that Depp had "proved himself as an established, certified great actor" and "captured all the can-do optimism that kept Ed Wood going, thanks to an extremely funny ability to look at the silver lining of any cloud."[31] Depp was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance.

The following year, Depp starred in three films. He played opposite Marlon Brando in the box-office hit *Don Juan DeMarco*, as a man who believes he is Don Juan, the world's greatest lover. He then starred in Jim Jarmusch's *Dead Man*, a Western shot entirely in black-and-white; it was not a commercial success and had mixed critical reviews. Depp's final film of the year was in the financial and critical failure *Nick of Time*, a thriller in which he played an accountant who is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.

In 1997, Depp starred alongside Al Pacino in the crime drama *Donnie Brasco*, directed by Mike Newell. He portrayed Joseph D. Pistone, an undercover FBI Agent who assumes the name 'Donnie Brasco' in order to infiltrate the mafia in New York City. To prepare for the role, Depp spent time with the real-life Joe Pistone, on whose memoirs the film was based. *Donnie Brasco* was a commercial and critical success, and is considered to contain one of Depp's finest performances.[*citation needed*] In 1997, Depp also debuted as a director and screenwriter with *The Brave*. He starred in it as a poor Native American man, who accepts a proposal from a wealthy man, played by Marlon Brando, to appear in a snuff film in exchange for money for his family.

Depp was a fan and friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, and played his alter ego Raoul Duke in *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas* (1998), Terry Gilliam's film adaptation of Thompson's pseudobiographical novel of the same name.[a]

Depp's next venture with Burton was the period film *Sleepy Hollow* (1999), in which he played Ichabod Crane opposite Christina Ricci andChristopher Walken. For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone.[27] He stated that he "always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl."[34]

### 2003–present:

Depp has generally chosen roles which he found interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office.[35] Critics[*who?*] have often described Depp's characters as "iconic loners".[35] Depp has referred to some of his less-successful films as "studio-defined failures" and "box office poison",[36] and said that he thought the studios neither understood the films nor did a good job of marketing them.[35]

In 2003, Depp starred in the Walt Disney Pictures adventure film *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl*, which was a major box office success.[35] He earned widespread acclaim for his comic performance as pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Depp has said that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me",[37] and that he modeled the character afterThe Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards[38] and cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew.[39] Studio executives had at first been ambivalent about Depp's portrayal,[40] but the character became popular with audiences.[35] According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp was a major draw for audiences.[41]

Depp was again nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as Scottish author J. M. Barrie in the film *Finding Neverland*(2004). The following year he starred as Willy Wonka in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, which reunited him with director Tim Burton, with whom he had not collaborated since *Sleepy Hollow*. The film was a box office success and had a positive critical reception,[42][43] with Depp being nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[38][44] *Chocolate Factory* was followed by another Burton project, stop-motion animation *Corpse Bride* (2005), in which Depp voiced the character Victor Van Dort.[45]

Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the *Pirates* sequels *Dead Man's Chest* (2006) and *At World's End* (2007), both of which were major box office successes.[46] He also voiced the character in the video game *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow*.[47] In 2007, Depp also collaborated with Burton for their sixth film together, this time playing murderous barber Sweeney Todd in the musical *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (2007). Burton had first given him an original cast recording of the 1979 stage musical in 2000, and although not a fan of the musical genre, Depp had grown to like the tale's treatment. He cited Peter Lorre in *Mad Love* (1935) as his main influence for the role.[48] Although he had performed in musical groups, Depp was initially unsure that he would be able to perform the role, which required him to sing. He recorded demos and worked with Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals without a qualified voice coach. In the *DVD Reviews* section, *Entertainment Weekly*'s Chris Nashawaty gave the film an A minus, stating, "Depp's soaring voice makes you wonder what other tricks he's been hiding ... Watching Depp's barber wield his razors ... it's hard not to be reminded of *Edward Scissorhands*frantically shaping hedges into animal topiaries 18 years ago ... and all of the twisted beauty we would've missed out on had [Burton and Depp] never met."[49] Depp won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role, and was nominated for the third time for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

In director Terry Gilliam's 2009 film *The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus*, Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell each played the character initially portrayed by their friend Heath Ledger, who died before the film was completed. All three actors gave their salaries to Ledger's daughter Matilda.[50] The next Depp-Burton collaboration was *Alice in Wonderland* (2010), in which he played the Mad Hatter alongsideHelena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman. The following year saw the release of the fourth installment in the *Pirates* series, *On Stranger Tides* (2011), which was again a box office success.[46] Depp also voiced the title character, a lizard, in the animated film *Rango* (2011),[51] and returned to Hunter S. Thompson's work with a film adaptation of the novel *The Rum Diary*, which also became the first project undertaken by his production company, Infinitum Nihil.[52]

Depp next starred in the Burton-directed *Dark Shadows* (2012) alongside fellow Tim Burton regular Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green.[53] The film was based on a gothic soap opera of the same name, which had aired in 1966–1971 and had been one of his favorites as a child. Depp and Graham King produced the film with David Kennedy.[54] In 2012, Depp and his *21 Jump Street* co-stars Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson briefly reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' 2012 feature film adaptation, which featured a much more comedic tone than the series.[55]

Depp starred as Tonto in *The Lone Ranger* (2013), opposite Armie Hammer as the title character.[56] He appeared in a minor supporting role as The Wolf in film adaptation of the musical *Into the Woods* in 2014.[57][58][59] Depp played convicted Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger in director Scott Cooper's *Black Mass* (2015), which earned him his third nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.[60]

In 2016, Depp played businessman and United States presidential candidate Donald Trump in a Funny or Die satire film entitled *Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie*. He earned praise for the role, with a headline from *The A.V. Club* declaring "Who knew Donald Trump was the comeback role Johnny Depp needed?"[61] The same year, Depp reprised the role of the Mad Hatter in *Alice Through the Looking Glass*, the sequel to *Alice in Wonderland*, which was released in May.[62][63]

In October 2016, Depp was cast in the film *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, and rumors immediately began to circulate who he would play. Later that month it was revealed that he had been cast to play Gellert Grindelwald, and will play a major role in the sequels. The character is a former close friend to Albus Dumbledore in their youth, and an extremely dangerous dark wizard; second only to Tom Riddle / Lord Voldemort. Depp made a cameo in the first film, marking his first on-screen appearance as Grindelwald.[64]

Depp repriseed his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2017 sequel *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales*,[65] the fifth film in the series, directed by Joachim Rønningand Espen Sandberg, and co-starring Javier Bardem (as Captain Salazar), Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, and Orlando Bloom (returning as Will Turner).

#### Future roles:

Depp had a cameo appearance in the 2014 production *London Fields*, which remains unreleased.[66]

Depp stated in a BBC radio interview on July 29, 2013 that he hopes to be involved with "quieter things" at some point in the near future, implying that he will retire from acting. Depp explained in further detail during the interview: "I wouldn't say I'm dropping out any second, but I would say it's probably not too far away. When you add up the amount of dialogue that you say per year and you realise that you've said written words more than you've had a chance to say your own words, you start thinking about that as an insane option for a human being."[67]

In February 2016, it was announced that he was cast as Dr. Jack Griffin / The Invisible Man in Universal Studios' upcoming shared film universe entitled The Dark Universe, a rebooted version of their classic Universal Monsters franchise. Depp will portray the character throughout the series' installments, as well as in the as-of-yet Untitled Invisible Man film. It is intended to be a reboot of *The Invisible Man*, with Ed Solomon, Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan attached as screenwriter, and co-producers, respectively.[68]

Depp joined the cast of *Murder on the Orient Express* in September 2016.[69] He will play Edward Ratchett.[70] The principal photography began in November 2016, in the United Kingdom.[71] The film is an adaptation based on the classic novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Kenneth Branagh is directing, and also performing as the detectiveHercule Poirot.[72][73][74]

In December 2016 Depp began filming of *LAbyrinth*, directed by Brad Furman. The script by Christian Contreras is an adaptation of the journalistic account *LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal*, written by Randall Sullivan.[75][76] Depp will play Russell Poole, a detective from the LAPD, who has as an ally Forest Whitaker as "Jack" Jackson, an investigative journalist to solve the case involving the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.

Depp voiced the title character Sherlock Gnomes in the animated movie *Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes*, the sequel to *Gnomeo & Juliet*, directed by John Stevenson. Returning are James McAvoy as Gnomeo, Emily Blunt as Juliet, as well as screenwriters Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil, and Elton John, who composed original songs for the movie. In the plot, garden gnomes begin to disappear from the suburbs of England. Gnomeo and Juliet look to the "greatest ornamental detective," Sherlock Gnomes to help investigate the mystery. The release date is scheduled on January 12, 2018.

Depp in November 2016 teamed with David Lynch, JK Simmons, Laura Dern, Penelope Ann Miller, Chad Coleman, Richard Chamberlain, Catherine Hardwicke, Theodore Melfi,Sam Raimi, Peter Farrelly, and the non-profit Make A Film Foundation for a volunteer project *The Black Ghiandola*, a short film written by Anthony Conti. The movie is "a story about a young man risking his life to save a young girl he has grown to love, after his family has been killed in the Apocalyptic world of Zombies."[79][80] The film was released on March 22, 2017.

Depp will return as Gellert Grindelwald in *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2*. Filming will start in August 2017, with locations in the UK and Paris. David Yates will be directing the movie from a script by J. K. Rowling. The film is a sequel of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*. It is set for release in November 16, 2018.[81]

By March 27, 2017, Depp was cast to portray antivirus software developer John McAfee in a forthcoming film titled *King of the Jungle*.[82] Glenn Ficarra and John Requa will direct the film, while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski will write the script.

## Other ventures:

### Production company:

In 2004, Depp formed his production company Infinitum Nihil to develop projects where he will serve as actor or producer. Depp is the founder and CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president.[*citation needed*] The company's first production came in 2011 with *The Rum Diary*, adapted from the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. The film is written and directed by Bruce Robinson. Also in 2011,*Hugo*, directed by Martin Scorsese, was released.[83] *Dark Shadows*, directed by Tim Burton, was released in 2012.[84]

### Music:

Depp played slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from *Be Here Now*, 1997), as well as on "Fade Away (Warchild Version)" (B-side of the "Don't Go Away" single). He also played acoustic guitar in the film *Chocolat* and on the soundtrack to *Once Upon a Time in Mexico*. He is a friend of The Pogues' Shane MacGowan, and performed on MacGowan's first solo album. He was also a member of P, a group featuringButthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. He has appeared in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' music video "Into the Great Wide Open" and The Lemonheads' "It's a Shame About Ray" music video. He made a cameo as the Mad Hatter in the music video for Avril Lavigne's "Alice" in 2010. He performed lead guitar and drums for a cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain", which appeared as a bonus track on Marilyn Manson's 2012 album *Born Villain*,[85][86]also performing live with Marilyn Manson at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards 2012, performing several songs with Manson.[87] He also appeared in the music video of "My Valentine" from the album *Kisses on the Bottom* by Paul McCartney released in February 2012, along with Natalie Portman.[88]

Depp traded licks with Joe Perry on "The Brooklyn Shuffle", a song from Steve Hunter and *The Manhattan Blues Project*, which was scheduled for release on April 30, 2013.[89] In 2014, Depp played electric guitar on the "Kansas City" track of *Lost on the River*, the Bob Dylan lyrics collaboration album by The New Basement Tapes. He filled in for Elvis Costello, who could not attend a recording session because of a previously scheduled concert with The Roots in Las Vegas.[90]

In 2015, Depp formed a supergroup with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry called Hollywood Vampires. They released their self-titled debut studio album on September 11 featuring eleven classic rock covers, two new songs (written primarily by Depp), and a narrative introduction by the late Christopher Lee.[91] Depp appeared onstage playing guitar with the group, performing live dates at L.A.'s Roxy Theatre and at Brazil's Rock in Rio festival in September. Depp has performed at London's 100 Club with Alice Cooper, where they played "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out".[92]

### Winemaker and restaurateur:

Depp and Paradis grew grapes and had wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.[93] Along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall, Depp co-owned the French restaurant-bar Man Ray, located near the Champs-Élysées in Paris.[94]

### Editing:

In July 2012, Depp announced he would be co-editor, alongside Douglas Brinkley, of folk singer Woody Guthrie's unpublished novel *House of Earth*.[95] The book was published in 2013.[96]

## Awards and nominations:

### Academy Awards:

 2004
 2007

### Screen Actors Guild Awards:

 2004
 2015

## Other awards and nominations:

### Critics' Choice Movie Awards:

 2004
 2007
 Best Acting Ensemble
 2015

### Golden Raspberry Awards:

 2015
 2016
 Worst Screen Combo

### National Movie Awards:

 2007
 2011

## Selected filmography:

* *A Nightmare on Elm Street* (1984)
* *Platoon* (1986)
* *Cry-Baby* (1990)
* *Edward Scissorhands* (1990)
* *Benny & Joon* (1993)
* *What's Eating Gilbert Grape* (1993)
* *Ed Wood* (1994)
* *Dead Man* (1995)
* *Don Juan DeMarco* (1995)
* *Donnie Brasco* (1997)
* *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas* (1998)
* *The Ninth Gate* (1999)
* *Sleepy Hollow* (1999)
* *The Astronaut's Wife* (1999)
* *Before Night Falls* (2000)
* *Chocolat* (2000)
* *Blow* (2001)
* *From Hell* (2001)
* *Once Upon a Time in Mexico* (2003)
* *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl* (2003)
* *Secret Window* (2004)
* *Finding Neverland* (2004)
* *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* (2005)
* *Corpse Bride* (2005)
* *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest* (2006)
* *Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End* (2007)
* *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street*(2007)
* *Public Enemies* (2009)
* *Alice in Wonderland* (2010)
* *The Tourist* (2010)
* *Rango* (2011)
* *Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides* (2011)
* *The Rum Diary* (2011)
* *Dark Shadows* (2012)
* *The Lone Ranger* (2013)
* *Transcendence* (2014)
* *Into the Woods* (2014)
* *Mortdecai* (2015)
* *Black Mass* (2015)
* *Yoga Hosers* (2016)
* *Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie*(2016)
* *Alice Through the Looking Glass* (2016)
* *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales*(2017)
* *Murder on the Orient Express* (2017)
* *LAbyrinth* (2017)