Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He has received multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. His films, in which he often plays eccentric characters, have grossed over $10.8 billion worldwide.
Johnny Depp began his career as a musician, performing in several amateur rock bands before making his feature film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He then acted in Platoon (1986) before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). Depp portrayed lead roles in Arizona Dream (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), Chocolat (2000), and Blow (2001).
During this time, Depp became known for his work with director Tim Burton, collaborating on eight films together, starting with Edward Scissorhands (1990), followed by Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012).
Johnny Depp gained worldwide stardom for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (2003–2017). He earned three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles as the leading man in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), J. M. Barrie in Finding Neverland (2004), and the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). His other well-received films include Public Enemies (2009), Rango (2011), Into the Woods (2014), Black Mass (2015), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and Minamata (2020). He portrayed Gellert Grindelwald in two films within the Wizarding World’s Fantastic Beasts series in 2016 and 2018.
Early life
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He has received multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. His films, in which he often plays eccentric characters, have grossed over $10.8 billion worldwide.
Johnny Depp began his career as a musician, performing in several amateur rock bands before making his feature film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He then acted in Platoon (1986) before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). Depp portrayed lead roles in Arizona Dream (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), Chocolat (2000), and Blow (2001).
During this time, Depp became known for his work with director Tim Burton, collaborating on eight films together, starting with Edward Scissorhands (1990), followed by Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012).
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Johnny Depp gained worldwide stardom for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (2003–2017). He earned three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles as the leading man in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), J. M. Barrie in Finding Neverland (2004), and the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). His other well-received films include Public Enemies (2009), Rango (2011), Into the Woods (2014), Black Mass (2015), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and Minamata (2020). He portrayed Gellert Grindelwald in two films within the Wizarding World’s Fantastic Beasts series in 2016 and 2018.
Early life
Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, the youngest of four children of waitress Betty Sue Depp (later Palmer) and civil engineer John Christopher Depp. Depp’s family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called “an inspiration.”
Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, the youngest of four children of waitress Betty Sue Depp (later Palmer) and civil engineer John Christopher Depp. Depp’s family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called “an inspiration.”
hnny Depp’s mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of Miramar High School at 16 in 1979 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. In 1980, Depp began playing in a band called The Kids.
After modest local success in Florida, the band moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing its name to Six Gun Method. In addition to the band, Depp worked a variety of odd jobs, such as in telemarketing. In December 1983, Depp married makeup artist Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band’s bassist and singer. The Kids split up before signing a record deal in 1984, and Depp began collaborating with the band Rock City Angels. He co-wrote their song “Mary,” which appeared on their debut Geffen Records album Young Man’s Blues. Depp and Allison divorced in 1985.
Johnny Depp is primarily of English descent, with some French, German, Irish, and African American ancestry. Elizabeth Key Grinstead, one of the first African Americans in the North American colonies to sue for her freedom and win, is an eighth great-grandmother. His surname comes from a French Huguenot immigrant, Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700. In interviews, Depp has claimed to have Native American ancestry, stating that his great-grandmother was partly Native American, possibly Cherokee or Creek.
Career
Johnny Depp moved to Los Angeles with his band when he was 20. After the band split up, Depp’s then-wife Lori Ann Allison introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. After they became drinking buddies, Cage advised him to pursue acting. Depp had been interested in acting since reading a biography of James Dean and watching Rebel Without a Cause.
Cage helped Depp get an audition with Wes Craven for A Nightmare on Elm Street. Depp, who had no acting experience, said he “ended up acting by accident.” Thanks in part to catching the eye of Craven’s daughter, Depp landed the role of the main character’s boyfriend, one of Freddy Krueger’s victims.
Although Johnny Depp said he “didn’t have any desire to be an actor,” he continued to be cast in films, making enough to cover some bills that his musical career left unpaid. After a starring role in the 1985 comedy Private Resort, Depp was cast in the lead role of the 1986 skating drama Thrashin’ by the film’s director, but its producer overrode the decision.
Instead, Depp appeared in a minor supporting role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone’s 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon. He became a teen idol during the late 1980s, when he starred as an undercover police officer in a high school operation in the Fox television series 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. 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.”
Music
Prior to his acting career, Johnny Depp was a guitarist and later featured on songs by Oasis, Shane MacGowan, Iggy Pop, Vanessa Paradis, Aerosmith, Marilyn Manson, and The New Basement Tapes, among others. He also performed with Marilyn Manson at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2012. Depp played guitar on the soundtracks of his films Chocolat and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and appeared in music videos for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Lemonheads, Avril Lavigne, and Paul McCartney. In the 1990s, he was a member of the musical group P, which included Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.
In 2015, Johnny Depp formed the supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry; the band also includes Bruce Witkin, a friend from Depp’s 1980s band, The Kids. Hollywood Vampires released their self-titled debut studio album in September 2015, featuring eleven classic rock covers and three original songs co-written by Depp. The band made their live debut at The Roxy in Los Angeles in September 2015 and has since completed world tours in 2016, 2018, and 2023. Their second studio album, Rise, was released in June 2019, consisting mostly of original material, including songs written by Depp, and features a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” sung by Depp.
In 2020, Johnny Depp released a cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation” with guitarist Jeff Beck and mentioned plans to release more music together. Starting in May 2022, Depp joined Beck onstage for several concerts in the United Kingdom, where they announced they had recorded an album together. Their joint album, 18, was released on July 15, 2022. Depp also accompanied Beck on his final European and American tours from June to November. In May 2023, he performed at the Jeff Beck tribute concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London, sharing the stage with Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Kirk Hammett, among others.
