1970-79

Johnny Depp's family settles in Miramar, Fla., when Johnny Depp is 7, living in a hotel until his father finds work. Prone to self-inflicted knife wounds � his arms still bear the visible scars � Depp starts smoking at 12, loses his virginity at 13, starts doing drugs at 14 and eventually drops out of high school at 16 to join the garage band, The Kids.

1983 December 20

                                                       

The Marrying Man
Months after moving to L.A. with his bandmates, Depp, 20, marries makeup artist Lori Allison, 25, in Miami. The relationship lasts two years and leads to one important connection. Through her friend Nicolas Cage, Depp is introduced to the agent who lands him his first film role, as a teen swallowed by his bed in 1984's Nightmare on Elm Street.

1986 December 19

                                                       

Reporting for Duty
Depp gets his first taste of Oscar-quality work with a small role as a Vietnamese-speaking GI in Oliver Stone's Platoon. The film will receive eight Oscar nominations the following year, taking home statues for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound and Best Film Editing.


1987 April 12

                                                                                                  

Undercover Bother
With the successful premiere of high school cop drama 21 Jump Street, one of the first shows on the new FOX network, Depp becomes a teen heartthrob, receiving 10,000 fan letters a month. Although he signed a six-year contract with the show, not believing it would last a season, Depp begins to rebel against his heartthrob status and by 1990 negotiates his way out in order to pursue movie work. "He didn't make any secret of the fact that he didn't particularly care about being on that show," recalls castmate Holly Robinson to PEOPLE.

1989 June

Depp Dates Winona
Depp meets actress Winona Ryder at a film premiere and is immediately smitten. "There's been nothing in my 27 years that's comparable to the feeling I have with Winona," he tells PEOPLE at the time. Five months after their first date, the couple is engaged; three years later they split. Depp, who alters the "Winona Forever" tattoo on his right biceps to read "Wino Forever," seems to have a fianc�e fetish: before Ryder, he was also briefly engaged to actresses Sherilyn Fenn and Jennifer Grey.
1990

1990 December 6

                                                     

Total Cutup
In an extreme contrast from his 21 Jump Street persona, Depp takes on the eccentric title role in Edward Scissorhands. It is his first collaboration with director Tim Burton, whom he works with on Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). 

1993 April 16
 

Art Film Confidential
Depp passes on big-budget roles for films like Benny & Joon, where he plays an eccentric who models himself after silent-movie star Buster Keaton. He'll continue the trend with What's Eating Gilbert Grape (opposite Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ed Wood. "I was so uncomfortable being a product, I swore to myself that I would choose my own path," Depp says on Inside the Actors Studio. "I figured I could always go back to playing guitar or pumping gas or something."

1993 October 31

Death of a Friend
Fellow actor and pal River Phoenix collapses outside the Viper Room, the Sunset Strip club Depp co-owns until 2003. An autopsy shows that Phoenix's body had toxic levels of cocaine and heroin, as well as marijuana and Valium. Depp faces accusations that his nightspot is one of the centers of Hollywood's drug trade. "To pinpoint one club or one street is really ridiculous," he tells USA Today. "There's a tragic loss of a very gifted, very sweet, nice young man."
1994

1994 February

                                                      

Up-and-Down Relationship
Depp meets model Kate Moss at the Manhattan bistro Caf� Tabac, and from the beginning their union is one of tremendous highs and lows. "They can't keep their hands, lips, mouths, legs off each other," a friend says to PEOPLE. The passion often turns the other way as the pair are frequently seen shouting at each other in public. "Instead of hitting women, he just gets angry and lets off steam in other ways," a longtime friend says to PEOPLE.



1994 September 13

                                                        

Charge It to the Room
Suspected of being drunk and fighting with Moss, Depp is arrested on suspicion of criminal mischief after trashing his $1,200-a-night room at New York City's Mark Hotel. Charges are dismissed after Depp pays nearly $10,000 in damages and fees. Ironically, legendary hotel trasher Roger Daltrey of The Who was trying to sleep next door. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Daltrey says to PEOPLE, "I give him a 1. It took him so bloody long. The Who could've done the job in one minute flat."

1998 May 22

                                                                                           

Going Gonzo
After becoming friendly with journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Depp portrays him in the film adaptation of Thompson's novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In August 2005, six months after the author's suicide, Depp pays for an invitation-only memorial where Thompson's ashes are shot out of a 15-foot cannon over his Aspen ranch.

1998 June

                                                    

Paradis Found
In Paris filming the supernatural mystery The Ninth Gate, Depp meets French model-singer Vanessa Paradis, 26. "[She] walked towards me, directly at me, and just said 'Hi.' And then I just knew, you know, it's over with," he tells Oprah. Meeting Paradis, he says, "changed [my life] completely." Within months, the pair move into a $2 million villa in a rural village on France's Cote d'Azur.

1999 May 27

                                                                      

Little Flower
Depp and Paradis welcome their first child, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, in Paris. They have a son, John Christopher Depp III, whom they call Jack, in April 2002. "Johnny is the perfect father. He dresses the children, he changes them, he makes them laugh," Paradis says in French Elle in 2002. Her one complaint? "Well, he does give Lily-Rose too many potato chips."

2003 July 09

                                                                          

Ahoy, Mate
Johnny Depp steals the show from Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in Disney's blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Modeling his character, Captain Jack Sparrow, after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Depp's oddball portrayal earns him his first Oscar nomination. The film grosses $654 million during its theatrical run, and Depp reprises the role in 2006 and 2007.


2004 December 01

                                                                                    

He's Too Sexy
Depp lands the cover of PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in 2003, beating such handsome faces as Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Nick Lachey and George Clooney. With the popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean, Depp gains a new generation of fans. Lasse Halstrom, who directed Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, talks of the leading man's charm: "He's a little dangerous, he has a secret, he has great warmth � all those things you can see in his eyes. That's the key to his appeal."


2004 November 12

                                                  

Panning for Accolades
Depp goes two for two, giving another Oscar-nominated performance as Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland with Kate Winslet. "Johnny is at the pinnacle of his career," Neverland producer Harvey Weinstein says to PEOPLE. "He is the most versatile actor in the industry. He is a leading man, a character actor, and he has the courage of his convictions."

2005 July 15

                                                                                      

Candyman
Delivering his own version of the Willy Wonka character popularized by Gene Wilder in 1971, Depp once again caters toward a younger audience in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Filming in London, Depp flies home to France every weekend until the last month of shooting, when he brings his family with him. "He wanted Lily-Rose to see him playing with the Oompa Loompas," producer Richard Zanuck says to


2007 March 8

Johnny Depp's Daughter Recovers.
Depp's daughter Lily-Rose, who has fallen ill in England, is "doing much better", according to the actor's rep. Several British papers reported that Lily-Rose came down with an undisclosed illness and that Depp, 43, has been by her bedside every day, halting production on Tim Burton's movie version of the stage musical Sweeney Todd. "To say it was the darkest moment, that's nothing," Depp later tells EW. "Now every single millisecond is a mini-celebration."

2007 May 25

                                           

A Mighty Trilogy
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End opens at No. 1 at the box office, grossing $153 million its first week. Days later, the previous Pirates installment wins the MTV Movie Award for Best Movie and Depp takes home the popcorn for Best Performance. "I want to thank [the producers] and Disney for not firing me first," Depp says during his acceptance speech.

2007 November 09 

                                                       

Singing in Sweeney Todd
Depp appears on the cover of EW, where he discusses his sixth collaboration with director Tim Burton in the adaptation of the musical, Sweeney Todd. "He makes Sid Vicious look like the innocent paper boy," Depp says of his character. "He's beyond dark." Despite the singing (which "couldn't be more foreign to me in a lot of ways"), the actor says, "After certain takes, Tim would just howl with laughter and go, 'I think this is my favorite character.''' After winning a lead actor Golden Globe for the dark role, Depp earns a Best Actor Oscar nomination. 

                                                         Extended Bio

Born John Christopher Depp in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, Johnny Depp was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school at age 15 in the hopes of becoming a rock musician. He fronted a series of garage bands including The Kids, which once opened for Iggy Pop. Depp got into acting after a visit to Los Angeles, California, with his former wife, Lori Anne Allison (Lori A. Depp), who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. He made his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). In 1987 he shot to stardom when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series "21 Jump Street" (1987).

In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood (1994). In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco (1997), opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film The Astronaut's Wife (1999). The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow (1999), brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.

Depp has played many characters in his career, including another fact-based one, Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001). He stole the show from screen greats such as Antonio Banderas in the finale to Robert Rodriguez's "mariachi" trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). In that same year he starred in the marvelous family blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off: the charming, conniving and roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow. Now Depp is collaborating again with Burton in a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged to Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983 but they divorced her in 1985. Depp is living with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children: Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and Jack, born in 2002.

IMDb Mini Biography By: mikedavies86
 

                                                      

Mini Biography
Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most versatile actors of his day and age in Hollywood, who has recuperated his image greatly since his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), with a supporting cast of Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush.

Though highly successful now, Depp's early life, strangely, was as a rebel, and he took to vandalism and narcotics. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and he fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one named The Kids. However, it was when he married Lori Anne Allison (Lori A. Depp) that he took up the job of being a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror film, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger. Three years later, Depp achieved fame as police cop Tom Hanson in the series "21 Jump Street" (1987) (1987-90), and in 1990, he was firmly established as a leading Hollywood actor with the Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands (1990), where he played a sad-faced, tragic hero who has scissors for hands.

From then on, Depp was selective of his choice of roles in movies, and he more often than not played dark, sinister characters on-screen. He played an undercover FBI agent in Donnie Brasco (1997), in which he co-starred with Al Pacino; a druggie in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998); and in two more Tim Burton ventures, Ed Wood (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), with Christina Ricci and Casper Van Dien. He filmed a fifth Tim Burton film, Corpse Bride (2005), as well as being committed for another Tim Burton production, where he plays Willy Wonka in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), based on the classic children's novel by Roald Dahl.

During his career, Depp has, unfortunately, gotten himself under bad public scrutiny. He was accused of selling drugs at his own club, The Viper Room, in regard to the legendary celebrity, River Phoenix, who died outside the club due to drug overdose in 1993. The following year, Depp was arrested for smashing and trashing a New York suite. And, in 1999, he was arrested in London for being in a fight with paparazzi outside a restaurant.

Although he gained popularity since the success of Edward Scissorhands (1990), Depp wasn't hugely famous for many years until his portrayal of the suave, charming Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in 2003. With the film's enormous success, it has opened several doors for his career and even included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in the Stephen King-based movie, Secret Window (2004); as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-based Finding Neverland (2004), where he co-starred with Kate Winslet; and most recently as Rochester in the British film, The Libertine (2004).

                                                                    

IMDb Mini Biography By: Sidhartha Shankar


Spouse
Lori A. Depp (24 December 1983 - 7 March 1986) (divorced)


Trade Mark
Highly defined cheek-bones

Frequently plays freakishly eccentric outcasts whose oddities are misunderstood by society, and usually have a flamboyant appearance and mannerism. Examples: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Dead Man (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Before Night Falls (2000), the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Frequently works with director 'Tim Burton'.

Frequently bases his performances on rock stars.



Trivia
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" (#1). [1995]

Daughter, with Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Melody Depp. [27 May 1999]

Arrested for being in a fight with paparazzis in front of a restaurant in London. [January 1999]

Ranked #67 in Empire (UK) magazine's The Top-100 Movie Stars of All Time list. [October 1997]

Chosen by People (USA) Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1996]

Voted Empire's (UK) Sexiest Male Movie Star of All Time. [1995]

Has twice recorded with British band Oasis. Most notably, he plays lead slide guitar on the track "Fade In-Out", from the 1997 album Be Here Now. Noel Gallagher, Oasis's lead guitarist, was allegedly too drunk to perform it himself, so celebrity pal Depp stepped in and nailed the lead on one take.

Arrested for trashing a New York apartment. [1994]

Ex-fianc�es: Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Moss, Jennifer Grey and Winona Ryder.

When engaged to Winona Ryder, he had "Winona forever" tattooed on his arm. After the broke up, he had the n and a surgically removed to simply say "Wino forever!"

Was the guitarist in a band called The Kids.

Currently plays in a band called P.

Adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's steed in Sleepy Hollow (1999), thereby saving him from the glue factory.

Got his "Betty Sue" tattoo May 31, 1988.

Named one of E!'s Top 20 Entertainers of 2001.

Son, Jack, born to him and Vanessa Paradis on April 9, 2002, in Neuilly, France, weighing just over 7 lbs.

Chosen #2 on E!'s 25 sexiest entertainers list

With Chuck E. Weiss, Depp reportedly paid US $350,000 for the Central Nightclub in Los Angeles, California, and turned it into the Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Blvd. Other stars in contention to buy the club in 1993 included Arnold Schwarzenegger and, separately, Frank Stallone.

Lists British comedy "The Fast Show" (1994)--renamed "Brilliant" for US television--as his favorite TV program of all time. He used to take tapes of the series on tour with him to keep him amused. Made a guest appearance in the last-ever sketch in its last-ever episode.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2001.

Wrote the foreword to Mark Salisbury's biography of Tim Burton, "Burton on Burton." He credits Burton's belief in him for rescuing him from being "a loser, an outcast, just another piece of expendable Hollywood meat."

Johnny's two children with Vanessa Paradis have the same names of the two main characters in Legend (1985): Lily (b. 1999) and Jack (b.2002).

His long-time girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, is a popular singer-songwriter in her native France, as well as an aspiring actress.

Gave Noel Gallagher a white guitar with the letter "P" on it, which he regularly plays during Oasis' gigs. "P" is the name of a band that Depp was in.

Has a song about him by the late famed schizophrenic Chicago street artist Wesley Willis.

Parents: John Christopher Depp and Elizabeth "Betty" Sue Wells. His parents divorced when he was 15.

He wanted some of his teeth to be gold-capped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) but thought the producers would never agree. He found a dentist and had lots more capped than he wanted. Disney boss Michael Eisner like them but thought there were way too many and told Depp to remove all but a few.

Resides in France and Los Angeles.

Siblings: Danny (D.P. Depp), Christi Dembrowski, and Deborah (Debbie).

Was People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2003.

The building in which Depp's Viper Room is housed was once owned by infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel.

Chosen as E!'s 2003 Entertainer of the Year.

According to the liner notes for the soundtrack CD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), he wrote his own theme music, the music for Sands (Track 9 on the CD).

Shot all of his scenes in nine days for Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), but after his filming was done he didn't want to leave. So he suggested to Robert Rodriguez that he play a small part, the priest that Antonio Banderas talks to in the church, and use his Marlon Brando impression.

Reportedly based his portrayal of "Ichabod Crane" in Sleepy Hollow (1999) on "Withnail" from Withnail & I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.

Has been in seven films in which the title contains the name of the character he plays: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Cry-Baby (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

Persuaded actor Rey-Phillip Santos to give acting a try.

Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 19 November 1999. Tim Burton and Martin Landau were guest speakers.

                                                             

Has a niece, Megan: she works for popular online entertainment magazine TYCP.

Was ranked #5 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties.

Based the character of Captain Jack Sparrow on rock legend Keith Richards and the Looney Tunes character, Pepe Le Pew.

Purchased Bela Lugosi's Los Angeles home.

Sports his son's name, Jack, tattooed on his arm and a beaded bracelet made by his daughter Lily Rose.

Is hugely interested in Jack the Ripper.

Ranked #4 in TV Guide's list of TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols (23 January 2005 issue).

Has something in common with actor Robert Englund, famed for portraying dream-stalking Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. Both of them appeared in the first A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and both had played characters with blades for hands: Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Depp as the title character in Edward Scissorhands (1990). And, strangely, both of them were born in June, with their birthdays three days apart, and they share the same height, which is 5' 10".

A movie buff (with a somewhat encyclopedic knowledge of older films), he admits he watches few movies any more, other than the children's films that his "kiddies" prefer. He also enjoys most of them.

Loves watching animated films with his daughter such as Shrek (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003).

Co-owns a restaurant/club in Paris called Man Ray (named after avant-garde artist Man Ray) with Sean Penn and John Malkovich. The restaurant is located in a renovated theater and serves Tibetan cuisine.

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #47 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

When he was cast as "Willy Wonka" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), many newspapers published headings about "Depp's Willy" and "Deppy's Willy is a Bit Wonkier".

Apparently conceived his portrayal of Edward D. Wood Jr. as a cross between Ronald Reagan (the wobbly-headed thing), the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the voice of Casey Kasem.

Dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue a career as a musician.

As a teen, he and his band "The Kids" performed for Iggy Pop.

As a child, he was allergic to chocolate.

In 2004, Ren�e Zellweger accepted the Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role" on his behalf, because he wasn't present at the awards ceremony

Learned French to be able to converse with Vanessa Paradis' parents.

He also played slide for an acoustic recording of Fade Away, recorded in 1995 for the War Child: Help album.

Had come into professional contact with the great screen villains Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. Price co-starred with Depp in Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Lee co-starred with him in Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). Oddly, all of them were Tim Burton films.

Great admirer of Marlon Brando. He was also good friends with the legendary actor, who described Depp as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

Although unable to attend, he was awarded the Gary Cooper Spirit of Montana Award at the 2005 HatcH audiovisual festival in Bozeman, Montana. HatcH honored Depp for his outstanding career and his role as a mentor and inspiration to young and aspiring artists.

Has portrayed a real-life character in seven films: Edward D. Wood Jr. in Ed Wood (1994), Lt. Victor/Bon Bon in Before Night Falls (2000), Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001), Joseph Pistone/Donnie Brasco in Donnie Brasco (1997), George Jung in Blow (2001) and J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland (2004), 'John Wilmot, The Second Earl of Rochester' in The Libertine (2005).

Sherilyn Fenn's name is scrawled across his helmet in Platoon (1986).

He has said in interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well. Asked the origin of his last name by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp said his name means "idiot" in German.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), however, he failed to receive a nomination.

His ownership of the Viper room ended in 2004, he signed it over to Amanda Fox, the daughter of his missing partner in the club, Anthony Fox.

Was voted the Second Greatest Actor (behind Marlon Brando) in British Channel Channel 4's Greatest Actor Poll.

His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #22 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #79 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Friend of Christina Ricci.

Reportedly based his portrayal of "Ichabod Crane" in Sleepy Hollow (1999) on "Withnail" from Withnail & I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.

Ranked #1 in the "Best Hollywood Signers 2006" list by "Autograph Collector" magazine (May 2006).

Was close with his grandfather who died when he was 7 years old.

His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #87 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time (2006).

His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #65 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Ranked #18 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #23 in 2005.

A rule he has towards fans requesting his autograph and picture is that no photography is allowed of his children.

Is the only actor to be nominated for the Oscar in the Lead Actor category in a Disney film (_Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)_)

Frequently cites Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) as the favorite characters that he has played.

Oliver Stone seriously considered casting him in Charlie Sheen's role in Platoon (1986), but the studio thought Depp was "too young." Sheen is actually two years younger than Depp!

Was Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski's very first choice for the role of "Neo" in The Matrix (1999). Since Depp wasn't considered a box-office friendly name, Warner Bros. decided on casting Keanu Reeves instead.

Has been described as the "jester of cinema, the Method clown." His incredibly bizarre on-screen persona brings to mind the off-screen behavior of the late Marlon Brando, who was famously eccentric and quirky once he retired from acting.

Has a niece called Megan

Once painted on a billboard featuring his "21 Jump Street" (1987) character because he didn't like his picture or the message the billboard gave. He was stopped by a security guard who actually let him finish what he was doing when he realized it was Johnny's own face.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) will be the sixth time that Depp and Tim Burton work together. The other five being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Ed Wood (1994) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

He was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson until his death. Depp helped to fulfill Thompson's last wish after the writer died. Thompson wanted his remains to be shot out of a 150 foot long canon.

Born in Kentucky but moved to Florida at age 7.

He is the youngest of 4 children.

Has admitted in interviews that one of his favorite pastimes is watching cartoons (especially Dave The Barbarian of whom he is a big fan) with his children.

Named after his father John Christopher Depp.

Was considered for the role of Florentino Ariza in Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), but director Mike Newell refused to work with big name Hollywood stars. Javier Bardem got the role instead.

Owns a customised 1960's 650cc Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.

Moved to a villa in France with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and his daughter Lily Rose Melody Depp in 1999.

Has 2 silver teeth.
 

Originally cast as John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but turned it down after being overworked with other movies he was shooting.

Is a great admirer and good friend of Tom Baker.

His children have the same names as "Mad" Jack and Lilly the Mermaid from the movie Magic Island (1995) (V).

Was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, whom he met on the set of the 1985 short student film "Dummies" directed by Laurie Frank. Their engagement was broken off after three years and a half.

Dylan Seal is his second cousin.

He is a fan of The Rolling Stones and the gypsy musical group Taraf de Haidouks.

Turned down the role of Jack Traven in action hit Speed (1994/I).

2007 - Ranked #21 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Was named Empire Magazine's #5 in the list of 100 Sexiest Stars.

In 2007, it was reported by Forbes Magazine that his earnings for the year 2006 were estimated to be $92 million.

Was named Top Money Making Star for the second year in a row in the 76th annual Quickley Publishing Co. poll for year 2007.

He is a godfather of Tim Burton son Billy Ray Burton.

Donated $2 million to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. He gave the gift as thanks for the treatment his daughter Lily-Rose received at the facility in March 2007 after contracting an E. Coli infection that caused kidney failure.

Was a fan of the British improvisational show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Good friend of Serbian film director Emir Kusturica.

Guest with Jim Jarmusch of Belgrade Film Festival FEST in 1992. With Jarmusch, Emir Kusturica and Serbian Rock n'Roll band Partybreakers (Partibrejkersi) he held a concert.

Has a nightclub named after him in Tartu, Estonia. The nightclub is called "Who wouldn't like Johnny Depp?".

Was originally set to play the lead character Jean-Dominique Bauby in Julian Schnabel movie Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007). However, he dropped from the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Good friend with actress Helena Bonham Carter, partner of his best friend Tim Burton.

Made a voice message for 17-year-old British girl who has been in a coma for five months. Parents of the girl asked him to tape a voice message because he's the favorite actor of their daughter and they will play that message to her everyday hoping she'll wake up. Depp was touched by the letter and he said that he'll do whatever he can to help. (25 March 2008).

Co-wrote the song "Mary" by the Hard Rock band Rock City Angels.

Was originally supposed to play the on screen version of Billy Loomis in the original version of Scream 2 (1997), but was replaced by Luke Wilson.

He and Vanessa Paradis grow grapes and have wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.

Closed down the "Viper Room" for two weeks after River Phoenix died there and he also closed it on every 31 October until 2004 (when he sold his share of the club), which was the date of Phoenix's death.

Nicolas Cage got him his first acting job.

Ranked #6 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list.

Fan of popular British series "Midsomer Murders" (1997). He also stated that he would like to make a guest appearance in this long-running show.


Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of Betty Sue Palmer (n�e Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, Sr., a civil engineer.[3] He has one brother, Danny, and two sisters, Christie (now his personal manager) and Debbie. Depp has German, Cherokee (mostly from a great-grandmother), and Irish ancestry.[4][5] The book Johnny Depp: A Kind of Illusion (ISBN 1-905287-04-6) states that the Depp family originated with a French Huguenot, Pierre Deppe or Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700. Depp has said he doesn't know the origin of his surname, but jokes that the name translates to "idiot" in German (it is actually a minor insult meaning fool).[6][7] The family moved frequently during Depp's childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, Depp's parents divorced. He engaged in self-harm as a child, due to the stress of dealing with family problems and his own insecurity. He has seven or eight scars from practicing self-harm. In a 1993 interview, he explained his self-injury by saying, "My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist".[8]


1980s
Depp's mother bought her son a guitar when he was 12, and Depp began playing in various garage bands. His first band was in honor of his girlfriend Meredith. A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. As he once explained on Inside the Actors Studio, he attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. He played with The Kids, a band that enjoyed modest local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method. The group split before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels[9] and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut for Geffen Records titled Young Man's Blues.

On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, a makeup artist and sister of his band's bass player and singer. During Depp's marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a telemarketer for ink pens. Later, his wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. In 1985, Depp and Allison divorced. After his marriage ended, Depp dated and was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn (whom he met on the set of the 1985 short film Dummies). He also dated Winona Ryder, Jennifer Grey, and model Kate Moss.


1990s and 2000s
In 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York City hotel suite.[10] He was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis.[11] Since 1998, Depp has had a relationship with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate.[12] The couple have two children. Daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp was born May 27, 1999. Son John "Jack" Christopher Depp III was born April 9, 2002. In 2007, his daughter recovered from a serious illness, an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay.[13] However, earlier sources reported that she had blood poisoning due to stepping on a rusty tack.[14]

Although Depp has not remarried, he has stated that having children has given him "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything."[15] "You can't plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny; kismet. All the math finally worked." The family divides its time between their home in Meudon, located in the suburbs of Paris, Los Angeles, and their villa in Plan-de-la-Tour, a small town an hour and a half from Saint-Tropez, in the south of France.[16][17] Depp also acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-de-la-Tour area in 2007.[18]

Depp has 13 tattoos, many of them signifying important persons or events in his life, including an American Indian in profile and a ribbon reading "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever", altered after his breakup with Winona Ryder) on his right bicep, "Lily-Rose" (his daughter's name) over his heart, "Betty Sue" (his mother's name) on his left biceps, and a sparrow flying over water with the word "Jack" (his son's name; the sparrow is flying towards him rather than away from him as it is in Pirates of the Caribbean) on his right forearm.

In 2003, Depp was quoted as criticizing the United States in Germany's Stern magazine, commenting that "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth � that can bite and hurt you, aggressive."[19] Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context, Stern stood by its story, as did CNN.com in its coverage of the interview. CNN added his remark that he would like his children "to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out."[20] The July 17, 2006 edition of Newsweek reprinted the "dumb puppy" quotation, verbatim, within the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that he says paint him as a "European wannabe" who enjoys the "simpler" life and anonymity that living in France provides.[19]

One of Depp's closest friends is director Tim Burton, with whom he has worked six times. He has referred to working with Burton as "coming home", and he wrote the introduction to Burton on Burton, a book of interviews with the director, in which he called Burton "...a brother, a friend,...and [a] brave soul".[21]


Career

Johnny Depp received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on November 19, 1999.[22]
Television
Depp starred in a lead role on the FOX TV television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. Depp accepted this role because he wasn't getting much work in the business and wanted to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Later in the season, Depp's long time friend Sal Jenco joined the cast as a semi-co-star as the janitor named Blowfish. The series' success turned Depp into a popular teen idol during the late 1980s. He found the teen-idol status an irritant, noting that he felt "forced into the role of product"[23] and that it was "a very uncomfortable situation and I didn't get a handle on it and it wasn't on my terms at all."[24] Depp promised himself that after his contract on the series expired, he would only appear in films that he felt were right for him.[23] His only television role since 21 Jump Street was a 2004 guest spot on the animated series King of the Hill.[25]


Film roles
Depp's first major role was in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, playing the heroine's boyfriend and one of Freddy's victims. In 1986, he also appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's Platoon. Depp then left his teen idol image in 1990, playing the quirky title role in the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. The film's success began a long association with Burton. Depp, an avid fan and long-time friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, played a version of Thompson (named Raoul Duke) in 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the writer's pseudobiographical novel of the same name. Depp also accompanied Thompson as his road manager on one of the author's last book tours.[26] In 2006, Depp contributed a personal foreword to Gonzo by Hunter S. Thompson, a posthumous visual biography of the writer's legacy published by ammobooks.com. A close friend of Thompson's, Depp paid for most of Thompson's memorial event, complete with fireworks and the shooting of Thompson's ashes by a cannon, in Aspen, Colorado, where Thompson lived.[27]


Depp with longer hair, mustache and goatee similar to the style used in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl film.Depp's film characters have been described by the press as "iconic loners,"[28] and Depp has noted that this period of his career was full of "studio defined failures" and films that were "box office poison,"[29] stating that he believes film studios never "understood" the films he appeared in and did not know how to market them properly.[28] Depp has also said that he specifically chose to appear in films that he found personally interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office.[28]

Depp's status as a major star was solidified with the success of the 2003 Walt Disney Pictures film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,[28] for which his lead performance as the suave pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was highly praised. The performance was initially received negatively by the studio bosses who saw the film, but the character became popular with the movie-going public;[28] in 2006, Depp's co-star from the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, Bill Nighy, described the role as probably being "one of the most popular performances of recent times."[29] According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp was also considered to be one of the main reasons audiences wanted to see the movie.[30] The film's director, Gore Verbinski, has said that Depp's Jack Sparrow character closely resembles Depp's own personality, although Depp himself said that he modelled the character after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.[31] Depp, who has noted that he was "surprised" and "touched" at the positive reception given to the film,[28] was nominated for an Academy Award for the role. In 2004, he was again nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, this time for playing Scottish author J. M. Barrie in the film Finding Neverland. Depp next starred as Willy Wonka in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was a major success at the box office.[31]


Depp at the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest London premiere in July 2006.Depp returned to the character of Jack Sparrow for the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which opened on July 7 2006 and grossed $135.5 million in the first three days of its U.S. release, breaking a box office record in reaching the highest weekend tally ever.[32] The next sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End, was released May 24, 2007; Depp has mentioned his attachment to his Captain Jack Sparrow character, specifying that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me", and expressing his desire to portray the character in further sequels.[15] Depp voiced Sparrow in the video game, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.[33]

Depp and Gore Verbinski are executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's film adaptation of the musical Sweeney Todd,[34] for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The traditional ceremony for the 65th Golden Globe Awards did not take place due to the 2007�2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his "unwavering trust and support."[35]

As a child, Depp was obsessed with Dark Shadows a gothic-themed soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971. As a result, he accepted Warner Brothers proposal to make a film version of the show. In July 2007, a rights deal was struck with the estate of Dan Curtis, the show's producer/director. Depp and Graham King will produce the movie with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Productions inc. until Curtis died in 2006. Depp will also appear in a film version of writer Hunter S. Thompson's book, The Rum Diary,[26] portraying the main character Paul Kemp. Depp's production company has also picked up the rights to the story of poisoned former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.[36] Depp is signed to play one incarnation of the deceased Heath Ledger character in the 2009 film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell.


Other interests

Music

Depp backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre on December 31, 2006As a guitar player, Depp has recorded a solo album, played slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997), as well as on "Fade Away (Warchild Version)" (b-side of the "Don't Go Away" single). As well, he played acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat and on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He is a friend of The Pogues' Shane MacGowan, and performed on MacGowan's first solo album. As well, he was a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. He has appeared in the music videos of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Into the Great Wide Open."


Winemaker and restauranteur
Depp and Paradis grow grapes and have wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.[18][37] Known for a fondness of French wines, among Depp's favourites are the Bordeaux wines Ch�teau Calon-S�gur, Ch�teau Cheval-Blanc and Ch�teau P�trus, and the Burgundy wine Domaine de la Roman�e-Conti. Interviewed in Madame Figaro, Depp stated, "With those wines, you reach nirvana".[38] Along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall, Depp co-owns the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray, located near the Champs-�lys�es.[39]


Awards and nominations
Main article: List of Johnny Depp's awards and nominations
Some of the awards that Depp has won include honors from the London Critics Circle (1996); Russian Guild of Film Critics (1998); Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004); and a Golden Globe for Best Actor. At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, he won the award for "Favorite Villain" for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd.


Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1983 The Outsiders cameo in the "rumble" scene[citation needed]
1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street Glen Lantz
1985 Private Resort Jack
Slow Burn Donnie Fleischer
1986 Platoon Private Gator Lerner
1990 Edward Scissorhands Edward Scissorhands
Cry-Baby Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker
1987-1991 21 Jump Street Tom Hanson TV series
1991 Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Teen on TV
1993 What's Eating Gilbert Grape Gilbert Grape
Benny & Joon Sam
Arizona Dream Axel
1994 Ed Wood Ed Wood
1995 Nick of Time Gene Watson
Dead Man William Blake
Don Juan DeMarco Don Juan
1996 Cannes Man Himself
1997 Donnie Brasco Donnie Brasco/Joseph D. 'Joe' Pistone
The Brave Raphael Also Director and Writer
1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Raoul Duke
L.A. Without A Map Himself/William Black on Dead Man poster Cameo As Himself
1999 Sleepy Hollow Constable Ichabod Crane
The Astronaut's Wife Commander Spencer Armacost
The Ninth Gate Dean Corso
2000 Chocolat Roux
Before Night Falls Lt. Victor + Bon Bon
2001 From Hell Inspector Frederick Abberline
The Man Who Cried Cesar (Limited release)
Blow George Jung
2002 Lost in La Mancha Himself (Johnny Depp)
2003 Once Upon a Time in Mexico Sheldon Jeffrey Sands
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Captain Jack Sparrow Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor
2004 Happily Ever After L'inconnu
Finding Neverland Sir James Matthew Barrie Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor
Secret Window Mort Rainey
2005 The Libertine John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Willy Wonka
Corpse Bride Victor Van Dort
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Captain Jack Sparrow
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Captain Jack Sparrow
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sweeney Todd Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor
2009 The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Tony post-production; Assuming a role originally portrayed by Heath Ledger
Public Enemies John Dillinger filming
Shantaram Lindsay pre-production; Also Co-Producer
The Rum Diary Paul Kemp pre-production; Also Executive Producer