Born June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, the youngest of four children of a waitress mother and civil engineer father, John Christopher (Johnny) Depp II frequently moved with his family, settling in Miramar, Florida. His parents divorced when he was 15, his mother later marrying Robert Palmer, who young Depp considered an inspiration.
Depp’s mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of high school at 16 in 1979 to become a rock musician. In 1980, he began playing in a band called The Kids. After modest local success, the band moved to Los Angeles changing its name to Six Gun Method. In addition to the band, he worked in telemarketing. In 1983, he married makeup artist Lori Anne Allison, the sister of the band’s bassist. The band split up in 1984 and he began collaborating with the band, Rock City Angels. He and Allison divorced in 1985.
Introduced to Nicolas Cage by Allison at the age of twenty, the two became drinking buddies and Cage helped him obtain an audition for 1984’a Nightmare on Elm Street in which he made his film debut. In a relationship with actress Sherilyn Fenn from 1985-1988, his first starring role was in 1985’s Private Resort. He then had a major supporting role in the 1986 Oscar winner, Platoon. He began a four-year stint in TV’s 21 Jump Street in 1987.
In a relationship with actress Winona Ryder from 1989-1993, Depp achieved major stardom in 1990’s Cry-Baby and Edward Scissorhands. He also had back-to-back successes with 1993’s Benny & Joon and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. In a relationship with model Kate Moss from 1994-1998, Depp’s career continued to flourish with such films as Ed Wood, Don Juan DeMarco, Dead Man, The Brave (which he also directed), Donnie Brasco and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
In a relationship with model and actress Vanessa Paradis from 1998-2012 with whom he had two children, his career reached its zenith during this period.
Depp’s films during this time included Sleepy Hollow, Chocolat, Before Night Falls, Blow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl (for which he received the first of his three Oscar nominations), Finding Neverland (for which he received his second), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (for which he received his third Oscar nomination), Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist, Rango, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hugo, and Dark Shadows.
More recent films have included The Lone Ranger, Into the Woods, Black Mass, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Murder on the orient Express, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Jeanne DuBarry.
Briefly married to actress Amber Heard from 2015-2017, their subsequent court battles have made headlines around the world.
Johnny Depp’s upcoming film, Modi, is the second the now 60-year-old actor has directed.
ESSENTIAL FILMS
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990), directed by Tim Burton
Oscar nominated for its makeup, this fantasy film about an artificial human described by Burton as being more of a homunculus than a robot or golem, was the director’s first feature film as well as his first collaboration with Depp. It was also the last theatrical film of Vincent Price as Depp’s character’s inventor, a role intended to be larger but one that had to be shortened because of the actor’s numerous illnesses. Winona Ryder, Depp’s partner at the time, played his initially frightened girlfriend whose parents are sweetly played by Dianne Wiest and Alan Arkin.
WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE (1993), directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Depp had the title role of the young man in a small midwestern town whose ambitions are held in check by his having to care for mentally disabled young brother and his morbidly obese mother. Despite Depp’s fine acting, the film was stolen by Leonardo DeCaprio in his Oscar nominated star-making turn as his brother and Darlene Cates as his mother. Also prominent in the cast were Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Harrington, Kevin Tighe, John C. Reilly, and Crispin Glover. Depp later made Chocolat for director Hallstrom in which starred opposite Juliette Binoche and Judi Dench in Oscar nominated performances.
THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003), directed by Gore Verbinski
The first of five box-office hits in a series in which Depp played an eccentric pirate, the film earned 5 Oscar nominations including one for Depp as Best Actor. Orlando Bloom is the young hero, a blacksmith, who hires Depp to find his girlfriend, Keira Knightley, who has been kidnapped by villain Geoffrey Rush. Jack Davenport and Jonathan Price lead the supporting cast. Depp was cast after Robert De Niro turned the role down. Bloom was cast over Heath Ledger because director Verbinski thought he would be the more bankable actor since he was one of the stars of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
FINDING NEVERLAND (2004), directed by Marc Forster
Nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor (Depp) and winner of one for Best Score, this biography of J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan did better at the BAFTAs where it was nominated for 11 awards but failed to win any. Among its BAFTA nominations in addition to those for Best Picture and Actor, were those for Best Director, Actress (Kate Winslet as the mother of the boy who inspired the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up) and Supporting Actress (Julie Christie as Winslet’s mother). Freddie Highmore played the boy in a star-making turn. Dustin Hoffman had a featured role as Depp’s friend and mentor.
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007), directed by Tim Burton
This highly anticipated film version of Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 musical was nominated for 3 Oscars and won one for its costume design. Depp, in the title role, was the only actor nominated. Depp and Helena Bonham Carter who played Mrs. Lovett, the role originated by Angela Lansbury, were both nominated for Golden Globes but only Depp and the film itself won in the Musical or Comedy categories. The supporting cast included Alan Rickman as the judge, Timothy Small as Beadle, Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli, Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony, Ed Sanders as Toby, Laura Michelle Kelly as Lucy, and Jayne Wisener as Johanna.
JOHNNY DEPP AND OSCAR
The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – nominated – Best Actor
Finding Neverland (2004) – nominated – Best Actor
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) – nominated – Best Actor
