From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and musician. He has won the
award for Best Actor. He rose to prominence on the 1980s television series , becoming a .
Since then, Depp has taken on challenging and "larger-than-life" roles, starting with a supporting role in Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film
in 1986, then playing the title character in the romantic dark fantasy
(1990). He later found box office success in the fantasy adventure film
(1999), the fantasy swashbuckler film
(2003) and its , the musical adventure film
(2005), the fantasy film
(2010) and voicing the title character in the animated action comedy western
(2011). He has collaborated on eight films with director and friend .
Depp is regarded as one of the world's biggest movie stars. He has gained worldwide critical acclaim for his portrayals of such people as screenwriter-director
in , undercover FBI agent
in , "gonzo" journalist
in , cocaine kingpin
in , Peter Pan author
in , and the
in 's . Films featuring Depp have
over $3.1 billion at the United States box office and over $7.6 billion worldwide. His most commercially successful films are the
films, which have grossed $3
which grossed $1
which grossed $474 and
which grossed $278 million worldwide.
Depp has been nominated for major acting awards, including three nominations for . Depp won the
for . He also has garnered a
status in American cinema, being twice named as the "" by
magazine in 2003 and 2009. He has been listed in the 2012
as the highest paid actor, with earnings of $75 million.
Depp was born in , the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. Depp moved frequently during his childhood. He and his siblings lived in more than 20 different places, eventually settling in
in 1970. In 1978, when he was 15, Depp's parents divorced. His mother remarried to Robert Palmer (died 2000), whom Depp has called "an inspiration to me".
With the gift of a guitar from his mother when he was 12, Depp began playing in various . A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. 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
and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut
album, Young Man's Blues.
On December 20, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bass player and singer. During Depp's marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist, while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a
for pens. His wife introduced him to actor , who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. Depp and his wife divorced in 1985. Both Depp and his subsequent fiancé
auditioned for the 1986 film . They were both cast, with Depp being chosen by the film's director to star as the lead, which would have been Depp's second major role. Depp was later turned down by the film's producer, who rejected the director's decision.
Depp at the
Depp starred in a lead role on the
television series, , which premiered in 1987. He accepted this role to work with actor , who inspired him. Depp's long-time friend Sal Jenco joined the cast as a semi-co-star as the janitor named Blowfish. The series' success turned Depp into a popular
during the late 1980s. Despite this success, Depp felt "forced into the role of product." He subsequently decided to appear only in films that he felt were right for him. Depp and his co-stars,
and , briefly reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' , which featured a much more comedic tone than the series.
Depp's first major role was in the 1984 classic horror film , as the boyfriend of heroine
(played by ) and one of 's victims. The director of the 1986 American skating drama
then cast Depp for the film' however, his decision was later overridden by the film's producer. In 1986, Depp appeared in a secondary role as a -speaking private in 's . Depp's first release in 1990 was . Although the film did not achieve high audience numbers upon its initial release, over the years it has gained a
status. Depp's next release that year saw him undertake the quirky title role of
film , a critical and commercial success that established Depp as leading Hollywood actor and began his long association with Burton.
In 1993, Depp continued to receive critical and commercial acclaim. He appeared in , which became a . He then starred alongside
in , a film about a
family. In his review of the film, Todd McCarthy of
said, "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization." Depp's final 1993 release was the
, which opened to positive reviews.
In 1994, Depp played the title role in
biographical film, , about one of history's most inept film directors. It received immense critical acclaim, with
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." Depp was nominated for
for his performance.
In 1995 Depp starred in three films. He played opposite
in the box-office hit , as a man who believes he is , the world's greatest lover. He next appeared in ,
it did poor business and had mixed critical reviews. Depp then appeared in the financial and critical failure , playing an accountant who is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.
In 1997, Depp starred alongside
in the crime drama , directed by . Depp portrayed , an undercover FBI Agent who assumes the name 'Donnie Brasco' in order to infiltrate the Mob. To research his role, Depp spent time with the real-life Joe Pistone. The film was an immense financial and critical success, and is considered one of Depp's finest performances.
Depp was a fan and longtime friend of writer . He played a version of Thompson (named ) in 1998's , based on Thompson's pseudobiographical . Depp accompanied Thompson as his road manager on one of the author's last book tours. In 2006, Depp contributed a foreword to , a posthumous biography published . In 2008, he narrated the documentary film . Depp paid for most of Thompson's memorial event in the writer's hometown of , where, following Thompson's wishes, fireworks were set off and Thompson's ashes were shot from a cannon. Depp returned to Thompson's work with a
of the novel , released in 2011.
Depp has generally chosen roles which he found interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office. Critics have often described Depp's characters as "iconic loners." Depp has referred to some of his less-successful films as "studio-defined failures" and "box office poison", and that he thought the studios neither understood the films nor did a good job of marketing them.
Depp wearing a
similar to the style used in
was a major success, in which Depp's performance as the suave but shambling pirate Captain
was highly praised. Studio bosses were more ambivalent at first, but the character became popular with the movie-going public. According to a survey taken by , Depp was a major draw for audiences. The film's director, , has said that Depp's character closely resembles the actor's personality, but Depp said he modeled the character after ' guitarist
and cartoon skunk . Depp was nominated for an
for the role.
In 2004, Depp was again nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as Scottish author
in the film . He next starred as
in 2005's , a major box-office success that earned him a nomination for the .
Johnny Depp at the
Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates sequels
(2007) and
(2011), each of which were major successes as well. Depp has said that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me," and he even voiced the character in the video game .
The swashbuckling sword talents Depp acquired for his role as Sparrow were highlighted in the documentary film . In the film, swordmaster
shared his experiences working with Depp on the choreography for The Curse of the Black Pearl, and described Depp's abilities as a sword-wielding actor to be "about as good as you can get."
were executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of
in Tim Burton's
of , for which he won a . Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his "unwavering trust and support."
In director Terry Gilliam's 2009 film , Depp,
each played the character initially portrayed by their friend , who died before the film was completed. All three actors gave their salaries to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.
Depp played the
in Burton's 2010 re-imagining of , and the protagonist in the 2011 animated film .
In 2007, Depp accepted ' proposal to make a
soap opera , which aired on
from 1966 to 1971. He had been a fan as a child. Depp and
produced the movie with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Productions inc. until Curtis died in 2006. Depp starred as
in 2013's , opposite
as the title character.
Depp had a minor supporting role as t in Disney's 2014
of the musical . The film began shooting in September 2013 and was released on Christmas Day.
Depp will have a cameo appearance in the upcoming film
(2014). He will star in and produce an adaptation of the comic book . Depp will collaborate with
again to create a remake of . Depp plans to star as Carl Kolchak in the project Night Stalker, and has bought rights to the comic book . Depp will reprise the role of the Mad Hatter in the sequel to Alice in Wonderland, which is scheduled for a May 2016 release.
Depp stated in a
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."
Depp has signed on to play convicted Boston crime boss
in director 's .
Depp has collaborated with director and close friend
in films, beginning with
(1990), opposite
and . His next role with Burton was in the 1994 film . Depp later said that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed." At the time, the actor was depressed about films and filmmaking. This part gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun"; he said working with Martin Landau "rejuvenated my love for acting". Producer
once said "Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies," although Burton personally disapproved of the comment. Depp, however, agrees with Rudin's statement. According to Depp, Edward Scissorhands represented Burton's inability to communicate as a teenager. Ed Wood reflected Burton's relationship with
(very similar to
star received on November 19, 1999
Depp's next venture with Burton was the role of
(1999), opposite . Sleepy Hollow reflected Burton's battle with the Hollywood studio system. For his performance, Depp took inspiration from ,
and . Depp stated, "I 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."
Depp did not work with Burton again until 2005 in , in which he played . The film was a box office success and received positive critical reception. , who played Willy Wonka in the , initially criticized this version. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in July, followed by , for which Depp voiced the character Victor Van Dort, in September.
(2007) followed, bringing Depp his second major award win, the
as well as his third nomination for the . Burton first gave him an original cast recording of the
in 2000. Although not a fan of the musical genre, Depp grew to like the tale's treatment. He cited
(1935) as his main influence for the role, and practiced the songs his character would perform while filming . Although he had performed in musical groups, Depp was initially unsure that he would be able to sustain 's lyrics. Depp recorded
and worked with Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals without a qualified voice coach. In the DVD Reviews section, '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
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." 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". The next Depp-Burton collaboration was
(2010). Depp played the
alongside ,
and . In 2012, he starred in the Burton-directed , a film based on the
gothic soap opera , alongside fellow Tim Burton regular , as well as
In 2004, Depp formed his production company
to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. Depp is the founder and CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president. The company's first production came in 2011 with , adapted from the
by . The film is written and directed by . Also in 2011, , directed by , was released. , directed by , was released in 2012.
As a guitar player, Depp has played
song "Fade In-Out" (from , 1997), as well as on "Fade Away (Warchild Version)" (b-side of the "" single). He also played acoustic guitar in the movie
and on the soundtrack to . He is a friend of ' , and performed on MacGowan's first solo album. He was also a member of , a group featuring
guitarist . He has appeared in ' music video "" and
"" music video. He made a cameo as the
in the music video for 's "" in 2010. He performed lead guitar and drums for a cover of 's "", which appeared as a bonus track on some editions of 's 2012 album ., also performing live with Marilyn Manson in the Revolver Golden Gods Awards 2012, performing various songs of Marilyn Manson. He also appeared in the music video of "My Valentine" from the album
released in February 2012, along with .
Depp traded licks with Joe Perry on "The Brooklyn Shuffle," a song from
and , which was scheduled for release on April 30, 2013. In 2014, Depp played electric guitar on the "Kansas City" track of , the
lyrics collaboration album by The New Basement Tapes. He filled in for , who couldn't attend a recording session due to a previously scheduled concert with The Roots in Las Vegas.
Depp and Paradis grew grapes and had wine making facilities in their vineyard in
north of . Along with ,
and , Depp co-owned the French restaurant-bar , located near the .
In July 2012, Depp announced he would be co-editor, alongside , of folk singer 's unpublished novel House of Earth. The book was published in 2013.
Depp at 's ceremony to receive a star on the
in April 2011
Depp was married to Lori Anne Allison from December 20, 1983, until their divorce in 1985. He was later successively engaged to actresses
in the late 1980s before proposing in 1990 to his
co-star , for whom he tattooed "WINONA FOREVER" on his right arm.
In 1998, following a four-year relationship with British supermodel , Depp began a relationship with French actress and singer , whom he met while filming . Depp has two children with Paradis: daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999), and son John "Jack" Christopher Depp III (born 2002). Depp stated that having children has given him "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything ... You can't plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was . All the math finally worked." In 2007, Depp's daughter recovered from a serious illness, an
infection that began to cause her
to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay. To thank , Depp visited the hospital in November 2007, dressed in his Captain
outfit, and spent four hours reading stories to the children. In 2008, he donated ?1 million (about $2 million) to the hospital. After 14 years together and following months of media speculation, Depp and Paradis announced their separation in June 2012.
Depp subsequently began dating actress and model
in 2012 they met on the set of . They married on February 4, 2015, in a private civil ceremony at their home in Los Angeles.
Depp acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-de-la-Tour area in 2007. Several reports indicated that Depp bought Burnham Westgate Hall, a 13-bedroom Georgian country house in , England, in June 2011.
Depp was arrested in 1999 for brawling with
outside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis.
In 2012, Depp was sued alongside three security firms by disabled
medical professor Robin Eckert, who claimed to have been attacked by his bodyguards at a concert in Los Angeles in 2011. Eckert suffered injuries including a dislocated elbow in the attack, during which she was allegedly hand-cuffed and dragged 40 feet across the floor. She argued in court that as the security guards' direct manager, Depp failed to intervene, even though he did not actively take part in the battery. In October 2012, it was decided that Eckert could seek compensation and punitive damages from Depp, with a trial date set for August 12, 2013. Depp ultimately settled with Eckert for an undisclosed sum.
On October 16, 2011 episode of , when asked by
if he had faith, Depp replied, "Yes. I have faith in my kids. And I have—I have faith, you know, that as long as you keep moving forward, just keep walking forward, things will be all right, I suppose, you know. Faith in terms of religion, I don't—religion is not my specialty, you know."
Depp is mostly of
ancestry, with smaller amounts from elsewhere in Europe. He is descended from a French
immigrant, Pierre Deppe or Dieppe, who settled in
around 1700, as part of a refugee colony situated above the falls on the James River. He has
roots through his ancestor , a
family member who emigrated to
and finally settled in Newtown, near present day . He is also of 3/2048 African descent as he descends (twice over) from an African slave whose biracial daughter, , was the first woman of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in North America to sue for her freedom from slavery and win (in 1655).
Depp is 20th cousin of the Queen of England.
Depp at a ceremony for
to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2013
In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp stated that he "guesses" he has
ancestry, and that his "great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up
or maybe ." However, he has cited family stories and Kentucky lore among non-Natives, rather than any evidence, for this belief. Depp's claims came under question when
stated that Depp has never inquired about his heritage nor does the
recognize him as a member. Depp's continued claims, despite all evidence indicating he has no Native American ancestry, have led to criticism from the Native community, as well as criticism of his choice to portray a Native American character (Tonto).
Depp was adopted as an honorary son by , a member of the , on May 22, 2012, making him an honorary member of Harris' family, but not a member of the tribe. Indian Country Today Media Network questioned whether "Tonto's Giant Nuts" (credited in the 2003 movie ), the name of Johnny Depp's band, was a wise choice given the actor's role as Tonto along with his unsubstantiated claims to Native heritage. Critical response to Depp's claims from the Native community also included
portrayals of Depp by leading Native comedians.
In 2003, Depp told Germany's
magazine, "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth—that can bite and hurt you, aggressive." Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context, Stern stood by its story, as did .com in its coverage of the interview. CNN added his remark that he would like his children "to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out." The July 17, 2006 edition of
reprinted the "dumb puppy" quotation, verbatim, in the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that perceived him as a "European wannabe", saying that he likes the anonymity of living in France and his simpler life there.
In 2011, Depp became a U.S. resident again, because France wanted him to become a permanent resident, which he said would require him to pay income tax in both countries.
Main article:
"Minor Swing",
"They're Red Hot",
"Sands' Theme"
Kisses On The Bottom
"My Valentine"
"You're So Vain"
The Hookah Lounge Volume 1
"Street Runners"
"Hello, Little Girl"
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