American actor and musician John Christopher Depp II was born on June 9, 1963. He has won a number of honors, including a Golden Globe and has been nominated for two BAFTAs and three Oscars. One of Hollywood's most bankable performers, he has earned over $8 billion globally from his films, in which he frequently plays oddball characters.
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Before making the jump to film, Depp was active in a number of amateur rock bands. After appearing in Platoon(1986) and the horror picture A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984), he became famous as a teen idol on the TV show 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). Arizona Dream (1993), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995), and title characters Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), and Donnie Brasco (1997) were all films set in the 1990s that featured Depp in the major role. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) had him playing Hunter S. Thompson, while The Ninth Gate (1999) by Roman Polanski had him playing Dean Corso. For his work in film, Depp was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. A number of films from the early 2000s included him: Chocolat (2000), Blow (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), and From Hell (2001) and Secret Window (2004), both of which were horror flicks.
Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) (for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture), and Alice in Wonderland (2010) were some of Depp's notable collaborations with director Tim Burton. Beginning with 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl, Depp became a global superstar as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, which he continued to appear in for a total of five sequels (2006–2017). Depp received Best Actor nominations for his work in Finding Neverland, Sweeney Todd, and The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Into the Woods (2014), Black Mass (2015), Minamata (2020), and Public Enemies (2009) are just a few of his critically acclaimed films. In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), he played the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the Wizarding World movie. In addition to the animated feature Rango (2011), he has provided his voice for a slew of other programs. Depp owns the production firm Infinitum Nihil, which he established in 2004, in addition to his acting career. In addition, he, Alice Cooper, and Joe Perry were the members of the rock band Hollywood Vampires. In 2003 and 2009, he was recognized as People's Sexiest Man Alive.
**Early years**
John Christopher Depp and waitress Betty Sue Depp (formerly Wells, subsequently Palmer) had four children together; Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. Eventually landing in Miramar, Florida in 1970, Depp's family traveled about a lot when he was a kid. Depp recently referred to Robert Palmer, his mother's new husband, as "an inspiration" after their 1978 divorce, which occurred when he was fifteen years old.
When Depp was twelve years old, his mother handed him a guitar, and he quickly started performing in a number of bands. To pursue a career in rock music, he left Miramar High School in 1979 when he was sixteen years old. The principal advised him to pursue his passion for music instead of returning to school two weeks later, when he tried to return. The Kids were a band that Depp joined in 1980.
The band rebranded as Six Gun Method and relocated to Los Angeles in search of a record contract after enjoying some small local success in Florida. Depp had a number of side gigs, including telemarketing, in addition to his band. Lori Anne Allison, Depp's sister and the bassist and vocalist in his band, was a cosmetics artist when the two tied the knot in December 1983. Depp started working with the band Rock City Angels after The Kids broke up in 1984, just before they signed a record deal. He was a co-songwriter for the song "Mary" that was on their first album, Young Man's Blues, released by Geffen Records. In 1985, Depp and Allison legally separated.
The majority of Depp's background is English, although he also has a little amount of French, German, Irish, and African American heritage. An eighth great-grandmother of mine is Elizabeth Key Grinstead, who was one of the earliest African Americans in the North American colonies to successfully appeal for her freedom. Pierre Dieppe, a French Huguenot immigrant who lived in Virginia in 1700, is the ancestor of his surname. Depp confessed to having Native American ancestry in interviews held in 2002 and 2011. He said, "I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American. She grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek Indian."
After an article in Indian Country Today claimed that Depp had never sought out information about his Cherokee ancestry or been officially acknowledged as a Cherokee Nation member, his assertions came under fire. Native American leaders view Depp as "a non-Indian" and a pretender due to his lack of proven Native origin, which prompted condemnation of Depp from within the Native American community. Both Depp's casting as the Native American Tonto in The Lone Ranger and the irony of naming his rock band "Tonto's Giant Nuts" were met with criticism. Actor Johnny Depp became an honorary son of Comanche Nation member LaDonna Harris during the film's promotion, elevating him to the status of a family member rather than a full-fledged tribal member.
Work History
=== Roles in early films and television shows === 1980s
At the age of twenty-one, Depp uprooted his life and his band to LA. Depp met actor Nicolas Cage through his ex-wife Lori Ann Allison following the band's breakup. After they became drinking companions, Cage suggested him try acting. Reading James Dean's book and seeing Rebel Without a Cause piqued Depp's interest in acting. Despite Depp's lack of acting training, he "ended up acting by accident" when Cage helped him secure an audition with Wes Craven for A Nightmare on Elm Street. Depp earned the role of the main character's boyfriend—one of Freddy Krueger's victims—in part because he caught the eye of Craven’s daughter.
Movie roles were coming his way, and Depp's declaration that he "didn't have any desire to be an actor" didn't stop him from earning enough to pay the expenses that his music career hadn't. The director of the 1986 skate drama Thrashin' had Johnny Depp hired as the protagonist, but the producer got in the way. Depp had previously starred in the 1985 comedy Private Resort. In Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam War thriller Platoon, Depp played a small supporting part as a private who spoke Vietnamese. His 1987 Fox TV series 21 Jump Street, in which he played a high school undercover cop, catapulted him to teen idol status in the late 1980s. He took the part so he could collaborate with his hero, actor Frederic Forrest. The show "forced [him] into the role of product," according to Depp, who was unhappy with his successful career.
The era of diversification in the 1990s
Depp, disillusioned with his 21 Jump Street days as a teen superstar, started playing parts he was more interested in, rather than ones he anticipated would perform well at the movies. Cry-Baby, a musical comedy based on the 1950s and directed by John Waters, was his debut feature film in 1990. Although it bombed at the box office when it came out, it has become a beloved classic among moviegoers. Along with Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest, Depp portrayed the lead role of Edward Scissorhands in Tim Burton's 1990 romantic fantasy picture. The picture made $53 million domestically and was well-received by critics and audiences alike. As part of his research for the part, Depp saw a plethora of Charlie Chaplin films to learn the art of nonverbal empathy. Depp "artfully expresses the fierce longing in gentle Edward; it's a terrific performance," as Peter Travers of Rolling Stone put it, and Rita Kempley of The Washington Post said that Depp "brings the eloquence of the silent era to this part of few words, saying it all through bright black eyes and the tremulous care with which he holds his horror-movie hands." She went on to say that Depp was terrifying in her review. This was Depp's first Golden Globe nomination. Kootenichela deppi, after the actor, is the name of an extinct arthropod with prominent claws (chela means scissors in Latin).
Between 1989 and 1991, Depp didn't appear in any films at all, with the exception of a little appearance in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), the sixth instalment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. The year 1993 saw him in three films. An unexpected success, the romantic comedy Benny and Joon featured him as a quirky, uneducated devotee of silent films who forms an unlikely friendship with a woman and her brother who suffer from mental illness. Depp "may look nothing like Buster Keaton, but there are times when he genuinely seems to become the Great Stone Face, bringing Keaton’s mannerisms sweetly and magically to life," noted Janet Maslin of The New York Times. It was for this role that Depp was nominated for a second Golden Globe. Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis co-starred in Lasse Hallström's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a drama set in a dysfunctional family, which was his second picture of 1993. Despite favorable reviews from reviewers, it bombed at the box office. According to Variety's Todd McCarthy, "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization," even though the majority of reviews were written about Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. The surrealist comedy-drama Arizona Dream, which starred Johnny Depp and was directed by Emir Kusturica and premiered at the 1993 Berlin Film Festival, was well-received at its debut and went on to win the Silver Bear.
Depp worked with Burton again in 1994's Ed Wood, a biopic about the most incompetent film director in history, in which he played the titular character. It was "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed," according to Depp, who subsequently said that he was despondent about films and production at the time. He saw the part as a "chance to stretch out and have some fun," and he said that collaborating with Bela Lugosi's actor, Martin Landau, "rejuvenated my love for acting." "Captured all the can-do optimism that kept Ed Wood going, thanks to an extremely funny ability to look at the silver lining of any cloud," Maslin wrote of Depp, adding that the actor had "proved himself as an established, certified great actor." Despite the film's failure to recoup its production costs, critics took a favorable view of Ed Wood. The performance earned Depp his third Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy Actor.
Depp appeared in three films the following year. In the smash blockbuster film Don Juan DeMarco, starring Marlon Brando, he portrayed the role of a man who mistakenly thinks he is the best lover in the world. Dead Man, a black-and-white Western directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring him, was critically and commercially unsuccessful. Additionally, Depp portrayed an accountant in Nick of Time, a critically panned and commercially unsuccessful film, who is ordered to assassinate a politician in order to rescue his abducted daughter.
Mike Newell's 1997 crime drama Donnie Brasco stars Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone, portrayed by Johnny Depp, infiltrated the New York City Mafia by assuming the identity of Donnie Brasco. Depp got into character by hanging out with Pistone, whose memoirs served as the film's inspiration. One of Depp's best performances, Donnie Brasco was well-received by critics and audiences alike. Depp made his directorial and screenwriting debut in 1997 with The Brave. The film starred him as a Native American guy who, in order to provide for his family, agrees to be in a snuff film with a rich man (Marlon Brando). When it made its debut at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, critics were mostly unimpressed. The magazine described it as "a turgid and unbelievable neo-western" , as well as Time Out that "besides the implausibilities, the direction has two fatal flaws: it's both tediously slow and hugely narcissistic as the camera focuses repeatedly on Depp's bandana'd head and rippling torso" . Depp decided not to distribute The Brave in the US because of the reviews.
In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), directed by Terry Gilliam based on Hunter S. Thompson's pseudo-biographical book of the same name, Depp plays the role of Raoul Duke, who was both a fan and friend of Thompson's. Both audiences and critics were divided by it. In the same year, Depp had a small appearance in L.A. Without a Map (1998), directed by Mika Kaurismäki.
In 1999, Depp was in three movies. The Astronaut's Wife, a science fiction thriller starring Charlize Theron, was the first, and it bombed at the box office and with critics. The second, directed by Roman Polanski and titled "The Ninth Gate," featured Johnny Depp as a book dealer who becomes caught up in a mystery. Audiences were somewhat more receptive, although reviews were divided. Depp co-starred with Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken as Ichabod Crane in the third, which was directed by Tim Burton and based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Taking cues from Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone, and Roddy McDowall, Depp remarked, "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." That was his performing philosophy. Both the box office and critics loved Sleepy Hollow.
In the 2000s, it became famous all over the world.
Featuring Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, and Johnny Depp as a Roma horseman, Sally Potter's British-French thriller The Man Who Cried (2000) was the first feature film to be released in the new century. It failed to meet expectations. Julian Schnabel's Before Night Falls, which received high praise from critics, also included Depp in a supporting part (2000). He portrayed a Roma guy and Juliette Binoche's love interest in Hallström's critically acclaimed and financially successful 2000 film Chocolat. Both of Depp's subsequent roles were based on real people from history. In the 2001 film Blow, he played the role of George Jung, a member of the Medellín Cartel in the 1980s and a cocaine DEA agent. Both critics and audiences were unimpressed with the picture's performance. Depp played the role of inspector Frederick Abberline in the 2001 comic book version of From Hell, who looked into the murders committed by Jack the Ripper in 1880s London. Despite its mixed critical reception, the picture was somewhat successful at the box office.
The 2003 adventure picture Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in which Depp featured, was a huge financial success for Walt Disney Pictures. In addition to nominations for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA, he took home a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor and an MTV Movie Award for his comedic turn as pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp has stated that Sparrow is "absolutely a big part of me" and that he took inspiration for the role from cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards, guitarist for the Rolling Stones. Despite initial reservations from studio officials, Depp's interpretation of the character proved to be a hit with moviegoers. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, an action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and released in 2003, starred Johnny Depp as a corrupt CIA operative. Although movie did somewhat well at the box office, reviews ranged from ordinary to good, and many praised Johnny Depp for his portrayal.
The thriller Secret Window (2004), which was adapted from a Stephen King short tale, features Johnny Depp as a writer who is experiencing writer's block. Critics were divided, but the film did somewhat well at the box office. Approximately at the same time, Depp portrayed the Earl of Rochester, a poet and rake from the seventeenth century, in the British-Australian indie film The Libertine (2004). The majority of reviewers were unimpressed, and its availability was restricted. Finding Neverland, Depp's third film of 2004, was critically acclaimed and garnered him many awards for his portrayal of Scottish novelist J.K. Rowling. He also won nods from the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild. Mr. Barrie from Scotland. Along with establishing his own film production business, Infinitum Nihil, under Warner Bros., Depp had a brief cameo in the French film Happily Ever After (2004). Visual media.
Johnny Depp's breakout performance as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was just the beginning of his lucrative acting career. The critical reaction was very good, and Johnny Depp received another Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. After Todd Haynes's The Chocolate Factory, Depp voiced Victor Van Dort in the 2005 stop-motion animated film Corpse Bride, another one of Burton's projects. Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007), the two critically acclaimed sequels to Pirates, both starred Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, and were commercial smashes. In addition, he provided the voice for Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean video game. The majority of moviegoers who saw a Pirates film cited Johnny Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow, according to a poll by Fandango.
Depp had a musical role as the murdering barber Sweeney Todd in 2007's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which was Burton and Depp's sixth film together (2007). The part was primarily inspired by Peter Lorre's portrayal of a "creepy but sympathetic" physician in Mad Love (1935), according to Depp. The first film in which Johnny Depp was asked to sing was Sweeney Todd. He auditioned for the part by recording recordings with his former bandmate Bruce Witkin rather than engaging a professional vocal coach. Commercially and critically, the picture was a smashing success. Critic Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly said, "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." Depp won the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Actor for the role, and he received his third Oscar nomination.
Depp played the role of real-life criminal John Dillinger in Michael Mann's 2009 crime drama Public Enemies, set in the 1930s. It did well at the box office and received mostly good reviews. In his review, Roger Ebert gushed, "This Johnny Depp performance is something else. For once an actor playing a gangster does not seem to base his performance on movies he has seen. He starts cold. He plays Dillinger as a fact." The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Depp's second film of 2009, brought him back together with director Terry Gilliam. Due to Heath Ledger's untimely death, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp all took on roles that Ledger had originally played. Matilda Ledger, actress Heath Ledger's daughter, received the salary of the three actors.
Career ups and downs in the 2010s
At the turn of the 2010s, Depp had his second Tim Burton picture, Alice in Wonderland (2010), in which he co-starred with Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway as the Mad Hatter. It was one of the highest-grossing pictures of all time and the second-highest-grossing picture of 2010 according to its US$1.025 billion box office total, despite receiving mixed reviews. The Tourist, a romantic thriller starring Depp and Angelina Jolie, was the second feature film Depp released in 2010. Although reviewers lambasted it, it was commercially successful. In any case, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for both features.
Playing the role of the titular lizard, Depp made his feature film debut in 2011's animated feature Rango. Critically and financially, it was a huge hit. Again a smashing success at the box office, his second feature of the year, On Stranger Tides, the fourth instalment in the Pirates franchise, became the third highest-grossing picture of 2011. Later in 2011, Depp's firm, Infinitum Nihil, launched the first two projects that they co-produced. The first featured Johnny Depp and was based on Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary. It got mediocre reviews and couldn't recoup its production expenses. Hugo (2011), the company's second effort, was directed by Martin Scorsese and received critical praise and several award nominations; nevertheless, it also bombed at the box office. Adam Sandler's 2011 comedy Jack and Jill had a small cameo appearance by Depp as well.
With 75 million US dollars in 2012, Depp was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, according to Guinness World Records, and he was also one of the biggest cinema stars in the world. Along with Holly Robinson and Peter DeLuise, he appeared as a cameo in that year's feature film version of 21 Jump Street. Along with Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eva Green, Depp appeared in and co-produced Dark Shadows (2012), his seventh picture with Tim Burton. His childhood favorite Gothic television soap opera from the 1960s served as the inspiration for the picture. The film's underwhelming U.S. reaction cast doubt on Depp's star power.
Actor Johnny Depp inked a multi-year first-look arrangement with Walt Disney Studios when Infinitum Nihil's pact with WB ended in 2011. The Lone Ranger (2013), the debut feature from the partnership, featured Johnny Depp as Tonto. Critics and audiences alike panned the picture, which led to allegations of whitewashing and cost Disney $190 million. Johnny Depp played a Native American. After a short appearance in the 2013 indie flick Lucky Them, Johnny Depp acted as an artificial intelligence researcher in the 2014 science fiction thriller Transcendence, which bombed at the box office and received mostly bad reviews. In 2014, he had a small role as The Wolf in the Into the Woods movie, and a larger one as a quirky French-Canadian ex-detective in Kevin Smith's horror-comedy Tusk, playing the role under the name Guy LaPointe.
Infinitum Nihil was responsible for two of Depp's 2015 cinematic appearances. He co-starred with Gwyneth Paltrow in the comedy-thriller Mortdecai. Although the picture bombed at the box office and with critics, it did earn the actors Golden Raspberry nominations. He had more success with his second feature, 2015's Black Mass, in which he portrayed Whitey Bulger, a Boston mob lord. Depp received his third Screen Actors Guild nomination for the part, and critics from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter hailed it as one of his finest performances to date. But the film's box office receipts weren't enough to cover its expenses. The critically acclaimed film London Fields, which starred Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard, was originally scheduled for release in 2015 but was postponed until 2018 due to legal issues. Depp also had a brief appearance in the film. Not only was Johnny Depp recognized as a Disney Legend in 2015, but he was also signed as the face of Sauvage, a men's fragrance by French luxury fashion label Dior.
Yoga Hosers, a sequel to Tusk (2014), was Depp and Lily-Rose Depp's first feature picture together in 2016. After that, he appeared in a mockumentary film named Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie, which was released in the run-up to the US presidential election and starred him as the businessman and candidate for president, Donald Trump. The A.V. Club ran the title, "Who knew Donald Trump was the comeback role Johnny Depp needed?" to describe how highly praised he was for the performance. Universal Studios' Dark Universe, a revival of their iconic Universal Monsters franchise, is set to be released in 2022, and it was confirmed that Johnny Depp will play the part of Dr. Jack Griffin/The Invisible Man in it. It was revealed in the sixth season episode "Not Tomorrow Yet" that one of the severed zombie heads seen in the show was inspired by Depp. Greg Nicotero, the episode's director, quipped, "I think we had sculpted an emaciated version of a dummy head for something and we used Johnny Depp's head as a basis just for a clay sculpt." Depp reprised his role as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), the sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Disney lost over US$70 million on the sequel, which was in stark contrast to the popularity of the first. Two Golden Raspberry nominations were also bestowed to Depp by it. In the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Depp made a surprise casting announcement to portray the role of the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald in a cameo appearance. He was a surprise cameo actor whose identity was kept under wraps until the very end of the film.
Part of the 2017 Make a Film Foundation short film The Black Ghiandola, which a dying adolescent developed with the help of other performers and directors, was Depp. In Dead Men Tell No Tales(2017), the fifth film in the Pirates series, he played Jack Sparrow again. The film bombed at the box office in the United States, sending Johnny Depp to the Golden Raspberry Awards with two nominations: worst actor and worst screen combination (for "his worn-out drunk routine"). But elsewhere, particularly in Russia, China, and Japan, the picture did rather well at the box office. With Kenneth Branagh at the helm, Depp had his last film release with 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, an adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel.
For the 2018 animated film Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes, Depp provided the voice for the lead character, Sherlock Gnomes. Depp received two Golden Raspberry nominations—one for his performance and another for his "fast-fading film career"—despite the picture's middling box office success and negative reviews. Then, Depp and his business, Infinitum Nihil, created two independent films in which he starred. After a crew member sued Depp for violence, the film was withdrawn from the September 2018 release date. In the first, titled "City of Lies," he played the role of Russell Poole, an LAPD investigator who tries to investigate the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Depp portrayed a professor with terminal cancer in the comedy-drama Richard Says Goodbye, the second film in the series. In October 2018, it had its world debut at the Zurich Film Festival. Grindelwald was played again by Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the last film that came out in 2018. Fans of the show were critical of Depp's casting because of the domestic abuse claims made against him.
At around the same time, Depp's career took a turn for the worst when Disney said they would not be casting him in any future Pirates films and rumours began circulating that he was no longer involved with Universal's Dark Universe series. The 76th Venice International Film Festival was the setting for the world premiere of Waiting for the Barbarians (2019), an indie drama starring Johnny Depp and adapted from a book by J. J. M. Coetzee.
Minamata (2020) stars Johnny Depp as W. Smith, Eugene. In 2020, it was shown for the first time at the Berlin International Film Festival. Following his defeat in a UK libel action against The Sun, which had accused him of being a domestic abuser, Depp was asked by Warner Bros., the production company of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, to step down from his role as Grindelwald in November 2020. Mads Mikkelsen took his position.
City of Lies finally hit cinemas and online sites in March of 2021 after a 2018 release date postponement. In the same month, a website petition that had started four months before managed to collect half a million signatures, urging Depp to return to the Pirates franchise. Even Depp's Pirates co-star Kevin McNally has spoken out in favor of his comeback. Depp said he is being shunned by the Hollywood business and called his new reputation a "absurdity of media mathematics" in response to Andrew Levitas's accusation that MGM was trying to bury Minamata (2020) because of Depp's participation in the feature in July 2021. The North American release of Minamata occurred in December of 2021, while the UK and Ireland releases were in August of 2021. Multiple media lauded Depp's performance, calling it his greatest in years, and the picture itself was well-received. Sauvage, Dior's men's fragrance, continues to have Depp as its face.
At several European film festivals, Depp was honored with numerous prizes, including the Donostia Award at Spain's San Sebastián International Film Festival and countless others, including Poland's Camerimage festival, the Czech Republic's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and many more. Several organizations that work to end domestic abuse criticized the festivals that presented these honors, making them contentious. San Sebastian Film Festival said that "he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women" in a statement justifying the ceremony's choice to honor Depp.
Depp said he was a victim of cancel culture in September 2021. He also announced the formation of a new development fund for television and film projects in the same month that IN.2, his London-based sister business to Infinitum Nihil, was founded. A Contracorriente Films, a production firm located in Spain, and IN.2 were both involved in the announcement. President Aleksandar Vu? presented Depp with the Serbian Gold Medal of Merit on February 15, 2022.am I? In recognition of "outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world" . Productions of Minamata and the animated series Puffins took place there.
Surprisingly, Depp showed up to a Jeff Beck concert in Sheffield on May 29, 2022, playing guitar with Beck to three famous John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, and Jimi Hendrix songs. He was still waiting for a decision in his well publicized defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. To promote their joint album 18, Depp accompanied Beck on his most recent concert tour, which took place in the US in October and November and the UK and Europe in June and July. At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards in August of that year, he made a brief appearance.
In the historical picture Jeanne Du Barry (2023) directed by French actor Maïwenn, Depp played the role of King Louis XV. Depp made his acting debut in a French-language film with this one. With a 7-minute standing ovation and mixed reviews from reviewers, the picture made its world debut as the opening feature of the 2023 Cannes picture Festival. The reviewers saw it as Depp's comeback role, but Johnny wasn't on board with that.
After more than 25 years, Depp made his directorial debut with Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness (2024). Through his European firm IN.2 Film, Depp co-produced the film with Al Pacino; it is about the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and spans 72 hours. The film is adapted on a play by Dennis McIntyre and features Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, Al Pacino, and Antonia Desplat. Production shooting began in Budapest, Hungary in September 2023 and wrapped up in Turin and Los Angeles in early 2024. The audience enthusiastically appreciated the picture on its premiere on September 24, 2024, at the 72nd San Sebastián International picture Festival, and it got a long standing ovation.
[Projects in the Works]
The Carnival at the End of Days, directed by Terry Gilliam and set to release in 2024, featured Johnny Depp. In the film, Depp will portray Satan, while Jeff Bridges will play God. Jason Momoa and Adam Driver are reportedly set to feature in the flick.
Marc Webb's next thriller Day Drinker will include Depp and Penelope Cruz. This is Johnny Depp's first feature film role in Hollywood since 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Lionsgate will be handling distribution.
[Other endeavors]
For the purpose of creating films in which he would have an acting or producing role, Depp established his production firm Infinitum Nihil in 2004. Christi Dembrowski, his sister, is the president, and he is the chief executive officer. Hugo (2011) and The Rum Diary (2011) were the debut features for the studio. Infinitum Nihil's European sibling firm, IN.2, debuted in September 2021. Depp said in a press release: "From the student to the maestro, from the aspiring artists to the yet-knowns, to the well-established great masters across all forms of modern media, IN.2 will build a space where artists can be artists, where they will be free to create those unexpected moments, those happy accidents that contain the propensity to constitute great art and so bring their unique vision to life."
From 1993 until 2003, Depp was a co-owner of the Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room, and for a brief while, he was also a part-owner of the restaurant-bar Man Ray in Paris. In 2013, the novel House of Earth was published by folk singer Woody Guthrie and edited by Depp and Douglas Brinkley.
Among the many artists who have included Johnny Depp on their albums are Aerosmith, Marilyn Manson, Shane MacGowan, Oasis, Iggy Pop, Vanessa Paradis, and The New Basement Tapes. Johnny Depp got his start as a guitarist before he became an actor. At 2012's Revolver Golden Gods Awards, he shared the stage alongside Manson. Johnny Depp has been in music videos for artists including Paul McCartney, Avril Lavigne, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Lemonheads, and Chocolat, and he also played guitar on the score for his film Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He also played in the band P in the '90s, which included Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Steve Jones of Sex Pistols on guitar.
Depp performed with Aerosmith at Mansfield's Xfinity Center in 2014.
Bruce Witkin, a buddy of Depp's from his band The Kids in the 1980s, is a member of the supergroup Hollywood Vampires, which he created in 2015 alongside Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. In September 2015, Hollywood Vampires dropped their self-titled first studio album. Eleven cover versions of popular rock songs were there, along with three original compositions (all of which Depp co-wrote). After making their live debut in September 2015 at Los Angeles's The Roxy, the band went on to conduct three global tours in 2016, 2018, and 2023. The majority of Rise, their second studio album, was composed by the band members themselves, with some contributions from Depp. The album was released in June 2019. Depp also sings a rendition of "Heroes" by David Bowie on the CD.
In 2020, Depp and guitarist Jeff Beck shared a version of "Isolation" by John Lennon and announced their intention to release more music together. At several UK shows beginning in May 2022, Depp joined Beck onstage, and Beck claimed that the two had made an album together. On July 15, 2022, they dropped their collaborative album 18 under the name 18. During Beck's most recent June–November tour of the United States and Europe, Depp was also a touring companion. Along with Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Kirk Hammett, Depp was a featured performer at the 2023 Jeff Beck memorial concerts that took place at London's Royal Albert Hall in May.
Depp made an appearance at one of Andrea Bocelli's three 30th anniversary concerts on July 17, 2024. In tribute to Jeff Beck, Depp and Bocelli played "En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor" together. Bocelli sung, while Depp played guitar. Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Ed Sheeran, Brian May, Jon Batiste, and Laura Pausini were among the other guests.
What is art?
Artwork by Depp sold out in the first day of its launch at Castle Fine Art, a London art shop in Covent Garden, in July 2022. Paintings of individuals "who have inspired him as a person" made up his "Friends & Heroes" collection, which he displayed at the art house. Actors Elizabeth Taylor and Al Pacino as well as musicians Bob Dylan and Keith Richards are among the individuals whose names appear on the artwork. The 37 galleries that make up the art house helped Depp earn over $4 million from the sale of 780 prints. Prior to the auction, Depp said, "I've always used art to express my feelings and to reflect on those who matter most to me, like my family, friends and people I admire." He continued, "My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves." All 780 pieces were sold within hours, with framed individual images selling for £3,950 and a complete portfolio of four images for £14,950. The gallery stated on Instagram that all of the titles in this world-first edition sold out in mere hours, making it their fastest-selling collection to date. Washington Green Glyn Washington, who spoke on behalf of art publishers, praised Depp, calling him a "genuine creative, with an extraordinary eye for detail and nuance."
"Friends & Heroes II" was published in March 2023 and is the second instalment in the "Friends & Heroes" series. Depp offered autographed prints of Heath Ledger, Bob Marley, River Phoenix, and Hunter S. Thompson, either as a set of four or as separate items. The self-portrait that Depp created in 2021 and named "Five" was revealed to the public in July 2023. According to Depp, the significance of the number five is connected to the fact that he was on the verge of embarking on the fifth year of a challenging period in his life. In an interview, Depp discussed the challenges of producing a self-portrait, saying, "It's not the most comfortable thing doing a self-portrait. Although, in a weird way, almost everything you do is a self-portrait in one way or another." Castle Fine Art gallery once again hosted the collectors.
On October 4, 2024, in New York City's Starrett-Lehigh Building, Depp launched his debut art show, A Bunch of Stuff. Works by Depp span many decades, with some pieces spanning his early twenties. Attendees at the private preview event on September 30, 2024, included Depp's family and friends as well as Jim Jarmusch, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Justin Bartha.
For many in the '90s, Johnny Depp represented an alternative to the traditional male cinema star. He openly resented his reputation as a teen idol after 21 Jump Street, and he started to develop a new public character with his future film and PR decisions. The Sydney Morning Herald dubbed Depp the "bad boy of Hollywood" in the '90s, when he was widely known to smoke cigarettes, use recreational drugs, and drink excessively. Hadley Freeman, a journalist at The Guardian, stated in 2020:
He formed an unholy trio of grunge heartthrobs with Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. They were ashamed or even angry about their appearance, making them the antithesis of the 90210 lads or Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. Although their attractiveness mitigated their seeming lack of interest in themselves, their edginess was brought out by their disinterest. Not only were they symbols of a new kind of fame, but they also represented a new form of masculinity: delicate but attractive, strong yet feminine. Specifically, Depp embodied the stylish pinup persona that was both safe and cool to enjoy. Depp, Phoenix, and Reeves were more than just good-looking; we fans knew it. Artistic? They even had bands!—and in interviews they would wax lyrical about abstract ideas that no one could possibly understand. We knew that if we dated them, it would be our responsibility to learn about their hearts.
Also, according to cinema researcher Anna Everett, Depp broke with Hollywood leading man norms in the '90s with "anti-macho" and "gender-bending" films and public image. After his stint on 21 Jump Street ended, Johnny Depp opted to work in indie films, playing eccentric characters like Edward Scissorhands, who frequently overcame his good looks. "Iconic loners" and "gentle outsiders" were common criticisms leveled at Depp's characters. United Talent Agency (UTA) agent Tracey Jacobs allegedly took "a lot of heat over the years" from Depp's role choices. Depp said that UTA executives thought, "Jesus Christ! When does he get to kiss the girl? When does he get to pull a gun out and shoot somebody? When does he get to be a man for a change? When is he finally going to do a blockbuster?" Everett said that his "rule-breaking" positions corresponded to the "much publicized rebelliousness, unconventionality, and volatility ascribed to Depp's own personal life throughout the decade. From reports of his repeated confrontations with the police, trashing of a hotel room, chain smoking, drinking, and drug use, to his multiple engagements to such glamorous women as supermodel Kate Moss and Hollywood starlet Winona Ryder and others, we clearly see a perfect fit between his non-conformist star image and his repertoire of outsider characters" .
Following a decade of mostly indie films with mixed box office results, Depp emerged as one of the most popular actors of the 2000s because to his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series produced by Walt Disney Studios. As of 2021, the five films that make up the franchise have raked in 4.5 billion US dollars. Not only did Depp have great success with the Pirates films, but he also collaborated with Tim Burton on four more critically acclaimed features. Alice in Wonderland (2010) was both Depp's biggest commercial smash and one of the highest-grossing pictures of all time (as of 2021). Among the most famous actors in the world in 2012, Johnny Depp earned $75 million, making him the highest-paid actor in the world according to Guinness World Records.
Murray Pomerance, a cinema historian, claims that Depp's work with Disney "can be seen to purport and herald a new era for Johnny Depp, one in which he is, finally, as though long-promised and long-expected, the proud proprietor of a much-accepted career; not only a star but a middle-class hero." With the release of Pirates: Inquisition in 2003 came Depp's first "World's Sexiest Man" award from People; he would reclaim the honor in 2009. From 2005 through 2012, Depp was chosen annually by the public as "Favorite Male Movie Star" at the People's Choice Awards, solidifying his status as one of the most famous and beloved actors of the decade and beyond. As of 2020, Depp's films have earned over US$10 billion globally and over US$3.7 billion in the US, making him the tenth highest-grossing actor in the world. He became the highest-paid actor in the American film business in 2012, earning as much as $75 million each picture. Even though Depp was a fan favorite, his critics' opinions of him shifted in the 2000s, becoming increasingly critical as he was perceived as conforming to the Hollywood ideal. In any case, until his turn as John Dillinger in Public Enemies (2009), Depp avoided the more typical leading-man roles.
Many of Depp's high-budget studio features in the 2010s, including Dark Shadows (2012), The Lone Ranger (2013), and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), bombed at the box office. Further bad press for Depp came from claims of marital violence, drug misuse, bad behavior on set, and the dissolution of his US$650 million wealth. No one wanted Johnny Depp to star in Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts films after he lost a libel case against The Sun's proprietors. Allegations surfaced in many media suggesting Depp would face future challenges in landing roles in big studio projects.
="life outside of work"
While he resides in London, Depp has a West Hollywood house. He opted to remain at motels or friends' residences by February 2023 instead of buying a property there.
=> Connections =>
At the age of twenty-two, Depp wed Lori Anne Allison in Miami-Dade County, Florida, on December 24, 1983. Allison was twenty-five years his senior. His rock band's bassist has a sister named her. The lovers uprooted to Los Angeles County, California, in search of musical opportunities. Depp's band, The Kids, achieved modest success, opening for bands like Iggy Pop and the Ramones. Allison, on the other hand, had her dreams dashed when she lost hearing in one ear, forcing her to switch gears and become a film and TV makeup artist. Allison introduced Depp to Nicolas Cage via her network. After watching Depp audition for his first film role, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Cage was so impressed that he set up the audition. On March 7, 1986, after being married for two years, they completed their divorce. Allison continued to use Depp as her professional surname and expressed her sympathies for Depp throughout his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, demonstrating their close relationship over the years.
He had engagements with Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn in the '80s. He started seeing Winona Ryder, his co-star in Edward Scissorhands, in 1989 when they were both 26 years old; they were 17 years old when he proposed to her in 1990. Depp subsequently had the tattoo "Wino Forever" altered from "Winona Forever" after their relationship ended in 1993. Kate Moss, an English model, was his girlfriend from 1994 until 1998. Depp started seeing French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis, whom he met in France in 1998 while filming The Ninth Gate, after his split with Moss. Lily-Rose Melody Depp is a daughter, and Jack is a son. They were married in 1999. Depp expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from his children, saying that they have provided him with a "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything...You cannot 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. All the math finally worked." Depp and Paradis announced their separation in June 2012.
Depp started seeing Amber Heard, an actress he had worked with in the 2011 film The Rum Diary, after his romance with Vanessa Paradis ended. On February 3, 2015, Depp and Heard tied the knot in a civil ceremony. Heard secured a restraining order against Depp and filed for divorce from him on May 23, 2016. She said in her court statement that Depp had been violent to her verbally and physically during their relationship, particularly when he was drunk or high. According to Depp, she was "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution" and he disputed the accusations. The parties formalized the divorce in January 2017 after reaching an agreement in August 2016. In a joint statement, Heard and the other party denied the restraining order and stated that their "relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love." They also denied making false claims for financial gain and denied ever intending to cause bodily or emotional harm. Heard promised to give $7 million to the American Civil Liberties Union and Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) as part of her divorce settlement with Depp.
Concerns pertaining to the law and accusations
News Group Newspapers Ltd. v. Depp
The Sun's April 2018 article headed "GONE POTTY How Can J K Rowling be "genuinely thrilled" casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?" prompted Depp to sue News Group Newspapers (NGN), publishers of The Sun, in the UK for libel. Depp and Heard both testified for many days at the case's highly publicized trial in July 2020. "All the evidence in [the] case and all the supporting evidence of the incidents of violence" left "no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife," stated Sasha Wass of NGN, while David Sherborne, Depp's lawyer, claimed that Heard had "blatantly lied" in her testimony.
The High Court of Justice found that 12 out of the 14 instances of physical aggression that NGN had claimed happened, and that Depp had caused Heard to be "in fear of her life" in three of those instances, in November 2020. As for Depp's accusations that Heard was a "gold-digger" and that the whole thing was a fake, the court disagreed. The court, however, ruled that Depp's portrayal by The Sun as a "wife beater" was an accurate portrayal. Warner Bros., the studio behind the Fantastic Beasts films, asked Johnny Depp to step out from the role following the judgment.
Despite Heard's evidence to the contrary, Depp's attorneys claimed in his appeal that she had broken her promise to contribute her divorce settlement to charity. The attorneys for Depp also claimed that the court had formed his opinion of Heard based on her evidence about her donations. In response, Heard's legal team said that the financial burden of Depp's lawsuits was keeping her from paying her pledged donation. They also claimed that Depp was trying to "divert attention from the UK Court's findings relating to allegations of Mr. Depp committing domestic abuse and violence" by doing this. The England and Wales Court of Appeal denied Depp's request to reverse the decision in March 2021, having reached the following conclusion:
Despite what [Depp's counsel] claims, we find no evidence to support the idea that the judge was swayed by such a broad impression. First of all, while discussing his main points, he makes absolutely no mention of [Heard's] charity contribution. Contrarily, he exclusively brings it up in that specific context... and after his findings of the fourteen events... When taken as a whole, the decision makes it quite evident that the judge thoroughly reviewed the facts relevant to each occurrence before reaching his conclusions. ... There was no opportunity for the court to base his decision on a broad evaluation of Ms. Heard's credibility in that sort of approach... it is our firm belief that the appeal will not be successful.
Decpp v. Heard
After Heard wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post in December 2018, Depp later sued her for defamation in February 2019. In the end, the lawsuit led to Depp claiming that three statements in the op-ed were defamatory: firstly, the headline, "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change"; secondly, Heard wrote: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out"; and thirdly, Heard wrote: "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." Depp claimed that he had been the one who had been abused by Heard, that her accusations were a hoax, and that Disney had refused to cast him in future projects because of this.
In August 2020, Heard filed a countersuit against Depp, claiming that he had orchestrated "a harassment campaign via Twitter and [by] orchestrating online petitions in an effort to get her fired from Aquaman and L'Oreal." In the end, Heard's counter-suit went to trial over three accusations that Depp had defamed her. These accusations were based on statements made by Adam Waldman, who was Depp's lawyer at the time. First, Waldman claimed that "Heard and her friends in the media used fake sexual violence allegations as both sword and shield," publicizing a "sexual violence hoax" against Depp. Second, Waldman claimed that "Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second 911 call" as a "hoax" against Depp. Finally, Waldman claimed that there had been a "abuse hoax" by Heard against Depp.
After Adam Waldman, Depp's lawyer, released secret material covered by a protective order to the media in October 2020, the judge in the case fired him. After Depp's case against The Sun was decided the next month, Heard's attorneys sought to dismiss the defamation claim. However, Judge Penny Azcarate rejected their motion, reasoning that Heard was not involved in the UK case. A judge in New York ordered the American Civil Liberties Union to release records pertaining to Heard's charitable donation in August 2021.
Trial proceedings in the case of Depp v. Heard spanned April 11, 2022, to June 1, 2022, in Fairfax County, Virginia. Heard said during the trial that Depp "plunged into the depths of paranoia and violence after binging on drugs and alcohol" while they were together, accusing Depp of domestic violence. Contrarily, Depp claimed that Heard verbally and physically abused her several times over their relationship.
After thirteen hours of discussion, the jury reached a decision on June 1, 2022. A jury determined that Heard's three op-ed claims were maliciously false, defamed Depp, and published with the intent to harm. A Virginia state statute capped punitive damages at $350,000, hence the jury lowered Depp's verdict to $5 million from $10 million in compensatory damages. In Heard's counter-suit, the jury determined that the first three comments made by Waldman to the Daily Mail were not defamatory. However, they decided that Waldman made a false, defamatory, and malicious remark in his second statement to the Daily Mail. Hence, Depp paid $2 million in compensatory damages to Heard but no punitive penalties whatsoever.
In response to the verdict, Depp said, "The jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled." He went on to say, "I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world." He added: "I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up." Depp pointed out "the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point" , as well as his "diligent and unwavering legal team" as they did "an extraordinary job" .
Despite Heard's claims that the December 2022 settlement was "not an act of concession," Depp's legal team insisted that the "jury's unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp's favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place" and that the $1 million settlement would be donated to charity by Depp.
After a boisterous party in Depp's hotel room was subdued by the police in 1989, Johnny was jailed in Vancouver for assaulting a security guard. When asked about the 1991 incident, Depp said: "The guy had a boner for me... He had a wild hair up his ass, and he got real mouthy with me, saying, 'I know who you are, but you can't come up unless you're a guest here.' The mistake he eventually made was to put his hands on me. I pushed him back, and then we sort of wrestled around a bit, and I ended up spittin' in his face."
Along with his girlfriend Kate Moss, Depp was jailed in New York City in 1994 for severely damaging his room at The Mark Hotel. After agreeing to pay $9,767 in damages, the charges were withdrawn against him.
In 1999, Depp was once again taken into custody after getting into an altercation with paparazzi who were attempting to get an image of him. As they approached him outside the Mirabelle restaurant in central London on a Sunday morning, he reportedly brandished a wooden board, threatening them.
Following allegations that she had been assaulted by Depp's bodyguards during a 2011 Los Angeles concert, medical professor Robin Eckert of UC Irvine filed a lawsuit in 2012 against the actor and three security companies: Premier Group International, Damian Executive Production Inc., and Staff Pro Inc. Her injuries, which included a dislocated elbow, were supposedly caused by being dragged forty feet across the floor while handcuffed. Eckert was accused of assaulting Depp, but according to Depp's lawyers, he "consented to any assault and battery" since he started the incident. Depp did nothing to halt the attack, according to Eckert's court filings, even though he was the direct boss of his security officers. Per TMZ, Depp and Eckert reached a settlement before the matter went to trial, with the amount of the settlement being kept secret.
Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard broke Australian biosecurity rules in April 2015 when they went to Queensland for a film shoot and neglected to declare their two canines to customs. Heard admitted guilt to forging quarantine paperwork, saying she was so sleep deprived that she had made an error. As a result of her bogus document production, she was ordered to post a $1,000 good conduct bond for one month. Heard and Depp both issued videos apologizing for their actions and urging the public to follow biosecurity regulations. According to the Guardian, this remains Australia's "highest profile criminal quarantine case" to date.
The handling Group (TMG) was sued in January 2017 by Depp for claimed misappropriation and poor handling of his money, leaving him with over $40 million in debt. Depp severed connections with TMG in March 2016. TMG countersued Depp for unpaid fees, claiming that Depp was personally liable for his financial mismanagement. In January 2017, Depp also took legal action against Bloom Hergott, who represented him, in a separate case. In 2018 and 2019, respectively, the parties to the two cases reached settlements.
Two of Johnny Depp's ex-bodyguards filed a lawsuit against him in 2018 alleging hazardous working conditions and underpaid compensation. The two bodyguards' lawsuit included other grievances, such as the fact that they were expected to do duties beyond their job description, such as driving vehicles that "contained illegal substances, open containers and minors" on multiple occasions. Regardless, the bodyguards were not paid overtime or otherwise fairly or legally compensated, and they were exposed to additional risky working conditions while putting in 12-hour stints without rest or food breaks. In 2019, the case reached a settlement.
While filming City of Lies in 2018, Depp was also the subject of a lawsuit alleging that he had been drinking and physically and verbally assaulted a staff member. While Depp's lawyer denied hitting the crew member, the legal team claimed that the worker "provoked" the incident with "unlawful and wrongful conduct," making Depp and director Brad Furman fear for their safety. Over a dozen witnesses will attest to this, according to the lawyer. In court, a screenplay supervisor for the film stated that Depp just reprimanded the crew member and did not physically assault him. The case was dismissed before it went to trial in July 2022 after Depp and the crew member agreed a preliminary deal.
On their 2022 joint album, 18, Depp and Jeff Beck included the song "Sad Motherfuckin' Parade" that used phrases from a poetry written by a jailed African American man. In August of that year, accusations surfaced that the two had stolen the text. Bruce Jackson, the folklorist who leveled the claim, asked that Depp and Beck properly attribute the song's lyrics to Slim Wilson, the true creator of it. He went on to say that the two should give any record proceeds to a charity that helps Black Americans. Consequently, Depp and Beck took legal action against Jackson, asserting that "Sad Motherfuckin' Parade" is a "original work of authorship and creativity" and that Jackson's claim is nothing more than an attempt to extract financial gain. While denying that Depp and Beck ever composed the song's lyrics, Jackson compared their decision to sue the individual who discovered their theft to "a burglar suing a homeowner because he cut his hand on the kitchen window he broke getting in." Jackson further stated that he had never made any "formal financial demands" and insisted that Depp and Beck had never written the original lyrics. This case has not yet concluded.
During filming of Blow (2001), actress Lola Glaudini said that Johnny Depp verbally abused her on an episode of the podcast Powerful Truth Angels in January 2024. Glaudini claims that director Ted Demme instructed her to "burst out laughing" in time with Johnny Depp's sentence while filming a sequence. Glaudini proceeded in one take after many instances of her taking this direction:
I let out a huge chuckle or something when I hear the cue. When they say cut, Johnny Depp walks over to me, comes up to me, sticks his finger in my face (I'm lying on the ground in a bikini), and says, "Who do you think you are? Shut up. I'm out here trying to say my lines and you're pulling focus. You're an idiot. Who do you think... Oh, now it's not funny anymore? Now you can shut up? Oh, it's not funny anymore? The quiet that you are right now, that's how you fucking stay."
Glaudini claimed that the experience nearly brought her to tears, adding that it was her first day of shooting her first studio picture and that she was thrilled to work with Johnny Depp, whom she loved at the time. Additionally, she said that Depp then issued her an apology that was "non-apology" in nature, claiming that the event had been caused by his "Boston accent" during filming the picture. A spokeswoman for Depp responded to Glaudini's claim by saying that the actor places a premium on having positive connections with his colleagues. Also, according to Sam Sarkar, who was the sound technician on Blow and has worked on other Depp films (such as Choclat, Mortdecai, Minamata, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Choclat), he never heard anything like to what Glaudini described when filming Blow.
Using drugs and alcohol ===
Depp has spent a significant portion of his life battling an addiction. Taking what he calls his mother's "nerve pills" at age 11, starting to smoke at age 12, and having tried "every kind of drugs there were" by the time he was 14, he says he started using drugs. The actor Johnny Depp admitted in an interview from 1997 that he abused alcohol while filming What's Eating Gilbert Grape? the year 1993. Depp admitted in an interview from 2008 that he had "poisoned" himself "for years" on booze. Regarding his breakup with longtime partner Vanessa Paradis, Depp stated that he "definitely wasn't going to rely on the drink to ease things or cushion the blow or cushion the situation...[because] that could have been fatal." Depp continued by saying, "I investigated wine and spirits thoroughly, and they certainly investigated me as well. We found out that we got along beautifully, but maybe too well." Depp also claimed to have "gotten everything [he] could get out of it" when he took a break from alcohol in 2013. Depp called the claim made by his former business managers that he had spent US$30,000 per month on wine "insulting" since he had spent "far more" than that amount; reporter Stephen Rodrick wrote that Depp had used hashish in his presence and described him as "alternately hilarious, sly and incoherent" in a 2018 Rolling Stone profile of Depp. Depp confessed to a history of alcoholism and a Roxicodone addiction during his 2020 libel trial. Although he denied ever being addicted to any of the narcotics, he did acknowledge taking marijuana, MDMA, and cocaine.
Political opinions
To demand the release of Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov from Russian detention, Depp became a member of the Imprisoned for Art campaign in November 2016.
While critiquing President Trump at the 2017 Glastonbury Festival, Depp made the following statement: "When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify: I'm not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it's been a while and maybe it's time. I'm not insinuating anything." Many took this to mean that Depp was referring to the actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth. "For security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities," Secret Service agent Shawn Holtzclaw told CNN, adding that they were aware of Depp's comments. The comment "did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice," Depp said of his apology, which he issued not long after.
Achievements and credits in acting
Rotten Tomatoes lists Johnny Depp's critically and commercially successful films in the following order: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Arizona Dream (1993), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Donnie Brasco (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Chocolat (2000), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Public Enemies (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Black Mass (2015), and Minamata (2020). The total global gross for his flicks is $8 billion.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has honored Depp for his roles in the following films:
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl garnered him a Best Actor nomination at the 76th Academy Awards (2004).
Best Actor, nominated for Finding Neverland at the 77th Academy Awards (2005)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2008): Best Actor, nominated for the 80th Academy Awards
Both the Screen Actors Guild Award for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy went to Johnny Depp for his work in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. An Honorary César was bestowed upon Depp in 1999 as well.
* Recordings
**Refer to**
Folks hailing from the Bluegrass State
A roster of performers nominated for Oscars
Members of the acting cast that have received two or more nominations for Oscars