Johnny Depp
actor
name = Johnny Depp | image = Captain Jack Sparrow.jpg | imagesize = 240px | birthdate = June 9, 1963 | location = Owensboro, Kentucky, USA | birthname = John Christopher Depp II | notable role = "Edward Scissorhands" in
Edward Scissorhands,
"Jack Sparrow" in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and its sequels}}Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II on June 9, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. After making his film debut in 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street, Depp came to fame on the television series 21 Jump Street, before establishing a career in Hollywood films, including well-received starring roles in the 1990s films Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco and Sleepy Hollow. In 2003, Depp's Oscar-nominated performance in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl re-established him as a leading man, leading to roles in the successful films Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and his latest, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.Early lifeDepp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky to John Christopher Depp, Sr. and Betty Sue Wells.
Depp has stated that he lost his virginity at the age of thirteen and "did every kind of drug there was by fourteen, swiped a few six-packs, broke into a few classrooms, just to see what was on the other side of that locked door".
Depp's parents divorced in 1978, and he dropped out of school a year later to become a rock musician. Depp's mother bought him a guitar at age thirteen, and he began playing in garage bands. He played with a band named "The Kids", who had modest local success and set out for Los Angeles, California in pursuit of a record deal. At this time, they changed their name to "Six Gun Method". Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of the drummer of the band, on December 20, 1983. The marriage caused friction between the band members and the group split before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently also collaborated with the band "Rock City Angels"CareerDepp's first major role was in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street. In 1986, he also appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese speaking private in Oliver Stone's Platoon. Depp was later cast in a lead role on the FOX TV television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. The series' success turned Depp into a popular teen idol during the late 1980s. Depp found the status an irritant, noting that he felt "forced into the role of product"
Depp left his teen idol image in 1990, after playing the quirky title role in the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. The film's success began a long association with Burton, as Depp starred in several of his films, including Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). Depp, an avid fan and long-time friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, played a version of Thompson (named Raoul Duke) in 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on Thompson's novel of the same name. Depp also accompanied Thompson and was his road manager on one of Thompson's last book tours.
Depp's film characters have been described by the press as "iconic loners", | Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, 2006 |
Depp's most recent film is 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.
In late June 2006, several reports indicated that Depp has joined the cast of the upcoming science fiction-action film, I Am Legend, which also stars Will Smith and will begin filming in September of 2006.Personal lifeSince his first marriage ended, Depp has dated and been engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. Depp is now in a long-term relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate in 1998; the two have no plans to get married, with Depp commenting that "if you are together and you love each other and are good to each other... for all intents and purposes you are married".
In 2003, Depp was quoted criticizing the United States in a German magazine, commenting that "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth - that can bite and hurt you, aggressive";
Depp has been arrested several times. His first arrest was in Vancouver B.C for a late-night altercation in a hotel lobby. He was accused of selling drugs at his club The Viper Room, after actor River Phoenix died in front of the club from a drug overdose in 1993, although the owners were deemed as not involved in the death. In 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York City hotel suite. He was arrested again in 1999 for fighting with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis. Depp dislikes fans taking pictures of his family and has threatened paparazzi who have attempted to photograph his children. In May 2006, Autograph Collector Magazine published its list of 10 Best & 10 Worst Hollywood Signers, with Depp topping the list of Best Signers.
Depp, a musician, is a keen guitar player and a big fan of the Rolling Stones as well as The Mars Volta. He can be heard playing slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997), as well as playing an acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat and playing on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Mexico (he wrote "Sands' Theme," although the track is credited to "Tonto's Giant Nuts"). He also performed on Shane MacGowan's first solo album and was a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes.
Along with Sean Penn and Mick Hucknall, Depp part-owns the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray. He has thirteen tattoos, including the inscriptions "Lily-Rose" (the name of his first-born child) over his heart, "Betty Sue" (his mother's name), and "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever"; Depp had the tattoo altered after his break-up with Winona Ryder).
*Roles turned down by Johnny Depp
*Autograph Collector Magazine 10 Best 10 Worst Signers
*Johnny Depp Profile
*KillerMovies interview
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