Johnny Depp

Born on: June 9, 1963

Born in: Owensboro, Kentucky

Nationality: American

Career: Actor, Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Musician

 

Johnny Depp is an American actor, who is known for portraying unusual roles in Hollywood films such as Sweeney Todd, Pirates of Caribbean, etc. Moreover, the actor is also known for his portrayals of real life figures such as Edward Wood Jr., Joseph Pistone and George Jung. Johnny Depp’s films have been extremely successful in the past decade and have grossed over $2.2 billion at the United States box office and over $4.7 billion worldwide. The phenomenal success of the actor can be estimated from the fact that Depp has been nominated for Academy Award thrice and has won Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Currently, he lives in France with his partner, Vanessa Paradis, a French singer and actress.

Johnny Depp was born as John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky. His mother, Betty Sue Palmer was a waitress while his father John Christopher Depp Sr. was a civil engineer. He has one brother, Danny and two sisters, Christie and Debbie. Depp has German, Cherokee and Irish ancestry. His family moved around a lot while he was a kid. This can be estimated from the fact that he along with his siblings resided in more than 20 locations, before settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. At the age of 12, his mother gifted him a guitar, after which he started playing in various garage bands.

 

His first band was in the honor of his first girlfriend Meredith. A short time later, his parents got divorced in 1978. This induced insecurity and stress levels in Johnny as a child and he engaged in self harm. He has around seven or eight scars from practicing self-harm on his body. A year later, Johnny opted out of high school to become a rock musician. Initially, he played with the band, ‘The Kids’, which enjoyed moderate local success. Depp came to Los Angeles, along with the band, which split up before signing a deal and Johnny collaborated with the band ‘Rock City Angels’. He even co-wrote their song ‘Mary’, which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut for Geffen Records titled Young Man's Blues.

 

In 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, who was a make up artist as well as the sister of his band’s bass player. After his marriage, he took up varied jobs, including a telemarketer for ink pens. After sometime, his wife introduced him to Nicolas Cage, who advised him to act. In the year 1985, Depp got divorced and engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, whom he met during the shooting of a short film, Dummies. Moreover, the actor also dated Winona Ryder, Jennifer Grey and model Kate Moss.

 

In 1987, Depp was seen in the lead role for FOX TV television series, 21 Jump Street. The actor got immense success from the series and turned him into a teen idol in late 1980s. However, Depp was unsatisfied and swore to appear only in films, after his contract expired. The first major role of Depp was in the horror film, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ released in 1984. In 1986, he did a secondary role in Oliver Stone’s ‘Platoon’. However, Depp transformed his teen image completely in 1990 and featured in Tim Burton’s film, Edward Scissorhands.

 

With the success of the film, Depp and Burton started a log term association. In 1998, Depp did ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, which was based on writer, Hunter S. Thompson's pseudo-biographical novel. Finally, in 1999 he received his star on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’. After this, the actor had to experience a number of box office failures, till 2003, when once again his acting career flourished with Walt Disney Picture’s, ‘ Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’.

 

He received an Academy Award nomination for the film. In 2004, he was once again nominated for the Oscar for his role in ‘Finding Neverland’. In 2006, Johnny appeared in the sequel of Pirates of the Caribbean, which received an astounding opening and success at the box office. In 2007, he proved his mettle yet once again with the film, ‘Sweeney Todd’ and was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the same.

 

Johnny Depp is also an ardent music lover. He has recorded a solo album as a guitar player. He also played side guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997), as well as on "Fade Away (Warchild Version)." He even played acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat and for the soundtrack to ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico.’ Johnny Depp has even appeared in the music videos of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Into the Great Wide Open." Moreover, the actor owns a vineyard and manufactures wine. He also co-owns a Parisian restaurant-bar ‘Man Ray’, along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall.

After his unsuccessful marriage and engagement with Lori Anne and Sherilyn Fenn respectively, Depp dated Vanessa Paradis. He met the French actress and singer while shooting for the film, ‘The Ninth Gate.’ The couple presently has two children, daughter, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, born on May 27, 1999 and son, John "Jack" Christopher Depp III, born on April 9, 2002. The actor is also famous for the 13 tattoos on his body. Each of them signifies an important event and person in his life. Hollywood director, Tim Burton is one of his best friends, with whom he has worked six times.

1999 - Cesar Award, Honorary César Lifetime Achievement

2003 - Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor in Motion Picture for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, People’s Sexiest Man Alive Award and Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 - Irish Film and Television Awards for Best International Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor for Finding Neverland

2007 - Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

1983 -The Outsiders  

1984 - A Nightmare on Elm Street

1985 - Private Resort, Slow Burn  

1986 - Platoon

1990 - Edward Scissorhands, Cry-Baby

1987 - 1991 21 Jump Street (TV Series)

1991 - Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

1993 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Benny & Joon, Arizona Dream  

1994 - Ed Wood,

1995 - Nick of Time, Dead Man, Don Juan DeMarco  

1997 - Donnie Brasco, The Brave

1998 - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, L.A. Without A Map  

1999 - Sleepy Hollow, The Astronaut's Wife, The Ninth Gate  

2000 - Chocolat, Before Night Falls 

2001 - From Hell, The Man Who Cried, Blow

2002 - Lost in La Mancha

2003 - Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  

2004 - Happily Ever After, Finding Neverland, Secret Window  

2005 - The Libertine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride

2006 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2007 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End , Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
2009 - Public Enemies (filming). The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Shantaram and The Rum Diary (post production)