| Initially known as a teen idol thanks to his role on 21 Jump Street and tortured pretty-boy looks, Johnny Depp survived the perils of adolescent heartthrob status to earn a reputation as a respected adult actor. His numerous collaborations with director Tim Burton, as well as solid performances in a number of critically acclaimed films, have allowed Depp to carve a niche for himself as a serious, if idiosyncratic performer, a real-life role that has continuously surprised critics intent on writing him off as just another photogenic tiger Beat casualty. Born in Kentucky and raised in Florida, Depp had the kind of upbringing that would readily lend itself to his future portrayals of brooding lost boys. After his parents divorced when he was 16, he dropped out of school a year later in the hopes of making his way in the world as a musician. Depp fronted a series of garage bands; the most successful of these, The Kids, was once the opening act for Iggy Pop. During slack times in the music business, Depp sold pens by phone. He got introduced to acting after a visit to L.A. with his former wife, who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who encouraged Depp to give it a try. The young actor made his film debut in 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street (years after attaining stardom, Depp sentimentally played a cameo in the last of the Elm Street series), and his climb to fame was accelerated in 1987, when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the Canadian-filmed TV series 21 Jump Street. Biding his time in "teen heartthrob" roles, Depp was first given a chance to exhibit his exhausting versatility in the title role of Tim Burton's fantasy Edward Scissorhands (1990). Following the success of Edward Scissorhands, the actor made a conscious and successful effort never to repeat himself in his subsequent characterizations. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity for his work, most notably in Benny & Joon (1993), in which he played a troubled young man who fancies himself the reincarnation of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), which cast him as its title character, a young man dissatisfied with the confines of his small-town life. Following Gilbert Grape, Depp outdid himself in Burton's Ed Wood (1994), with his outrageous but lovable portrayal of the angora-sweater-worshipping World's Worst Film Director. The same year, he further exercised his versatility playing a 19th century accountant in Dead Man, Jim Jarmusch's otherworldly Western. With his excellent portrayal of the titular undercover FBI agent in Mike Newell's 1997 Donnie Brasco, Depp continued to ascend the Hollywood ranks. After a starring turn as Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego in Terry Gilliam's trippy adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Depp tried his hand at sci-fi horror with The Astronaut's Wife in 1999. That same year, he again collaborated with Burton on Sleepy Hollow, starring as a prim, driven Ichabod Crane in the remake of Washington Irving's classic tale of gothic terror. Appearing the following year in the small but popular romantic drama Chocolat, Depp jumped back into the big time with his role as real-life cocaine kingpin George Jung in Blow (2001) before gearing up for roles in the Jack the Ripper thriller From Hell (2001) and Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2002). In what was perhaps his most surprising departure since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Depp shed his oftentimes angst-ridden persona for a flamboyant role as a long undead pirate in 2003's Pirates of the Carribean. In 1999 fathered a daughter with French singer/actress Vanessa Paradis. He was also the owner of the Viper Room, a popular L.A. nightspot which gained notoriety when actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on its doorstep in 1993. Written by: Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide/MSN Entertainment |
 |
 |
| Full name: John Christopher Depp II Date of birth: 9 June 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky USA Parents: Betty Sue Palmer and John Depp Siblings: older sisters Christi and Debbie, and older brother Danny Marital status: Johnny was married at age 20 to make-up artist Lori Allison but they divorced a couple of years later. He has had several long-term relationships, most notably with actress Winona Ryder and with model Kate Moss. He now lives with his long-term partner Vanessa Paradis, the French singer and actress. They met while Johnny was filming The Ninth Gate in France in 1998. They are not married. Children: Johnny has two children with his partner Vanessa Paradis: Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999 @ 8:25 p.m. in Paris) and Jack John Christopher Depp III (born 9 April 2002 @ 1:30 a.m. in Paris). Homes: Johnny has homes in Los Angeles, USA and in the south of France. When he's not filming he lives in France with Vanessa and their children. Ethnicity: Johnny has Cherokee ancestry, inherited from both sides of his family but mostly from his mother�s. His great-grandmother, Minnie, was a full-blooded Cherokee. He also has European ancestry. |
 |
 |
| Johnny Depp |
 |
 |
 |
| His Women...
Lori Anne Allison: '83 � '85 * Sherilyn Fenn: �85 � �88 * Jennifer Grey: �88 � �89 * Winona Ryder: �89 � �93 * Kate Moss: �94 � �98 * Vanessa Paradis: �98 � actual * |
| His Tatoos...
Wino Forever' : right biceps * Native American head : right biceps * 'The Brave' symbol : right forearm * 'Jack' and bird in flight : right forearm * Three rectangles : right index finger * 'Lily-Rose' : over heart * Inverted triangle : left biceps * Heart with 'Betty Sue' : left biceps * Number '3' : left hand * Skull and crossbones with 'death is certain' : right leg * Question mark: right ankle * |
 |
 |