John Christopher Depp II, widely known as Johnny Depp (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor.

Life

Depp was born on June 9, 1963 to John Christopher Depp, Sr. and Betty Sue Palmer in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was raised primarily in Miramar, Florida where his family moved in 1970. He has one brother and two sisters (Debbie, Christie, who is Depp's personal manager, and Danny). The family are of mostly British, German and Cherokee descent. The family moved from place to place, over twenty times in total. Depp's mother bought him a guitar at around the age of 13, and Depp began playing in garage bands.

Depp's parents divorced in 1978, when he was 15, and a year later he decided to drop out of school to become a rock musician. He played with a band named "The Kids", who had modest local success. The band set out for Los Angeles, California to try to get a record deal, changing their name to "Six Gun Method". During this period, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of the drummer of the band, on December 28, 1983. This caused friction between the band members and they split, the record deal never having materialized.

Depp worked many odd jobs to support himself, such as a telemarketer for pens, and his wife became a make-up artist. Later, his wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to turn to acting to support himself and his wife. His film career took off slowly and he is now an extremely well-known face. In 1985, his close friend, Earl Stevenson, who played his brother in "A Nightmare on Elm Street", both were disappointed when they failed to get a small part in a music video by the Wolf brothers.

Depp divorced Allison in 1985. Since then he has dated Winona Ryder, whom he met on the set of Edward Scissorhands, and Kate Moss, but is now in a long-term relationship with the French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis. They have two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, and divide their time between Los Angeles and a villa in the South of France.

Depp has acknowledged he hurt himself physically at a young age because of his insecurities and family problems. He has seven or eight scars from where he would practice self-harm. In a Talk magazine interview he said, In a 1993 Details magazine interview Johnny explained his self-injury, "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." In 1999, Depp admitted that to this day, his self-image "isn't that alright", although he maintains he is happier than he's ever been [1].

Film career

Depp's first role was in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Then, after initially rejecting the part, he starred in the FOX's TV series 21 Jump Street. The show was a success and he instantly became a teen idol worshipped mainly for his looks, which Depp abhorred. With a $45,000 pay per episode, Depp stayed with the show. The show lasted for four season; some speculate that it was Johnny Depp's exit that caused the program to be cancelled from Fox.

Frustrated by his new status as a teen idol, Depp began taking roles in offbeat, unusual films, beginning with Cry-Baby (1990) and later, at age 21, as an artificial man in Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton.

Soon afterwards, Depp began making high-profile films with renowned actors including What's Eating Gilbert Grape with Leonardo DiCaprio and Don Juan DeMarco with Marlon Brando.

He is now known for choosing diverse roles in a number of genres, from Captain Jack Sparrow in the action-adventure film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a cop who infiltrates the Mob in the drama Donnie Brasco, the corrupt CIA Agent Sands in the action movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and opium addicted Inspector Abberline in the thriller From Hell.

Depp is also noted for his regular appearances in the films of director Tim Burton; they have made five films together to date: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. Depp has credited Burton as the director that saved him from being "a loser, an outcast, just another piece of expendable Hollywood meat" [2].

Depp has also directed a film: The Brave, which depicts the plight of Native Americans (Depp is one quarter Cherokee).

As of 2005, Depp has been nominated twice for a Best Actor Oscar for Finding Neverland and Pirates of the Caribbean and has five Golden Globe nominations. He has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Stage career

Johnny Depp has performed in several theatrical performances over his career. His singular dedication to acting is so intense, it is obsessive. This was exhibited clearly in one instance where--in order to learn how to act exactly like the real-life character he was portraying on-stage--Johnny stayed in the man's house for several months before the play opened. In this way, he was able to capture all the odd nuances and oddities of the character he was acting out.

Trivia

Depp, a keen musician, can be heard playing slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997); on Shane MacGowan's first solo album; and as a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes. He also took part in The Fast Show, a British comic sketch show, after declaring his admiration for it.

Depp reportedly has 12 tattoos, including a Jolly Roger emblem on his ankle and "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever" but his break-up with Winona Ryder, Depp had the tattoo altered).

Depp played the role of Hunter S. Thompson in the film based on the novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Depp is a longtime fan of Thompson's work, and also a longtime friend, and thus he funded the construction of a giant cannon in the shape of a Gonzo fist that was used to deploy Thompson's ashes upon his death. Depp also owns the gun and ammunition Thompson used to kill himself.

During Depp's career, he has gotten into some trouble. His first arrest was in Vancouver for a late night altercation in a hotel lobby. He was accused of selling drugs at his club The Viper Room, after actor River Phoenix died in front of the club from a drug overdose in 1993. In 1994, Depp was arrested for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York hotel suite. He was later arrested in 1999 for getting into a fight with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis.

In the film Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Depp, having been the star of the original 1984 A Nightmare On Elm Street is seen on a television screen. He is credited in the film's end titles as Oprah Noodlemantra 1. Sources report that he uses this name when staying in hotels on location in order to make receptionists say it when giving him his wake-up call and thus amusing him on waking 2.

He has expressed anger towards the paparazzi and disapproves of fans taking pictures of his two kids, stating if a paparazzi member takes a photograph of his kids, then he will "bite your nose off and swallow it" [3].

Awards

Awards

2005 People's Choice Award

Favorite Male Movie Star

2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Actor: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 Empire Award

Best Actor

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 MTV Movie Award

Best Male Performance

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 MTV Movie Award Mexico

Best Look

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 IFTA Award

Best International Actor

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 Teen Choice Award

Choice Movie Fight/Action Sequence

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2004 Teen Choice Award

Choice Movie Liar

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

Favorite Actor - Horror

Sleepy Hollow

1999 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Star on the Walk of Fame

Motion Picture, 16 November 1999, At 7020 Hollywood Blvd.

1999 CГ©sar Awards, France

Honorary Award

1998 Golden Aries (Russian Guild of Film Critics)

Best Foreign Actor

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

1996 London Critics Circle Film Awards

ALFS Award: Actor of the Year

Ed Wood and Don Juan DeMarco

1990 ShoWest Award

Male Star of Tomorrow

Nominations

• Golden Globe nomination, (1990), Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Edward Scissorhands)
• Golden Globe nomination, (1993), Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Benny & Joon)
• Golden Globe nomination, (1994), Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Ed Wood)
• Golden Globe nomination, (2004), Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
• Golden Globe nomination, (2005), Best Actor in a Drama (Finding Neverland)
• People's Choice Award nomination, (2004), Favorite Male Movie Star (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
• BAFTA nomination, (2004), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
• Critic's Choice Award nomination, (2004), Favorite Male Actor (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
• Critic's Choice Award nomination, (2005), Favorite Male Actor (Finding Neverland)
• Golden Globe nomination, (2005), Best Actor in a Drama (Finding Neverland)
• Screen Actor's Guild nomination, (2005), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Finding Neverland)
• Academy Award nomination, (2004), Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
• Academy Award nomination, (2005), Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Finding Neverland)

Filmography

Actor

• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• Private Resort (1985)
• Slow Burn (1986)
• Platoon (1986)
• 21 Jump Street (1987) (TV)
• Cry-Baby (1990)
• Edward Scissorhands (1990)
• Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (credited as "Oprah Noodlemantra")
• Arizona Dream (1993)
• Benny & Joon (1993)
• What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
• Ed Wood (1994)
• Don Juan DeMarco (1995)
• Dead Man (1995)
• Nick of Time (1995)
• Donnie Brasco (1997)
• The Brave (1997)
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
• The Ninth Gate (1999)
• The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
• Sleepy Hollow (1999)
• The Man Who Cried (2000)
• Before Night Falls (2000)
• Chocolat (2000)
• Blow (2001)
• From Hell (2001)
• Lost In La Mancha (2002) (Documentary)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
• Secret Window (2004)
• Ils se mariГЁrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants (2004)
• Finding Neverland (2004)
• The Libertine (2005)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
• Corpse Bride (2005)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest / Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (2006 & 2007) - in production
• The Rum Diary (2006) - in pre-production
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2006) - in production
• Shantaram (2007) - announced

Producer

• The Rum Diary (2006) (Producer) [4]
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Producer) (2006) [5]
• Shantaram (2007) (Executive Producer) [6]

Miscellaneous

• Chocolat (2000) (musician: guitar)
• Lost In La Mancha (2002) (special thanks)

Composer

• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) ("Sands' Theme")

Director

• The Brave (1997)

Writer

• The Brave (1997) (Screenplay)

External links

• Johnny Depp Biography
• Johnny Depp at the Internet Movie Database
• Johnny Depp Web
• Johnny Depp Now
• Depp Impactda:Johnny Depp