Johnny Depp

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Johnny Depp biography: Life and career

Basic Information

Full Name: John Christopher Depp II
Date Of Birth: June 9, 1963
Place Of Birth: Owensboro, Kentucky, Amerika Serikat
National: United States
Jobs: Actor, musician, producer, director
Net worth (estimated): About $200 million (based on Forbes reports and other sources until 2025)
Couples: Lori Anne Allison (1983–1985), Amber Heard (2015–2017)
Son: Lily-Rose Melody Depp (lahir 1999), John Christopher “Jack” Depp III (lahir 2002)
Tanda ZodiakGemini
Ethnicity: Belgian (Flemish), Dutch, English, French, German, with slight Cherokee and Navajo ancestry

Childhood and backgroundJohn Christopher Depp II lahir di Owensboro, Kentucky, sebagai anak bungsu dari empat bersaudara. Ayahnya, John Christopher Depp Sr., was a civil engineer, while her mother, Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), worked as a waitress and homemaker. Depp's family moved frequently due to his father's work, and they eventually settled in Miramar, Florida, when Johnny was 7 years old. Johnny has three older brothers: Daniel (also known as DP, a screenwriter), Debbie, and Christi Dembrowski (who later became his personal assistant).Johnny's childhood was full of challenges. He describes himself as a quiet and “strange” child, often engaging in eccentric behaviors such as turning off light switches repeatedly or making strange noises. His family lived in difficult financial conditions, and they once lived in a motel for almost a year. Family tensions grew when Johnny's parents divorced when he was 15. Johnny is very close to his mother, whom he describes as a hard worker struggling to support the family.

At the age of 12, Johnny began smoking, experimenting with drugs, and committing acts of self-harm as an escape from family problems. His mother gave him a guitar at the same age, which became a turning point in his life. Johnny began to focus on music, leaving school aside, and eventually dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a rock musician.

Early career: from musician to actorIn 1979, Johnny joined a band called The Flame, which was later renamed The Kids. The Band was quite successful in Florida, even opening for famous bands such as Talking Heads and the B-52s. However, they are struggling financially. In 1983, Johnny married Lori Anne Allison, a 25-year-old makeup artist, and moved to Los Angeles in search of great opportunities with his band. To make a living, Johnny worked as a pen seller through telemarketing.

A big change happened when Lori introduced Johnny to the actor Nicolas Cage, who saw acting potential in Johnny. Cage arranged an audition with the director Wes Craven for horror movies A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Although without acting experience, Johnny got the role of Glen Lantz, the girlfriend of the main character who became a victim of Freddy Krueger. This role got partly because Wes Craven's daughter was fascinated by it. Johnny himself admitted that he “acted by accident” and initially had no desire to become an actor.

After a small role in Platoon (1986) by Oliver Stone, Johnny gets the lead role in the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). In the series, he played Tom Hanson, a young policeman who goes undercover in schools to catch criminals. The series was a huge success, making Johnny a teen idol, although he felt uncomfortable with the “teen heartthrob” status. He left the series in 1990 to focus on a film career.

Career in Hollywood: 1990sIn the 1990s, Johnny began to build a reputation as a serious actor who chose eccentric and unconventional roles. His first collaboration with the director Tim Burton in Edward Scissorhands (1990) became an important milestone. In this film, Johnny plays Edward, a man with a lonely scissor hand, and manages to show great emotional depth. The Film was a critical and commercial success, and marked the beginning of a long-term professional relationship with Burton.

Throughout the decade, Johnny chose roles that challenged Hollywood stereotypes. He starred in such films as:

Cry-Baby (1990), a musical comedy by John Waters.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), in which he played a young man struggling with family responsibilities, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
Benny & Joon (1993), as an eccentric young man who resembles Charlie Chaplin.
Arizona Dream (1993), an independent film by Emir Kusturica.
Ed Wood (1994), in which he played the worst director in the history of cinema. This role earned him his third Golden Globe nomination and rekindled his passion for acting.
Dead Man (1995), a Western film by Jim Jarmusch.
Donnie Brasco (1997), as an undercover FBI agent in the mafia world, acting opposite Al Pacino.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), memerankan alter ego Hunter S. Thompson, Raoul Duke, dalam adaptasi novel semi-otobiografi karya Terry Gilliam.
The Ninth Gate (1999), sebuah thriller misteri karya Roman Polanski.
Sleepy Hollow (1999), again collaborating with Tim Burton as Ichabod Crane.

Johnny is known for his ability to portray eccentric characters with unique humor and depth. In 1999, he received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the film industry.

Puncak Karier: 2000-an dan Pirates of the CaribbeanIn the early 2000s, Johnny continued to demonstrate his versatility with roles such as:

Chocolat (2000), a romance drama.
Blow (2001), as drug dealer George Jung.
From Hell (2001), as an inspector investigating the Jack the Ripper case.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), bagian dari trilogi mariachi karya Robert Rodriguez.

However, a true turning point in his career occurred in 2003 when he portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Johnny modeled his character after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and added a touch of humor as well as a unique personality. This role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and made the film one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The sequels (Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides, and Dead Men Tell No Tales) was also a huge success, with total revenues of over $4.5 billion worldwide.

Johnny continued his collaboration with Tim Burton in such films as:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), as Willy Wonka.
Corpse Bride (2005), as The Voice of Victor Van Dort.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), for which he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Film and was nominated for his third Oscar.
Alice in Wonderland (2010), sebagai Mad Hatter.
Dark Shadows (2012).

In 2009, he played gangster John Dillinger in Public Enemies, which received critical acclaim, and contributed in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, di mana ia, Jude Law, dan Colin Farrell menyumbangkan gaji mereka untuk putri Heath Ledger, Matilda, setelah kematian Ledger sebelum film selesai.

His career in the 2010s and controversiesIn the 2010s, Johnny remains one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, with earnings of $75 million in 2012, making him the Guinness World Records ' highest-paid actor. He starred in such films as:

The Tourist (2010), with Angelina Jolie.
Rango (2011), as the voice of the main character in the animated film.
The Rum Diary (2011), adaptation of Hunter s novel. Another Thompson.
The Lone Ranger (2013), as Tonto.
Into the Woods (2014), as a wolf in a musical adaptation.
Black Mass (2015), sebagai bos kriminal Whitey Bulger.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), as Gellert Grindelwald.

However, his career began to face challenges in the late 2010s due to personal controversies. In 2016, his wife, Amber Heard, filed for divorce and accused Johnny of domestic violence. These allegations sparked massive media attention and affected his reputation. In 2018, Johnny sued Heard for defamation after Heard wrote an op-ed about being a victim of domestic violence. Johnny also sued the British tabloids The Sun over an article that referred to her as a”wife beater". In 2020, the British High Court ruled that most of Heard's allegations were proven by civil standards, and Johnny lost the lawsuit.

The culmination was a defamation trial in Virginia, USA, in April–June 2022. The conference was broadcast live and attracted over 500 million viewers. The jury ruled that Heard had defamed Johnny, and he was awarded $10 million in damages. Heard also won one of his lawsuits, but received only $2 million. In December 2022, the two reached a settlement, with Heard paying Johnny $1 million. This trial returned most of the public support for Johnny, although his career has not fully recovered.

Postcontroversial career: 2020sAfter the trial, Johnny returned to acting with the role of King Louis XV in a French film Jeanne du Barry (2023), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received acclaim. He also continues to be active as a musician with the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, which he co-formed with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry in 2015. Johnny also announced new projects, including plans to star in and produce films through his company, Infinitum Nihil, which was founded in 2004.

In 2025, he is scheduled to appear in several projects, including a potential return to the franchise Pirates of the Caribbean (although not yet officially confirmed) and roles in independent films. He also remained active in philanthropic activities, including donating $2 million to Great Ormond Street Hospital in gratitude for the care of his daughter, Lily-Rose, who was suffering from an E infection. Col in 2007.

Personal LifeJohnny Depp is known as a charismatic figure and has a colorful personal life. He has been in relationships with several famous celebrities:

Lori Anne Allison (1983-1985): his first marriage ended after two years.
Sherilyn Fenn dan Jennifer Grey (late 1980s): Johnny was engaged to both, but the relationship did not continue.
Winona Ryder (1989-1993): their relationship while filming Edward Scissorhands it was highly publicized, and Johnny even had a tattoo of “Winona Forever” (which was later changed to “Wino Forever” After the breakup).
Kate Moss (1994-1998): the relationship with the British supermodel also attracted media attention.
Vanessa Paradis (1998-2012): Johnny had two children with this French singer and actress, Lily-Rose and Jack. They never married, but their relationship was considered stable until the breakup in 2012.
Amber Heard (2012-2017): their controversial relationship ended in divorce and the aforementioned trial.

Johnny has been visually impaired since birth, is almost blind in his left eye, and suffers from nearsightedness. He is also known as a collector of art and memorabilia, and owns a private island in the Bahamas named after people close to him, such as Vanessa Paradis, his children, Hunter S. Thompson, dan Marlon Brando.

Achievements and awardsJohnny Depp has received numerous awards for his work, including:

Golden Globe Award: Best Actor in a Musical or comedy film for Sweeney Todd (2007).
Screen Actors Guild Award: Best Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Academy Award NominationsThree times for Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), and Sweeney Todd (2007).
Nominated for BAFTA: Twice for Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Neverland.
Donostia Award (2021): Award for Lifetime Achievement at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Disney Legend (2015): for his contributions to Disney films.
People’s Choice Awards: 14-time winner, including the favorite actor of the decade.
Sexiest Man Alive by magazine People: 2003 and 2009.

His films have earned more than $8 billion worldwide, making him one of the most commercially successful actors in history.

Interesting Facts

Johnny is a big fan Hunter S. Thompson and has played his alter ego in two films (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary). He also funded Thompson's funeral in 2005.
He once painted on a billboard showing his face to 21 Jump Street for not liking the picture.
Johnny owns a nightclub in Los Angeles called The Viper Room, which he purchased in 1993.
He is a fan of British comedy shows The Fast Show he appeared in his last sketch.
Johnny is considered a” method clown " in acting, with an eccentric approach similar to that of Marlon Brando.
He was once offered the role of Neo in The Matrix (1999), but the role eventually went to Keanu Reeves.
Johnny donated his salary from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to Heath Ledger's daughter as a tribute to their friendship.
He once recorded a voicemail for a British teenage girl who was in a coma for five months, at the request of her parents, because she was his favorite actor.

Legacy and impactJohnny Depp is known as one of the most versatile and charismatic actors in Hollywood. His ability to portray eccentric characters with humor and emotion has inspired many actors and filmmakers. His role as Captain Jack Sparrow has become a pop culture icon, and his collaboration with Tim Burton has produced some of the most memorable films in the history of modern cinema. Despite facing challenges due to personal controversies, his victory in the 2022 trial has returned most of the public's support, and he remains an important figure in the entertainment industry.Johnny is also active in philanthropy, including major donations to children's hospitals and support for various charitable organizations. As a musician, he continues to perform with The Hollywood Vampires, showing that his talent is not limited to acting. With new projects on the horizon, Johnny Depp remains an evolving Hollywood legend.