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Wikipedia
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician known for his portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Ichabod Crane inSleepy Hollow.
Depp rose to prominence in a lead role on the television series 21 Jump Street and quickly became regarded as a teen idol. Uncomfortable with this career direction, he turned his focus to film roles. He initially came to film prominence as the titular character of Edward Scissorhands, and later found box office success in roles such as Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
He has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in seven films, the most recent of which are Alice in Wonderland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Depp has garnered acclaim for his portrayals of real life figures such as Edward D. Wood, Jr., inEd Wood, Joseph D. Pistone in Donnie Brasco and George Jung in Blow (2001). More recently, he portrayed legendary bank robber John Dillinger in Michael Mann's 2009 film Public Enemies.
Films featuring Depp have grossed over $2.6 billion at the United States box office and over $6 billion worldwide.[1] Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times, Screen Actors Guild Awards four times and Golden Globe Awards eight times, Depp won the Best Actor Awards from the Golden Globes for his role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetand from the Screen Actors Guild for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Early life
Childhood
Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, Sr., a civil engineer.[2] He has one brother, Daniel, who is a novelist, and two sisters, Christie (now his personal manager) and Debbie. Depp hasGerman, Cherokee (mostly from a great-grandmother), and Irish ancestry.[3] According to biographies, the Depp family originated with aFrench Huguenot, Pierre Deppe or Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700.[4] Depp has stated he did not know the origin of his surname, and joked about the name translating to "idiot" in German.[5][6] The family moved frequently during Depp's childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, Depp's parents divorced. He engaged in self-harm as a child, due to the stress of dealing with family problems and his own insecurity. He has seven or eight self-inflicted scars. In a 1993 interview, he explained his self-injury by saying, "My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist".[7]
1980s
Depp's mother bought her son a guitar when he was 12, and Depp began playing in various garage bands. His first band was in honor of his girlfriend, Meredith. A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. As he once explained onInside the Actors Studio, 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 ever signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels[8] and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut for Geffen Records titledYoung Man's Blues.
On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, a makeup artist and 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 telemarketer for ink pens. Later, his wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. In 1985, Depp and Allison divorced. After his marriage ended, Depp dated and was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn (whom he met on the set of the 1985 short film Dummies).
Career
Television
Depp starred in a lead role on the Fox TV television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. Depp accepted this role because he was not getting much work in the business and wanted to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Later in the season, 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 popularteen idol during the late 1980s. He found the teen-idol status irritating, noting that he felt "forced into the role of product"[9] and that it was "a very uncomfortable situation and I didn't get a handle on it and it wasn't on my terms at all."[10] Depp promised himself that after his contract on the series expired, he would only appear in films that he felt were right for him.[9]
Film roles
Depp's first major role was in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, playing the heroine's boyfriend and one of Freddy Krueger's victims. In 1986, he also appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's Platoon. Depp abandoned his teen idol image in 1990 with the quirky title role in the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. The film's success began a long association with Burton. Depp, an avid fan and long-time friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, played a version of Thompson (named Raoul Duke) in 1998'sFear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the writer's pseudobiographical novel of the same name. Depp also accompanied Thompson as his road manager on one of the author's last book tours.[11] In 2006, Depp contributed a personal foreword to Gonzo: Photographs by Hunter S. Thompson, a posthumous visual biography of the writer's legacy published by ammobooks.com. A close friend of Thompson's, Depp paid for most of Thompson's memorial event, complete with fireworks and the shooting of Thompson's ashes by a cannon, in Aspen, Colorado, where Thompson lived.[12]
Depp's film characters have been described by the press as "iconic loners,"[13] and Depp has noted that this period of his career was full of "studio defined failures" and films that were "box office poison,"[14] stating that he believes film studios never "understood" the films he appeared in and did not know how to market them properly.[13] Depp has also said that he specifically chose to appear in films that he found personally interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office.[13]
Depp's status as a major star was solidified with the success of the 2003 Walt Disney Pictures filmPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,[13] for which his lead performance as the suave pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was highly praised. The performance was initially received negatively by the studio bosses who saw the film, but the character became popular with the movie-going public.[13] In 2006, Bill Nighy, Depp's co-star from the sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, described the role as probably being "one of the most popular performances of recent times."[14] According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp was also considered to be one of the main reasons audiences wanted to see the movie.[15] The film's director, Gore Verbinski, has said that Depp's character closely resembles Depp's own personality, although Depp himself said that he modelled the character after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards,[16] who played Depp's father in At World's End. Depp, who has noted that he was "surprised" and "touched" at the positive reception given to the film,[13] was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. In 2004, he was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, this time for playing Scottish author J. M. Barrie in the filmFinding Neverland. Depp next starred as Willy Wonka in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was a major success at the box office.[16]
Depp returned to the character of Jack Sparrow for the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which opened on July 7, 2006 and grossed $135.5 million in the first three days of its U.S. release, breaking a box office record in reaching the highest weekend tally ever.[17] The next sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End, was released May 24, 2007; Depp has mentioned his attachment to his Captain Jack Sparrow character, specifying that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me", and expressing his desire to portray the character in further sequels.[18] Depp voiced Sparrow in the video game, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.[19] Johnny Depp's swashbuckling sword talents as developed for the character of Jack Sparrow, were highlighted in the documentary film Reclaiming the Blade. Within the film, Swordmaster Bob Anderson shared his experiences working with Depp on the choreography for The Curse of the Black Pearl. Anderson who also trained Errol Flynn, another famous Hollywood pirate, described in the film Depp's ability as an actor to pick up the sword to be, "about as good as you can get."[20]
Depp and Gore Verbinski were executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's film adaptation of the musical, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The traditional ceremony for the 65th Golden Globe Awards did not take place due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his "unwavering trust and support."[21]
In 2007, Depp accepted Warner Bros.' proposal to make a film version of the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, which aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971; Depp was a fan of the show as a child. In July 2007, Warner Bros. struck a deal for the rights to the show with the estate ofDan Curtis, the show's producer/director. Depp and Graham King will produce the movie with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Productions inc. until Curtis died in 2006. Depp will also appear in a film version of writer Hunter S. Thompson's book, The Rum Diary,[11] portraying the main character, Paul Kemp. Depp signed on to play one incarnation of the Heath Ledger character in the 2009 film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell. All three actors gave their salaries from the film to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.[22] He portrayed the Mad Hatter in Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and will play Tonto in a future Lone Ranger film.[23] Disney Studios also announced that a fourth installment of the Pirates series is in development, in which Depp would reprise his Captain Jack Sparrow role.[23]
Collaboration with Tim Burton
Depp has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in seven films, beginning with his breakout role in Edward Scissorhands(1990), opposite Winona Ryder and Vincent Price. His next role with Burton was in the 1994 film, Ed Wood. Depp later said that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed."[24] At the time, the actor was depressed about films and filmmaking. By accepting this part it gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun", and working with Landau, "rejuvenated my love for acting".[24]
Producer Scott Rudin once said, "Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies,"[25] 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 Vincent Price (very similar with Edward D. Wood, Jr. and Béla Lugosi).
Depp's next venture with Burton was the role of Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow (1999), oppositeChristina Ricci. Sleepy Hollow reflected Burton's battle with the Hollywood studio system.[26] For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone.[25] 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."[27]
Depp did not work with Burton again until the 2005 release of two films, the first of which wasCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which he played Willy Wonka. Depp modeled the character's hair on Anna Wintour.[28] The film was a box office success and received positive critical reaction,[29][30] although Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, initially opposed this version.[31] Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in July, followed by Corpse Bride, for which Depp voiced the character Victor Van Dort, in September.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) followed, bringing Depp his second major award win, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy as well as his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Burton first gave him an original cast recording of the 1979 stage musical in 2000. Although not a fan of the musical genre, Depp grew to like the tale's musical treatment, commenting "How many chances do you get at a musical about a serial killer?"[32] He cited Peter Lorre in Mad Love (1935) as his main influence for the role, and practiced the songs his character would perform while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[33]Although he had performed in musical groups, Depp was initially unsure that he would be able to sustain Stephen Sondheim's lyrics.[32] Depp recorded demos of himself in West Hollywood, working with Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals without a qualified voice coach.[32] 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."[34]
Depp has referred to working with Burton as "coming home", and he wrote the introduction to Burton on Burton, a book of interviews with the director, in which he called Burton "...a brother, a friend,...and [a] brave soul".[35] The next Depp-Burton collaboration was Alice in Wonderland (2010). Depp played the Mad Hatter alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman.
Personal life
In 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to aNew York City hotel suite.[36] Since 1998, following a relationship with British supermodel Kate Moss, Depp has had a relationship with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate.[37] He was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzioutside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis.[38]
The couple have two children. Daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp was born May 27, 1999, and son John "Jack" Christopher Depp III was born April 9, 2002.[39] In 2007, his daughter recovered from a serious illness, an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay.[40] To thank Great Ormond Street Hospital, Depp visited the hospital in November 2007 dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit and spent 4 hours reading stories to the children. He later donated £1 million (about $2 million) to the hospital in early 2008.[41]
Although Depp has not remarried, he has stated that having children has given him "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything."[18] "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 destiny; kismet. All the math finally worked." The family divides its time between their home in Meudon, located in the suburbs of Paris, Los Angeles, an island he bought in The Bahamas, and their villa in Le Plan-de-la-Tour, a small town an hour and a half fromSaint-Tropez, in the south of France.[42][43] Depp also acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-de-la-Tour area in 2007.[44]
Depp has 13 tattoos, many of them signifying important persons or events in his life. They include a Native American in profile and a ribbon reading "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever", altered after his breakup with Winona Ryder) on his right biceps, "Lily-Rose" (his daughter's name) over his heart, "Betty Sue" (his mother's name) on his left biceps, and a sparrow flying over water with the word "Jack" (his son's name; the sparrow is flying towards him rather than away from him as it is in Pirates of the Caribbean) on his right forearm.
In 2003, Depp's comments about the United States appeared in Germany's Stern magazine: "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth — that can bite and hurt you, aggressive."[45] Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context, Stern stood by its story, as did CNN.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."[46] The July 17, 2006 edition of Newsweek reprinted the "dumb puppy" quotation, verbatim, in the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that he says paint him as a "European wannabe", saying that he just likes the anonymity of living in France and his simpler life there.[45]
Other interests
Music
As a guitar player, Depp has recorded a solo album, played slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (fromBe 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 movie 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 featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. He has appeared in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' music video "Into the Great Wide Open".
Winemaker and restaurateur
Depp and Paradis grow grapes and have wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.[44][47][48] Known for a fondness of French wines, among Depp's favorites are the Bordeaux winesChâteau Calon-Ségur, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Pétrus, and the Burgundy wine Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Interviewed in Madame Figaro, Depp stated, "With those wines, you reach nirvana".[49] Along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall, Depp co-owned the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray, located near the Champs-Élysées.[50]
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp
Some of the awards that Depp has won include honors from the London Film Critics Circle (1996), Russian Guild of Film Critics (1998),Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) and a Golden Globe for Best Actor. At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, he won the award for "Best Villain" for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd and "Best Comedic Performance" for Jack Sparrow. Depp has been nominated for three Academy Awards, in 2004 for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in 2005 for Finding Neverland, and in 2008 for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Depp won his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in 2008.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Stuff | short film |
| 1997 | The Brave |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Source | Jack Kerouac | |
| 2002 | Lost in La Mancha | Himself | Uncredited role |
| 2008 | Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson | Narrator | |
| 2010 | When You're Strange | Narrator |
| Year | Title | Songs |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Chocolat | "Minor Swing", "They're Red Hot", "Caravan" |
| 2003 | Once Upon a Time in Mexico | "Sands' Theme" |
| 2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | "No Place Like London", "My Friends", "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir", "Pretty Women", "Epiphany", "A Little Priest", "Johanna (Act II)", "By The Sea", "The Judge's Return", "Final Scene (Part 1)", "Final Scene (Part 2)" |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Rum Diary | post-production |
| 2011 | Hugo Cabret | filming[52] |
| Year | Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Lady Blue | Lionel Viland | Episode: "Beasts of Prey" |
| 1986 | Slow Burn | Donnie Fleischer | TV film |
| 1987–1991 | 21 Jump Street | Officer Thomas "Tom" Hanson, Jr. | TV series (57 episodes) |
| 1987 | Hotel | Rob Cameron | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 1999 | The Vicar of Dibley | Himself | Episode: "Celebrity Party"[53] |
| 2000 | The Fast Show | Himself | Episode: "The Last Ever Fast Show"[54] |
| 2004 | King of the Hill | Yogi Victor (voice) | Episode: "Hank's Back" |
| 2009 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Jack Kahuna Laguna (voice) | Episode: "SpongeBob vs. The Big One"[55] |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1997 | The Brave |
