Johnny Depp American actor and director Date of Birth: 09.06.1963 Country: USA

Johnny Depp: A Biography

Johnny Depp, an American actor and director, is one of the brightest and most charismatic actors in Hollywood. Movies featuring him become incredibly popular and gross hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. Legends surround him, girls adore him, and critics praise him. Director Emir Kusturica even erected a monument to the actor in the Serbian village of Drvengrad.

Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. His mother worked as a waitress, and his father was a civil engineer. In addition to Johnny, his parents raised three more children - two daughters and an older son. After divorcing his father, his mother remarried, and they moved to Florida. The divorce, the move, and the death of his grandfather were very difficult for Johnny. According to his own words, at the age of 12, he was already drinking and smoking, and at 15, he started using drugs. It is unknown how true these claims are, but it is undeniable that these events had an impact on his mental state. Johnny went off the rails. He was only interested in music and spent all his time with his friends from the rock band 'The Kids'. He hardly ever stayed at home, and at the age of 16, he dropped out of school. During the day, Johnny worked on construction sites, and at night, he performed with his band in nightclubs. Soon, the fame of 'The Kids,' which was compared to the wild 'Sex Pistols,' spread throughout Florida. The legendary Iggy Pop noticed the band and invited the guys to perform as the opening act for him. During his short music career, Johnny Depp even married Lori Allison, the sister of one of the band members. However, when she realized that playing in the band did not bring in any money, she left him. One day, Johnny met her in the company of a tall young brunette. It turned out to be the aspiring actor Nicolas Cage, the nephew of the famous director Francis Ford Coppola. They quickly became friends, and Nicolas suggested that Johnny come to his agent. That's how Depp entered the world of the film industry. His first film was the horror movie 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984), where he unexpectedly landed one of the key roles. According to the director of the film, unlike the other contenders, Johnny turned out to be the "real deal." He played so naturally and freely that the crew on set didn't believe that he wasn't a professional actor. The film was a huge success, and people started to take notice of Depp. He appeared in the Oscar-winning drama 'Platoon' (1986), and then in the TV series '21 Jump Street' (1987-1991), which made him a heartthrob. Johnny wanted to return to the big screen, but due to the high ratings of the series, the producers wouldn't let him go. He did everything he could to leave the project! He argued with the director, used alcohol and drugs during filming, set his clothes on fire, and fought with the producer. He hated being typecast as a teenage idol, but he couldn't do anything about it. It was eccentric director Tim Burton who saved Johnny Depp from television. Their collaboration, the first of which was the film 'Edward Scissorhands' (1990), brought them both fame and acclaim. It was followed by the biographical drama 'Ed Wood' (1994), the mystical horror film 'Sleepy Hollow' (1999), the comedy 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' (2005), and other works that made Depp a global celebrity. In addition to feature films, the actor has also voiced several animated films by Tim Burton. As Johnny Depp became a known actor, he started to choose only bright, original roles. When he didn't like a film, he rejected the producers' offers, even if they offered him million-dollar salaries. Filmmakers were puzzled, but they couldn't do anything about the rebellious Depp. As a result, Johnny Depp appeared in films like 'Arizona Dream' (1993), 'Dead Man' (1995), and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' (1998), which were not commercially successful but were highly praised by critics and elevated to cult status. These films were highly successful in Europe, while in America, they didn't become popular. 'Arizona Dream' was never released in the U.S., and 'Dead Man' was refused production. Depp and director Jim Jarmusch had to seek funding in Europe and invest their own money to make the philosophical parable about life and death, which later became hailed as one of the best films of the decade. Johnny Depp has had many memorable roles throughout his career. These include roles in films such as 'Donnie Brasco' (1997), which earned him the title of Best Actor of his generation, 'The Ninth Gate' (1999) by cult director Roman Polanski, 'Chocolat' (2000), 'Blow' (2001), 'The Rum Diary' (2011), based on the book by renowned journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

One of Depp's notable recent works is the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series, with the latest installment released in 2011, and a sequel planned for 2016. Depp portrayed the character Jack Sparrow, who has become one of the most popular characters of our time. Thanks to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series, which grossed nearly $4 billion at the box office, Johnny Depp topped the list of the highest-paid actors in 2012.

Johnny Depp has had numerous romantic relationships, but he has been married only twice. His marriage to Lori Allison, who introduced him to the world of cinema, ended in divorce in 1985. Depp then had a relationship with little-known actress Jennifer Grey, and in 1989, he started dating Winona Ryder, whom he met on the set of 'Edward Scissorhands'. The couple was preparing to get married, but unexpectedly, they broke up in 1993. A year later, Johnny was seen in the company of British supermodel Kate Moss. They dated for four years and became one of the most scandalous couples of their time. Legends surrounded their adventures in nightclubs. In 1998, Depp started a new romance with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis. A year later, she gave birth to their daughter, Lily-Rose, and in 2002, their son, Jack Christopher, was born. Johnny gave up his wild lifestyle and became a devoted family man. In 2012, Paradis and Depp announced their separation. According to them, it was a mutual decision, and they remained friends. The reason for the split was Depp's relationship with his co-star from the film "The Rum Diary," Amber Heard, which began in 2011. In January 2014, he proposed to her. On February 3, 2015, Depp and Heard got married, but by May the following year, Amber filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. It was a particularly tough week for Depp, as his mother passed away three days before. While their lawyers resolved procedural matters, Johnny Depp went on tour with his music band. The divorce proceedings turned out to be high-profile and scandalous: Amber claimed that Johnny was mentally unstable, jealous, and abusive. At first, the jury was skeptical of these claims. The fact that Heard was seen as the home-wrecker who broke up a family where two children were growing up worked against her. So, Heard went all-in - she presented a video showing a recorded scene of violence. As a precaution, the police banned Depp from approaching his wife within 100 yards. Two of Depp's ex-wives, Lori Anne Allison and Vanessa Paradis, came to his defense, stating that their ex-husband never raised a hand to them. His daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, also supported her father. She posted an old photo from their family album on social media, showing her father teaching her how to walk. In the end, Heard unexpectedly dropped the allegations of domestic violence against Depp and accepted a $7 million settlement. But after receiving the money, the actress announced that she would donate it to charity - the full amount would be distributed among organizations helping victims of domestic violence. However, the court later determined that the actress did not fulfill her promise. The case remained open. The spouses met again in court, where the actor presented 87 videos documenting instances of Amber being the aggressor in their relationship. Depp and his lawyers filed a counterclaim, stating that it was Heard who regularly physically abused him, hitting him with her hands, feet, and kitchen utensils, and even once severing the tip of his finger with a shard of a vodka bottle. Now, the actor wanted to receive $50 million in compensation for defamation. In April 2022, new legal proceedings followed: Heard made other accusations against her ex-husband. The actress claimed that in 2016, during a joint vacation in Australia, Depp, under the influence of illegal substances, lost control. Allegedly, he began to beat her and later raped her with a bottle. Johnny's lawyers responded by noting that Amber had never mentioned this incident before. The ex-girlfriend of Depp, Kate Moss, who testified in his favor, was invited to speak in court. On June 1, after reviewing all the evidence, the jury sided with Johnny, awarding him $15 million in compensation (including $5 million for legal costs). Partially validating Heard's claims, she was awarded $2 million in compensation. Depp did not attend the final hearing. After the divorce, the actor was seen several times in the company of 26-year-old Russian model Polina Glen, but the romance was short-lived: the girl initiated the breakup, citing Depp's excessive alcohol and drug use. In September 2020, rumors began circulating about Depp's new relationship. His new girlfriend is actress and model Sophie Hermann. The details of this romance are kept secret by the actor.

Johnny Depp purchased Little Halls Pond Cay, an island in the Bahamas archipelago. Once, CNN reported the actor's death in a car accident. However, it turned out to be the work of hackers who had hacked the channel's website. Depp has poor eyesight - he has had poor vision in his left eye since childhood, and he is nearsighted in his right eye. As a result, he constantly has to wear glasses.

In addition to acting, Johnny Depp continues to pursue music. He plays in a rock band called 'The Hollywood Vampires' with well-known former musicians. The actor also frequently performs at rock concerts with other popular bands.

When asked how to become a famous actor, Johnny Depp says that one needs to have life experience. According to him, the camera sees right through any person. You can deceive the director and producers, but the camera - never.

In September 2019, Depp starred in an advertisement for a new Dior fragrance. He appeared on the historic lands of Native Americans, playing the guitar while a dancer in traditional attire performed a dance. Some users saw a demeaning subtext in the video, claiming that the script depicted Native Americans as primitive savages. This was also suggested by the name of the new fragrance, Savage. Despite the fact that Depp himself is partially of Native American descent, and the producers consulted with representatives of indigenous peoples during the creation of the video, the public outcry was so great that Dior had to remove the video from their channel and Instagram.

In late 2019, the tragicomedy 'The Professor' was released, where Depp played the lead role of an eccentric professor and literature teacher who embarks on adventures after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. For the film, the actor had to lose a significant amount of weight. The photos of a gaunt and aged Depp deeply concerned the public, and fans even speculated that he had cancer.

In February 2020, the film 'Minamata' premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film is based on real events and follows Johnny Depp's character, English photographer William Eugene Smith, as he arrives in a small Japanese town to gather documentary evidence of water contamination by mercury. The film was directed by David Kessler.

In April of the same year, the actor announced that he had registered an Instagram account.