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John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and two BAFTA awards. Depp made his feature film debut in the horror film ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...
'' (1984) and appeared in ''
Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
'' (1986), before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series '' 21 Jump Street'' (1987–1990). In the 1990s, Depp acted mostly in independent films with
auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
directors, often playing eccentric characters. These included ''
Cry-Baby ''Cry-Baby'' is a 1990 American teen musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Waters. It was the only film of Waters's over which studios were in a bidding war, coming off the heels of the successful ''Hairspray''. The film sta ...
'' (1990), ''
What's Eating Gilbert Grape ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store cler ...
'' (1993), ''
Benny and Joon ''Benny & Joon'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam ( Johnny Depp) and Juniper "Joon" (Mary Stuart Masterson), find each other and fall in love. Aidan Quinn also s ...
'' (1993), ''
Dead Man ''Dead Man'' is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili ...
'' (1995), '' Donnie Brasco'' (1997), and ''
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream'' is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is a ''roman à clef'', rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follo ...
'' (1998). Depp also began his longtime collaboration with director
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
, portraying the leads in the films ''
Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Antho ...
'' (1990), ''
Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...
'' (1994), and '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999)''. In the 2000s, Depp became one of the most commercially successful film stars by playing
Captain Jack Sparrow Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. The character was created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and is portrayed by Johnny Depp. The characteriza ...
in the
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
swashbuckler film series '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' (2003–2017). He also received critical praise for '' Chocolat'' (2000), '' Finding Neverland'' (2004) and '' Public Enemies'' (2009), while also continuing his commercially successful collaboration with Tim Burton with the films ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originall ...
'' (2005), where he portrayed
Willy Wonka Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator''. He is the eccentric founder and proprietor ...
, ''
Corpse Bride ''Corpse Bride'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's Corpse Bride'') is a 2005 stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton with a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pettler based o ...
'' (2005), '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007), and '' Alice in Wonderland'' (2010). In 2012, Depp was one of the world's biggest film stars, and was listed by the ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million in a year. During the 2010s Depp began producing films through his company
Infinitum Nihil Infinitum Nihil is an American film production company, founded by Johnny Depp. The company is run by Depp's sister Christi Dembrowski. Depp founded the company in 2004 to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. History ' ...
. He also received critical praise for '' Black Mass'' (2015) and formed the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
and Joe Perry, before starring as Gellert Grindelwald in the
Wizarding World The Wizarding World (previously known as J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World) is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the ''Harry Potter'' novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production si ...
films ''
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (often referred to as simply ''Fantastic Beasts'') is a 2001 guide book written by British author J. K. Rowling (under the pen name of the fictitious author Newt Scamander) about the magical creat ...
'' (2016), and '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' (2018). Between 1998 and 2012, Depp was in a relationship with French singer
Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model, and actress. Paradis became a child star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's hig ...
and together they had two children, including actress
Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French-American actress and model. Depp began her acting career with a small role in ''Tusk'' (2014), and went on to star in the period drama '' The Dancer'' (2016), in which she played Isadora Dunc ...
. From 2015 to 2017, Depp was married to actress
Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and '' Drive Angry'' (2011). S ...
. Their divorce drew much media attention as both alleged abuse against each other. In 2018, Depp unsuccessfully
sued - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...
the publishers of British tabloid '' The Sun'' for defamation under English law; a judge ruled the publication labelling him a "wife beater" was "substantially true". Depp later successfully sued Heard in a 2022 trial in Virginia; a seven-member jury ruled that Heard's allegations of "sexual violence" and "domestic abuse" were false and defamed Depp under American law.


Early life

John Christopher Depp II was born on June 9, 1963, in
Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...
, the youngest of four children of waitress Betty Sue Depp ( Wells; later Palmer) and
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
John Christopher Depp. Depp's family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970.Stated on ''
Inside the Actors Studio ''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered in 1994 on Bravo where it aired for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel C ...
'', 2002
His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called "an inspiration". Depp's mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of
Miramar High School Miramar High School is a public high school located in Miramar, Florida. The school opened in 1970 and serves students residing in southwest Broward County; however, magnet students may hail from elsewhere in the county. Miramar High School serv ...
at 16 in 1979 to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. In 1980, Depp began playing in a band called The Kids. After modest local success in Florida, the band moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing its name to Six Gun Method. In addition to the band, Depp worked a variety of odd jobs, such as in telemarketing. In December 1983, Depp married makeup artist Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bassist and singer. The Kids split up before signing a record deal in 1984, and Depp began collaborating with the band
Rock City Angels Rock City Angels was an American rock band from Florida. They found only limited success, and are perhaps best known for having Johnny Depp as a guitarist before he launched his acting career. History The band was founded in 1981 as The Abus ...
. He co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on their debut
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
album ''Young Man's Blues''. Depp and Allison divorced in 1985. Depp is of primarily English descent, with some French, German, and Irish ancestry. His surname comes from a French
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
immigrant, Pierre Dieppe, who settled in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
around 1700. In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, saying: "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 The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
or maybe
Creek Indian The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southe ...
. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek Indian". Depp's claims came under scrutiny when ''
Indian Country Today ''ICT News'' (formerly known as ''Indian Country Today'') is a daily digital news platform that covers the Indigenous world, including American Indians, Alaska Natives and First Nations. It was founded in 1981 as a weekly print newspaper, ''The ...
'' wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. This led to criticism from the Native American community, as Depp has no documented Native ancestry, and Native community leaders consider him "a non-Indian" and a
pretendian A pretendian (portmanteau of ''pretend'' and ''Indian'') is a person who has falsely claimed Indigenous identity by claiming to be a citizen of a Native American or Indigenous Canadian tribal nation, or to be descended from Native ancestors. Th ...
. Depp's choice to portray Tonto, a Native American character, in ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' was criticized, along with his choice to name his rock band "Tonto's Giant Nuts". During the promotion for ''The Lone Ranger'', Depp was formally adopted as an honorary son by
LaDonna Harris LaDonna Vita Tabbytite Harris (born February 26, 1931) is a Comanche Native American social activist and politician from Oklahoma.Fluharty, SterlingHarris, LaDonna Vita Tabbytite profile 'mOklahoma Historical Society Encyclopedia of Oklahoma H ...
, a member of the
Comanche Nation The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...
, making him an honorary member of her family but not a member of any tribe. Depp's Comanche name given at the adoption was "Mah Woo May", which means shape shifter. Critical response to his claims from the Native community increased after this, including satirical portrayals of Depp by Native comedians. An ad featuring Depp and Native American imagery, by Dior for the fragrance "Sauvage", was pulled in 2019 after being accused of cultural appropriation and racism.


Career


1984–1989: Early roles and ''21 Jump Street''

Depp moved to Los Angeles with his band when he was 20. After the band split up, Depp's then-wife Lori Ann Allison introduced him to actor
Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...
. After they became drinking buddies, Cage advised him to pursue acting. Depp had been interested in acting since reading a biography of
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
and watching ''
Rebel Without a Cause ''Rebel Without a Cause'' is a 1955 American coming-of-age drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Filmed in the then recently introduced CinemaScope format and directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social com ...
''. Cage helped Depp get an audition with
Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
for ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...
''; Depp, who had no acting experience, said he "ended up acting by accident". Thanks in part to his catching the eye of Craven's daughter, Depp landed the role of the main character's boyfriend, one of
Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...
's victims. Though Depp said he "didn't have any desire to be an actor", he continued to be cast in films, making enough to cover some bills that his musical career left unpaid. After a starring role in the 1985 comedy '' Private Resort'', Depp was cast in the lead role of the 1986 skating drama ''
Thrashin' ''Thrashin (released in the Philippines as ''Challenge to Win: Thrashin) is a 1986 American skater drama film directed by David Winters and starring Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler, and Pamela Gidley. The film features appearances from many famous ...
'' by the film's director, but its producer overrode the decision. Instead, Depp appeared in a minor supporting role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's 1986
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
drama ''
Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
''. He became a
teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia East Asia possess ...
during the late 1980s, when he starred as an undercover police officer in a high school operation in the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
television series '' 21 Jump Street'', which premiered in 1987. He accepted this role to work with actor
Frederic Forrest Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. (born December 23, 1936) is an American actor. Forrest came to public attention for his performance in ''When the Legends Die'' (1972), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising N ...
, who inspired him. Despite his success, Depp felt that the series "forced iminto the role of product".


1990–2002: Independent films and first collaborations with Tim Burton

Disillusioned by his experiences as a teen idol in ''21 Jump Street'', Depp began taking roles he found more interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office. His first film release in 1990 was
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
's ''
Cry-Baby ''Cry-Baby'' is a 1990 American teen musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Waters. It was the only film of Waters's over which studios were in a bidding war, coming off the heels of the successful ''Hairspray''. The film sta ...
'', a musical comedy set in the 1950s. Although not a box-office success upon its release, over the years it has gained
cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
status. Also in 1990, Depp played the title character in
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
's romantic fantasy film ''
Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Antho ...
'' opposite
Dianne Wiest Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Wood ...
and
Winona Ryder Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...
. The film was a commercial and critical success with a domestic gross of $53 million. In preparation for the role, Depp watched many
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
films to study how to create sympathy without dialogue.
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' praised Depp's performance, writing that he "artfully expresses the fierce longing in gentle Edward; it's a terrific performance", while Rita Kempley of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote that he "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". Depp earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the film. Owing to this role, a species of extinct
arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
with prominent claws was named after Depp as '' Kootenichela deppi'' (''chela'' is Latin for claws or scissors). Depp had no film releases in the next two years, except a brief cameo in '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'' (1991), the sixth installment in the ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...
'' franchise. He appeared in three films in 1993. In the romantic comedy ''
Benny and Joon ''Benny & Joon'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam ( Johnny Depp) and Juniper "Joon" (Mary Stuart Masterson), find each other and fall in love. Aidan Quinn also s ...
'', he played an eccentric and illiterate silent film fan who befriends a mentally ill woman and her brother; it became a
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
.
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that Depp "may look nothing like
Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
, but there are times when he genuinely seems to become the Great Stone Face, bringing Keaton's mannerisms sweetly and magically to life". Depp received a second Golden Globe nomination for the performance. His second film of 1993 was Lasse Hallström's ''
What's Eating Gilbert Grape ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store cler ...
'', a drama about a dysfunctional family co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. It did not perform well commercially, but received positive notices from critics. Although most of the reviews focused on DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, Todd McCarthy of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization". Depp's last 1993 release was
Emir Kusturica Emir Kusturica ( sr-cyrl, Емир Кустурица; born 24 November 1954) is a Serbian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and musician. He also has French citizenship.http://www.serbia.com/emir-kusturica-artist-builder-and-anti-glo ...
's
surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
comedy-drama ''
Arizona Dream ''Arizona Dream'' is a 1993 Independent film, indie Surrealist cinema, surrealist comedy drama film co-written and directed by Emir Kusturica and starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor and Vincent Gallo. Plot Axel has a dr ...
'', which opened to positive reviews and won the
Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fes ...
at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1994, Depp reunited with Burton, playing the title role in ''
Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...
'', a biographical film about one of history's most inept film directors. Depp later said that he was depressed about films and filmmaking at the time, but that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed". He found that the role gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun" and that working with
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
, who played
Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
, "rejuvenated my love for acting". Although it did not earn back its production costs, ''Ed Wood'' received a positive reception from critics, with Maslin writing that Depp had "proved himself as an established, certified great actor" and "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". Depp was nominated for a third time for a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe for his performance. The next year, Depp starred in three films. He played opposite
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
in the box-office hit ''
Don Juan DeMarco ''Don Juan DeMarco'' is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. Clad in a cape and domino mask, DeMarco undergoes psychia ...
'', as a man who believes he is
Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, ''El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...
, the world's greatest lover. He starred in Jim Jarmusch's ''
Dead Man ''Dead Man'' is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili ...
'', a
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
shot entirely in black-and-white; it was not a commercial success and had mixed critical reviews. And in the financial and critical failure '' Nick of Time'', Depp played an accountant who is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter. In 1997, Depp and Al Pacino starred in the crime drama '' Donnie Brasco'', directed by Mike Newell. Depp played
Joseph D. Pistone Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...
, an undercover FBI agent who assumes the name Donnie Brasco to infiltrate
the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
in New York City. To prepare, Depp spent time with Pistone, on whose memoirs the film was based. ''Donnie Brasco'' was a commercial and critical success, and is considered one of Depp's finest performances. Also in 1997, Depp debuted as a director and screenwriter with '' The Brave''. He starred in it as a poor Native American man who accepts a proposal from a wealthy man, played by Marlon Brando, to appear in a
snuff film A snuff film, or snuff movie, or snuff video, is a type of film that shows, or purports to show, scenes of actual homicide. The concept of snuff films became known to the general public during the 1970s, when an urban legend alleged that a cland ...
in exchange for money for his family. It premiered at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival to generally negative reviews. ''Variety'' called it "a turgid and unbelievable neo-western", and Time Out wrote 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". Due to the reviews, Depp did not release ''The Brave'' in the U.S. Depp was a fan and friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, and played his alter ego
Raoul Duke Raoul Duke is the partially fictionalized author surrogate character and sometimes pseudonym used by Hunter S. Thompson as the main character and antihero for many of his works. He is perhaps best known as the narrator for his 1971 autobiographi ...
in ''
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream'' is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is a ''roman à clef'', rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follo ...
'' (1998),
Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...
's film adaptation of Thompson's pseudo-biographical novel of the same name. It was a box-office failure and polarized critics. Later that year, Depp made a brief cameo in
Mika Kaurismäki Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director. Biography Mika Kaurismäki is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki, who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 200 ...
's ''
L.A. Without a Map ''L.A. Without a Map'' (also known as ''Los Angeles Without a Map'' and ''I Love L.A''.) is a 1998 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mika Kaurismäki, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Richard Rayner, based on Rayner's 1988 semi-autobiog ...
'' (1998). Depp appeared in three films in 1999. The first was the sci-fi thriller ''
The Astronaut's Wife ''The Astronaut's Wife'' is a 1999 American science fiction thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron. The film was released on August 27, 1999. It received negative reviews from critics and was ...
'', co-starring Charlize Theron, which was not a commercial or critical success. The second,
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...
's ''
The Ninth Gate ''The Ninth Gate'' is a 1999 neo-noir horror thriller film directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. An international co-production between the United States, Portugal, France, and Spain, the film is loosely based upon Arturo Pérez ...
'', starred Depp as a seller of old books who becomes entangled in a mystery. It was moderately more successful with audiences but received mixed reviews. The third was Burton's
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
of ''
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Written while Irving was living abroad in Birm ...
'', where Depp played Ichabod Crane opposite Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken. For his performance, Depp took inspiration from
Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
,
Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 4 October 1998) was a British actor, photographer and film director. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1 ...
and
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
, saying he "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". ''Sleepy Hollow'' was a commercial and critical success. Depp's first film release of the new millennium was British-French drama ''
The Man Who Cried ''The Man Who Cried'' is a 2000 drama film written and directed by Sally Potter, and starring Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Harry Dean Stanton and John Turturro. The film tells the story of a young Jewish girl who, after being ...
'' (2000), directed by
Sally Potter Charlotte Sally Potter (born 19 September 1949) is an English film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing ''Orlando'' (1992), which won the audience prize for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival. Early life Potter was born an ...
and starring him as a
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
horseman opposite Christina Ricci,
Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...
, and
John Turturro John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...
. It was not a critical success. Depp also had a supporting role in
Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings" — with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been ...
's critically acclaimed ''
Before Night Falls ''Before Night Falls'' ( es, Antes que anochezca: autobiografía) is the 1992 autobiography of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, describing his early life in Cuba, his time in prison, and his escape to the United States in the Mariel Boatlift of 1 ...
'' (2000). His final film of 2000 was Hallström's critically and commercially successful '' Chocolat,'' in which he played a Roma man and the love interest of the main character,
Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress and dancer. She has appeared in more than sixty feature films and has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Silver Bear, ...
. Depp's next roles were both based on historical persons. In ''
Blow Blow commonly refers to: *Cocaine *Exhalation * Strike (attack) Blow, Blew, Blowing, or Blown may also refer to: People * Blew (surname) * Blow (surname) Arts and entertainment Music *The Blow, an American electro-pop band Albums * ''Blow ...
'' (2001), he starred as cocaine smuggler
George Jung George Jacob Jung (August 6, 1942 – May 5, 2021), nicknamed Boston George and El Americano, was an American drug trafficker and smuggler. He was a major figure in the United States cocaine trade during the 1970s and early 1980s. Jung and his ...
, who was part of the
Medellín Cartel The Medellín Cartel ( es, Cartel de Medellín) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered ...
in the 1980s. The film underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews. In the comic book adaptation ''
From Hell ''From Hell'' is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1998. The full collection was published in 1999 by Top Shelf Productions. Set during the Whitechapel murders of ...
'' (2001), Depp portrayed inspector Frederick Abberline, who investigated the
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
murders in the 1880s London. The film also received mixed reviews but was a moderate commercial success.


2003–2011: ''Pirates of the Caribbean'', commercial and critical success

In 2003, Depp starred in the
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
adventure film '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'', which was a major box office success. He earned widespread acclaim for his comic performance as pirate
Captain Jack Sparrow Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. The character was created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and is portrayed by Johnny Depp. The characteriza ...
, and received
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Actor as well as an
MTV Movie Award The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editio ...
. Depp has said that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me", and that he modeled the character after
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
guitarist
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
and cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew. Studio executives had at first been ambivalent about Depp's portrayal, but the character became popular with audiences. In his other film release in 2003,
Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...
' action film ''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'', Depp played a corrupt CIA agent. A moderate box-office success, it received average to good reviews, with Depp's performance in particular receiving praise. Depp next starred as an author with writer's block in the thriller ''Secret Window'' (2004), based on a short story by Stephen King. It was a moderate commercial success but received mixed reviews. Released around the same time, the British-Australian independent film ''The Libertine (2004 film), The Libertine'' (2004) saw Depp portray the seventeenth-century poet and rake (stock character), rake, the Earl of Rochester. It had only limited release, and received mainly negative reviews. Depp's third film of 2004, '' Finding Neverland'', was more positively received by the critics, and earned him his second Academy Award nomination as well as Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominations for his performance as Scottish author J. M. Barrie. Depp also made a brief cameo appearance in the French film ''Happily Ever After (2004 film), Happily Ever After'' (2004), and founded his own film production company,
Infinitum Nihil Infinitum Nihil is an American film production company, founded by Johnny Depp. The company is run by Depp's sister Christi Dembrowski. Depp founded the company in 2004 to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. History ' ...
, under Warner Bros. Pictures. Depp continued his box-office success with a starring role as
Willy Wonka Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator''. He is the eccentric founder and proprietor ...
in Tim Burton's adaptation of ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originall ...
'' (2005). It also had a positive critical reception, with Depp being nominated again for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. ''Chocolate Factory'' was followed by another Burton project, stop-motion animation ''
Corpse Bride ''Corpse Bride'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's Corpse Bride'') is a 2005 stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton with a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pettler based o ...
'' (2005), in which Depp voiced the main character, Victor Van Dort. Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the ''Pirates'' sequels ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Dead Man's Chest'' (2006) and ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, At World's End'' (2007), both of which were major box office successes. He also voiced the character in the video game ''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow''. According to a survey taken by Fandango (ticket service), Fandango, Depp in the role of Jack Sparrow was the main reason for many cinema-goers to see a ''Pirates'' film. In 2007, Depp collaborated with Burton for their sixth film together, this time playing murderous barber Sweeney Todd in the musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007). Depp cited Peter Lorre's performance in ''Mad Love (1935 film), Mad Love'' (1935), in which Lorre played a "creepy but sympathetic" surgeon, as his main influence for the role. ''Sweeney Todd'' was the first film in which Depp had been required to sing. Instead of hiring a qualified vocal coach, he prepared for the role by recording demos with his old bandmate Bruce Witkin. The film was a commercial and critical success. ''Entertainment Weekly'''s Chris Nashawaty stated that "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 was nominated for the third time for an Academy Award. In 2009, Depp portrayed real-life gangster John Dillinger in Michael Mann's 1930s crime film '' Public Enemies''. It was commercially successful and gained moderately positive reviews. Roger Ebert stated in his review that "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". Depp's second film of 2009, ''The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'', reunited him with director Terry Gilliam. Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell each played the character initially portrayed by their friend Heath Ledger, who had died before the film was completed. All three actors gave their salaries to Ledger's daughter, Matilda. Depp began the 2010s with another collaboration with Tim Burton, '' Alice in Wonderland'' (2010), in which he played the The Hatter, Mad Hatter opposite Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman. Despite mixed reviews, it earned US$1.025 billion in the box office, thus becoming the 2010 in film, second-highest-grossing film of 2010 and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Depp's second film release of 2010 was the romantic thriller ''The Tourist (2010 film), The Tourist'', in which he starred opposite Angelina Jolie. It was commercially successful, although panned by critics. Regardless, he received Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe nominations for both films. Depp's first 2011 film release was the animated film ''Rango (2011 film), Rango'', in which he voiced the title character, a lizard. It was a major critical and commercial success. His second film of the year, the fourth installment in the ''Pirates'' series, ''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, On Stranger Tides'', was again a box office hit, becoming the 2011 in film, third-highest-grossing film of 2011. Later in 2011, Depp released the first two projects co-produced by his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was a The Rum Diary (film), film adaptation of the novel ''The Rum Diary (novel), The Rum Diary'' by Hunter S. Thompson and starred Depp. It failed to bring back its production costs and received mixed reviews. The company's second undertaking, Martin Scorsese's ''Hugo (film), Hugo'' (2011), garnered major critical acclaim and several awards nominations, but similarly did not perform well in the box office. In 2011, Depp also made a brief cameo in the Adam Sandler film ''Jack and Jill (2011 film), Jack and Jill''.


2012–2020: Career setbacks

By 2012, Depp was one of the world's biggest film stars, and was listed by the ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million. That year, he and his ''21 Jump Street'' co-stars Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson Peete, Holly Robinson reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' 21 Jump Street (film), feature film adaptation. Depp also starred in and co-produced his eighth film with
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
, ''Dark Shadows (film), Dark Shadows'' (2012), alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eva Green. The film was based on a 1960s Gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows, of the same name, which had been one of his favorites as a child. The film's poor reception in the United States brought Depp's star appeal into question. After Infinitum Nihil's agreement with WB expired in 2011, Depp signed a multi-year first-look deal with Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios. The first film made in the collaboration was ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' (2013), in which Depp starred as Tonto. Depp's casting as a Native American brought accusations of whitewashing in film, whitewashing, and the film was not well received by the public or the critics, causing The Walt Disney Company, Disney to take a US$190 million loss. Following a brief cameo in the independent film ''Lucky Them'' (2013), Depp starred as an AI-studying scientist in the sci-fi thriller ''Transcendence (2014 film), Transcendence'' (2014), which was yet another commercial failure, and earned mainly negative reviews. His other roles in 2014 were a minor supporting part as Big Bad Wolf, The Wolf in the Into the Woods, musical adaptation ''Into the Woods (film), Into the Woods'', and a more substantial appearance as eccentric French-Canadian ex-detective in Kevin Smith's horror-comedy ''Tusk (2014 film), Tusk'', in which he was credited by the character's name, Guy LaPointe. In 2015, Depp appeared in two films produced by Infinitum Nihil. The first was comedy-thriller ''Mortdecai (film), Mortdecai'', in which he acted opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. The film was a critical and commercial failure and brought both stars Golden Raspberry nominations. The second film, '' Black Mass'' (2015), in which he played Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, was better received. Critics from ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' called it one of Depp's best performances to date, and the role earned Depp his third nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor SAG award. However, the film failed to bring back its production costs. Depp also made a cameo appearance in the critically panned ''London Fields (film), London Fields'', starring his then-wife Amber Heard, which was to be released in 2015, but its general release was delayed by litigation until 2018. In addition to his work in films in 2015, French luxury fashion house Dior signed Depp as the face of their men's fragrance, Sauvage, and he was inducted as a Disney Legends, Disney Legend. Depp's first film release in 2016 was ''Yoga Hosers'', a sequel to ''Tusk'' (2014), in which Depp appeared with his daughter,
Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French-American actress and model. Depp began her acting career with a small role in ''Tusk'' (2014), and went on to star in the period drama '' The Dancer'' (2016), in which she played Isadora Dunc ...
. Next, he played businessman and presidential candidate Donald Trump in a Funny or Die satire entitled ''Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie'', released during the run-up to the 2016 United States presidential election, US presidential election. He earned praise for the role, with a headline from ''The A.V. Club'' declaring, "Who knew Donald Trump was the comeback role Johnny Depp needed?" It was also announced that Depp had been cast in a new franchise role as Griffin (The Invisible Man), Dr. Jack Griffin/The Invisible Man in Universal Studios's planned shared film universe entitled the Universal monsters#Legacy, Dark Universe, a rebooted version of their Universal monsters, classic Universal Monsters franchise. Depp reprised the role of the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's ''Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016 film), Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016), the sequel to ''Alice in Wonderland''. In contrast to the first film's success, the sequel lost Disney approximately US$70 million. It also gained Depp two Golden Raspberry nominations. Depp had also been secretly cast to play Dark Arts (Harry Potter), dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in a cameo appearance in ''
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (often referred to as simply ''Fantastic Beasts'') is a 2001 guide book written by British author J. K. Rowling (under the pen name of the fictitious author Newt Scamander) about the magical creat ...
'' (2016), the first installment of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' franchise. His name was not mentioned in the promotional materials and his cameo was only revealed at the end of the film. In 2017, Depp appeared alongside other actors and filmmakers in ''The Black Ghiandola'', a short film made by a terminally ill teenager through the non-profit Make a Film Foundation. He also reprised his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment of the ''Pirates'' series, ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). In the US, it did not perform as well as previous installments, and Depp was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards for worst actor and for worst screen combo with "his worn-out drunk routine". However, the film had a good box office return internationally, especially in China, Japan and Russia. Depp's last film release in 2017 was the Agatha Christie adaptation ''Murder on the Orient Express (2017 film), Murder on the Orient Express'', in which he was part of an ensemble cast led by director-star Kenneth Branagh. In 2018, Depp voiced the title character Sherlock Gnomes in the animated movie ''Sherlock Gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes''. Although moderately commercially successful, it was critically panned and earned Depp two Golden Raspberry nominations, one for his acting and another for his "fast-fading film career". Depp then starred in two independent films, both produced by him and his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was ''City of Lies'', in which he starred as Russell Poole, an LAPD detective who attempts to solve the murders of rappers Murder of Tupac Shakur, Tupac Shakur and Murder of Christopher Wallace, The Notorious B.I.G. It was set for release in September 2018, but was pulled from the release schedule after a crew member sued Depp for assault. The second film was the comedy-drama ''Richard Says Goodbye'', in which Depp played a professor with terminal cancer. It premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in October 2018. Depp's last film release of 2018 was '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'', in which he reprised his role as Grindelwald. Depp's casting received criticism from fans of the series due to the domestic violence allegations against him. Depp also experienced other career setbacks around this time, as Disney confirmed that they would not be casting him in new ''Pirates'' installments and he was reported to no longer be attached to Universal's Dark Universe franchise. Depp's next films were the independent dramas ''Waiting for the Barbarians (film), Waiting for the Barbarians'' (2019), based on a novel by J.M. Coetzee, and ''Minamata (film), Minamata'' (2020), in which he portrayed photographer W. Eugene Smith and which premiered at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. In November 2020, Depp resigned from his role as Grindelwald in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' franchise at the request of its production company, Warner Bros., after he lost Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd, his UK libel case against '' The Sun'', which had accused him of being a domestic abuser. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen. Soon after, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called Depp "persona non-grata" in the film industry.


2021–present: Multiple European film awards and upcoming projects

In March 2021, ''City of Lies'', which was originally scheduled for 2018, was released in theaters and streaming services. The same month, an online petition to bring Depp back to the ''Pirates'' franchise, begun four months earlier, reached its goal of 500,000 signatures. His ''Pirates'' co-star Kevin McNally also expressed support for Depp returning to the role. In July 2021, Andrew Levitas, the director of ''Minamata'' (2020), accused MGM of trying to bury the film due to Depp's involvement, with Depp claiming he is being boycotted by the Hollywood industry and calling his changed reputation an "absurdity of media mathematics". ''Minamata'' was released in the UK and Ireland in August 2021, and in North America in December 2021. The film received positive reviews, with multiple publications praising Depp's performance as his best in years. Depp also continues as the face of Dior's men's fragrance, Sauvage. Depp received multiple honorary awards at numerous European film festivals, including at the Camerimage festival in Poland, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, and the San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain, where Depp was awarded the Donostia Award. These awards were controversial, with various domestic violence charities criticizing the festivals. The organisers of the ceremonies released statements defending their decision to award Depp, with the San Sebastian Film Festival stating that "he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women". In September 2021, Depp described himself as a victim of cancel culture. The same month, he launched IN.2, a London-based sister company to his production company, Infinitum Nihil, and announced that IN.2 and the Spanish production company ''A Contracorriente Films'' were starting a new development fund for TV and film projects. On February 15, 2022, Depp received the Serbian Orders, decorations, and medals of Serbia#Mdeals, Gold Medal of Merit from President Aleksandar Vučić for "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". ''Minamata'' and animated series ''Puffins (TV series), Puffins'' were shot in the country. As of May 2022, Depp has been cast as King Louis XV in French actor-director Maïwenn's period film ''Jeanne Du Barry'', which is to begin filming in the summer. The previously titled ''Jeanne du Barry'' is now titled ''La Favorite (film), La Favorite'' and will tell the story of Madame du Barry, an impoverished seamstress who rises through the ranks of Louis XV's court to become his official mistress. Netflix will co-finance and stream the French period drama. This will be the first film for Depp where he acts in French. In August 2022, Depp is set to direct ''Modigliani'', a film about Amedeo Modigliani, which he will co-produce alongside Al Pacino and Barry Navidi. The film is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre, which was previously adapted for the Modigliani (film), 2004 film of the same name, from a screenplay by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski. Principal photography will commence in 2023. He made a surprise cameo appearance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.


Other ventures

In 2004, Depp founded film production company
Infinitum Nihil Infinitum Nihil is an American film production company, founded by Johnny Depp. The company is run by Depp's sister Christi Dembrowski. Depp founded the company in 2004 to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. History ' ...
to develop projects where he will serve as actor or producer. He serves as its CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president. The company's first two film releases were ''The Rum Diary (film), The Rum Diary'' (2011) and ''Hugo (film), Hugo'' (2011). Depp co-owned the nightclub The Viper Room in Los Angeles from 1993 to 2003, and he was also part owner of the restaurant-bar Man Ray (bar), Man Ray in Paris for a short period of time. Depp and Douglas Brinkley edited folk singer Woody Guthrie's novel ''House of Earth'', which was published in 2013.


Music

Prior to his acting career, Depp was a guitarist, and has later featured on songs by Oasis (band), Oasis, Shane MacGowan, Iggy Pop, Vanessa Paradis, Aerosmith, Marilyn Manson (band), Marilyn Manson, and The New Basement Tapes, among others. He also performed with Manson at the Revolver (magazine), Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2012. Depp played guitar on the soundtrack of his films '' Chocolat'' and ''Once Upon a Time in Mexico'', and has appeared in music videos for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Lemonheads, Avril Lavigne and Paul McCartney. In the 1990s, he was also a member of P (band), P, a musical group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea (musician), Flea and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones (musician), Steve Jones. In 2015, Depp formed the supergroup (music), supergroup Hollywood Vampires with
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
and Joe Perry; the band also includes Bruce Witkin, his friend from his 1980s band, The Kids. Hollywood Vampires released their Hollywood Vampires (Hollywood Vampires album), self-titled debut studio album in September 2015. It featured eleven classic rock cover version, covers, as well as three original songs (all co-written by Depp). The band made their live debut at Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood), The Roxy in Los Angeles in September 2015, and has since done two world tours in 2016 and 2018. Their second studio album, ''Rise'', was released in June 2019 and consists mostly of original material, including songs written by Depp. The album also features a cover version of David Bowie's "Heroes", sung by Depp. In 2020, Depp released a cover of John Lennon's "Isolation (John Lennon song), Isolation" with guitarist Jeff Beck, and stated that they would be releasing more music together in the future. Beginning in May 2022, Depp joined Beck onstage for a number of concerts in the United Kingdom, where Beck announced they had recorded an album together. Their joint record, titled ''18 (Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp album), 18'', was released on July 15, 2022. Depp also accompanied Beck on his European tour, which began in June.


Art

In July 2022, artwork made by Depp sold out in less than a day since it debuted in the UK-based art retailer ''Castle Fine Art gallery'' in London's Covent Garden. The art house hosted the actor's "''Friends & Heroes''" collection, which was described as paintings of people "who have inspired him as a person". Among the art pieces, the names include actors Al Pacino and Elizabeth Taylor and musicians Bob Dylan and
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
. Depp made for nearly $4 million dollars and sold 780 prints through the art house's 37 galleries. Ahead of the sale, Depp expressed his desire to display his art publicly and stated, "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 added, "My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves." All 780 pieces sold within hours, with framed individual images going for £3,950 and the complete portfolio of four images selling for £14,950. "This world-first release proved to be our fastest-selling collection to date, with all titles selling out in just hours," the gallery announced on Instagram. Speaking on behalf of fine art publishers, Washington Green Glyn Washington described Depp as a "true creative, with an extraordinary eye for detail and nuance".


Reception and public image

In the 1990s, Depp was seen as a new type of male film star that rejected the norms of that role. After becoming a teen idol in ''21 Jump Street'', he publicly protested against the image, and with his subsequent film and public relations choices began to cultivate a new public persona. ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' characterized Depp in the 1990s as the "Bad boy archetype, bad boy of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood"; Depp's chain smoking, recreational drug use and drinking habits were generally documented during this time. According to ''The Guardian'' journalist Hadley Freeman in 2020: Similarly, film scholar Anna Everett has described Depp's 1990s films and public persona as "anti-macho" and "gender-bending", going against the conventions of a Hollywood leading man. After ''21 Jump Street'', Depp chose to work in independent films, often taking on quirky roles that sometimes even completely obscured his looks, such as ''Edward Scissorhands''. Critics often described Depp's characters as "iconic loners" or "gentle outsiders". According to Depp, his onetime agent, Tracey Jacobs of United Talent Agency (UTA), had to take "a lot of heat over the years" for his role choices; Depp characterized higher-ups at UTA as thinking, "Jesus Christ! When does he do a movie where he kisses the girl? When does he get to pull a gun out and shoot somebody? When does he get to be a [fucking] man for a change? When is he finally going to do a blockbuster?" Depp also cultivated the image of a bad boy. According to Everett, his "rule-breaking" roles matched with 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". After a decade of appearing mainly in independent films with varying commercial success, Depp became one of the biggest box-office draws in the 2000s with his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios' ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise. The five films in the series have earned US$4.5 billion as of 2021. In addition to the ''Pirates'' franchise, Depp also made further four films with Tim Burton that were major successes, with one, ''Alice in Wonderland'' (2010), becoming the biggest commercial hit of Depp's career and one of the highest-grossing films in history (as of 2021). According to film scholar Murray Pomerance, Depp's collaboration 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". In 2003, the same year as the first film in the ''Pirates'' series was released, Depp was named "World's Sexiest Man" by ''People (magazine), People''; he would receive the title again in 2009. During the decade and into the 2010s, Depp was one of the biggest and most popular film stars in the world and was named by public vote as "Favorite Male Movie Star" at the People's Choice Awards every year for 2005 through 2012. In 2012, Depp became the highest-paid actor in the American film industry, earning as high as $75 million per film, and as of 2020, is the tenth highest-grossing actor worldwide, with his films having gross (economics), grossed over US$3.7 billion at the United States box office and over US$10 billion worldwide. Although a mainstream favorite with the audiences, critics' views on Depp changed in the 2000s, becoming more negative as he was seen to conform more to the Hollywood ideal. Regardless, Depp continued to eschew more traditional leading-man roles until towards the end of the 2000s, when he starred as John Dillinger in ''Public Enemies'' (2009). In the 2010s, Depp's films were less successful, with many big-budget studio films such as ''Dark Shadows (film), Dark Shadows'' (2012), ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' (2013), and ''Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016 film), Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016) which underperformed at the box office. Depp also received negative publicity due to allegations of domestic violence, substance abuse, poor on-set behavior and the loss of his US$650 million fortune. After losing a highly publicized libel trial against the publishers of ''The Sun'', Depp was asked to resign from Warner Bros.' ''Fantastic Beasts'' franchise. Many publications alleged that Depp would struggle to find further work in major studio productions in the future.


Personal life


Relationships

Depp and makeup artist Lori Anne Allison were married from 1983 until 1985. In the late 1980s, he was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn. In 1990, he proposed to his ''
Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Antho ...
''
Winona Ryder Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...
, who he began dating the year prior when she was 17 and he was 26. They ended their relationship in 1993; Depp later had the "Winona Forever" tattoo on his right arm changed to "Wino Forever". Between 1994 and 1998, he was in a relationship with English model Kate Moss. Following his breakup from Moss, Depp began a relationship with French actress and singer
Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model, and actress. Paradis became a child star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's hig ...
, whom he met while filming ''
The Ninth Gate ''The Ninth Gate'' is a 1999 neo-noir horror thriller film directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. An international co-production between the United States, Portugal, France, and Spain, the film is loosely based upon Arturo Pérez ...
'' in France in 1998. They have two children, daughter Lily-Rose Depp, Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999) and a son, Jack (born 2002). Depp stated that having children has given him 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 that they had separated in June 2012.


Amber Heard

Following the end of his relationship with Vanessa Paradis, Depp began dating actress
Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and '' Drive Angry'' (2011). S ...
, with whom he had co-starred in ''The Rum Diary (film), The Rum Diary'' (2011). Depp and Heard were married in a civil ceremony in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce in May 2016 and obtained a restraining order, temporary restraining order against Depp, alleging in her court declaration that he had been verbally and physically abusive throughout their relationship, usually while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Depp denied these claims and alleged that she was "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution". A settlement was reached in August 2016, and the divorce was finalized in January 2017. Heard dismissed the restraining order, and they issued a joint statement saying that their "relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm". Depp paid Heard a divorce settlement of US$7 million, which she pledged to donate to the ACLU and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).


Legal issues


''Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd''

In 2018, Depp brought a libel lawsuit in the UK against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publishers of '' The Sun'', over an April 2018 article titled "GONE POTTY How Can J K Rowling be "genuinely happy" casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?". The case had a highly publicized trial in July 2020, with both Depp and Heard testifying for several days. In November 2020, the High Court of Justice ruled that 12 of the 14 incidents of violence claimed by Heard were "substantially true". The court rejected Depp's claim of a hoax and accepted that the allegations Heard had made against Depp had damaged her career and activism. Following the verdict, Depp resigned from the ''Fantastic Beasts (film series), Fantastic Beasts'' franchise, after being asked to do so by its production company, Warner Bros. Depp appealed the verdict, with his lawyers accusing Heard of not following through on the charity pledge, and that the pledge had significantly influenced the judge's view of Heard. In response, Heard's legal team stated that she had not donated the full amount yet due to the lawsuits against her by Depp. Depp's appeal to overturn the verdict was rejected by the Court of Appeal (England and Wales), Court of Appeal in March 2021. The Court of Appeal did not find the argument that the charity pledge influenced the outcome convincing, as the judge in the trial had reached their verdict by evaluating the evidence related to the 14 alleged incidents of violence; the issue of the donation was not part of it, but a comment made after the verdict had already been reached.


''Depp v. Heard''

In February 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation over a December 2018 op-ed for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. The lawsuit ultimately resulting in Depp alleging that the op-ed contained three defamatory statements: first, its headline, "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change"; second, Heard's writing: "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 third, Heard's writing: "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." Depp alleged that he had been the one who was abused by Heard, that her allegations constituted a hoax against him, and that as a consequence, Disney had declined to cast him in future projects. Heard countersued Depp in August 2020, alleging that he had coordinated "a harassment campaign via Twitter and [by] orchestrating online petitions in an effort to get her fired from ''Aquaman (film), Aquaman'' and L'Oréal, L'Oreal". Ultimately, Heard's counter-suit went to trial over three allegations that Depp that defamed her through statements made by his then-lawyer, Adam Waldman, published in the ''Daily Mail'' in April 2020: first, Waldman stated 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 stated that in one incident at a penthouse, "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 call to 911" as a "hoax" against Depp; third, Waldman stated that there had been an "abuse hoax" by Heard against Depp. In October 2020, the judge in the case dismissed Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman after he leaked confidential information covered by a protective order to the media. Following the verdict in Depp's lawsuit against ''The Sun'' the next month, Heard's lawyers filed to have the defamation suit dismissed, but judge Penny Azcarate ruled against it because Heard had not been a defendant in the UK case. In August 2021, a New York judge ruled that the ACLU must disclose documents related to Heard's charity pledge to the organization. The Depp-Heard trial took place in Fairfax County, Virginia from April 11, 2022, to June 1, 2022. In their verdict, the jury found that all three statements from Heard's op-ed were false, defamed Depp, and made with actual malice, so the jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard. The punitive damages were reduced to $350,000 due to a limit imposed by Virginia state law. For Heard's counter-suit, the jury found that Waldman's first and third statements to the ''Daily Mail'' were not defamatory, while finding that Waldman's second statement to the ''Daily Mail'' was false, defamatory and made with actual malice. As a result, Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and zero in punitive damages from Depp. Depp reacted to the result of the trial by declaring that the "jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled." Depp also stated that he was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world." He continued: "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 also highlighted "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", and praised his "diligent and unwavering legal team" for "an extraordinary job". After Heard appealed the verdict, Heard in December 2022 settled the case against Depp, while maintaining that the settlement was "not an act of concession"; meanwhile Depp's lawyers stated 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 settlement would result in $1 million being paid to Depp, which "Depp is pledging and will donate to charities".


Other legal issues

Depp was arrested in Vancouver in 1989 for assaulting a security guard after the police were called to end a loud party at his hotel room. He was also arrested in New York City in 1994 after causing significant damage to his room at The Mark Hotel, where he was staying with Kate Moss, his girlfriend. The charges were dropped against him after he agreed to pay US$9,767 in damages. Depp was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis. In 2012, University of California, Irvine, UC Irvine medical professor Robin Eckert sued Depp and three security firms, claiming to have been roughed up by his bodyguards at a concert in Los Angeles in 2011. During the incident, she was allegedly hand-cuffed and dragged 40 feet across the floor, resulting in injuries including a dislocated elbow. Depp's attorneys contended that Eckert provoked the alleged assault and therefore "consented to any assault and battery". Ekert's court papers stated that Depp, despite being his security guards' direct manager, did nothing to stop the attack. Before the case went to trial, Depp settled with Eckert for an undisclosed sum, according to TMZ. In April 2015, Depp's then-wife Amber Heard breached Australia's biosecurity laws when she failed to declare their two dogs to the Australian Customs Service, customs when they flew to Queensland, where he was working on a film. Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, stating that she had made a mistake due to sleep deprivation. She was placed on a $1,000 one-month Discharge (sentence)#Australia, good behavior bond for producing a false document; Heard and Depp also released a video in which they apologized for their behavior and urged people to adhere to the biosecurity laws. ''The Guardian'' called the case the "highest profile criminal quarantine case" in Australian history. In March 2016, Depp cut ties with his management company, The Management Group (TMG), and sued them in January 2017 for allegedly improperly managing his money and leaving him over $40 million in debt. TMG stated that Depp was responsible for his own fiscal mismanagement and countersued him for unpaid fees. In a related suit, Depp also sued his lawyers, Bloom Hergott, in January 2017. Both lawsuits were settled, the former in 2018 and the latter in 2019. In 2018, two of Depp's former bodyguards sued him for unpaid fees and unsafe working conditions. The suit was settled in 2019. Also in 2018, Depp was sued for allegedly hitting and verbally insulting a crew member while under the influence of alcohol on the set of ''City of Lies''. A lawyer for Depp told the media that "Depp never touched the [crew member], as over a dozen witnesses present will attest"; meanwhile Depp's legal team entered a court filing that did not admit that Depp hit the crew member, but stated that the crew member "provoked" the incident with "unlawful and wrongful conduct", causing Depp and film director Brad Furman to fear for their safety. A film script supervisor submitted a court declaration that Depp did not hit the crew member, and only scolded him. Before the lawsuit went to trial, a tentative settlement regarding the dismissal of the lawsuit was reached between Depp and the crew member in July 2022.


Alcohol and drug use

Depp has struggled with alcoholism and Substance dependence, addiction for much of his life. He has stated that he began using drugs by taking his mother's "Anxiolytic, nerve pills" at the age of 11, was Tobacco smoking, smoking at age 12 and by the age of 14 had used "every kind of drugs there were". In a 1997 interview, Depp acknowledged past abuse of alcohol during the filming of ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape?'' (1993). In a 2008 interview, Depp stated that he had "poisoned" himself with alcohol "for years". In 2013, Depp declared that he had Teetotalism, stopped drinking alcohol, adding that he "pretty much got everything [he] could get out of it"; Depp also said, "I investigated wine and Liquor, spirits thoroughly, and they certainly investigated me as well, and we found out that we got along beautifully, but maybe too well". Regarding his breakup with longtime partner Vanessa Paradis, Depp said 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". According to his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Depp "plunged into the depths of paranoia and Domestic violence, violence after binging on drugs and alcohol" during their relationship between 2013 and 2016. In a 2018 ''Rolling Stone'' profile of Depp, reporter Stephen Rodrick wrote that he had used hashish in his presence and described him as "alternately hilarious, sly and incoherent"; Depp also said that the allegation made by his former business managers that he had spent US$30,000 per month on wine was "insulting" because he had spent "far more" than that amount. During his 2020 libel trial, Depp admitted to having been addicted to Roxicodone and Alcoholic drink, alcohol as well as using other substances such as MDMA and cocaine during his relationship with Heard.


Political views

In November 2016, Depp joined the campaign Imprisoned for Art to call for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was being held in custody in Russia. At the Glastonbury Festival 2017, Depp, criticizing President Donald Trump, asked: "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". He added, "I'm not insinuating anything". The comment was interpreted as a reference to John Wilkes Booth, the actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Shawn Holtzclaw of the United States Secret Service, Secret Service told CNN they were aware of Depp's comment, but that "[f]or security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities". Depp apologized shortly afterward, saying the remark "did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice".


Filmography and accolades


Discography


See also

*List of people from Kentucky *List of actors with Academy Award nominations *List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories *Jack Sparrow


Notes


References


Citations


Sources

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External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Depp, Johnny Johnny Depp, 1963 births 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American musicians American expatriate male actors in France American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent American rock guitarists American expatriates in Australia Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Controversies in Australia César Honorary Award recipients Film producers from Florida Hollywood Vampires (band) members Living people Male actors from Florida Male Western (genre) film actors Nightclub owners Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Miramar, Florida Winthrop family